Pitta bread recipe

Roll them out the length of your arm!

Pita (pita bread, pitta or pitta bread) is a wheat flatbread made with yeast. It can be white (normal flour) or brown when made with wholemeal flour.

Similar to other double-layered flat or pocket breads, pita is traditional in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It is prevalent from North Africa and the Middle East.

The Indian flatbread form of roti is sometimes referred to as "Indian pita".

We also have a brilliantly simple recipe that in a few moments turns normal pitta breads into buttery crispbread. You won't believe how good it is until you try it.

This recipe is simple and delicious and the results are far better than shop-bought pittas.

Pitta bread recipe

Servings:	4
Calories per serving:	258
Ready in:	1 hour
Prep. time:	45 minutes
Cook time:	15 minutes
Difficulty:
Recipe author:	Chef
First published:	25th October 2012

Best recipe review Nicer than shop bought pittas 5/5 These have a lovely chwy texture that you don't get from commercial pittas. The outsides are always crunchy too. Lovely Paul R Smith

Ingredients

Printable 🖨 shopping 🛒 list & 👩‍🍳 method for this recipe

• ¾ a teaspoon of dried active yeast
• 250 g (8.5 oz) strong white flour
•       or 200 g (7 oz) strong white flour and 50 g (1.5 oz) strong wholemeal flour for a light wholemeal pitta
• A pinch of ascorbic acid or 1 vitamin C tablet, crushed between 2 tablespoons - (300mg to 500 mg) - optional
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 145 ml water

Method

Hand method

1. Mix a little of the water (which should be at body temperature/lukewarm, about 37°C) with the sugar and the yeast, whisk up and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes to froth up
2. Mix the yeast solution together with the remaining ingredients and knead for 10 minutes until you have a pliable dough
3. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for about an hour to rise

Breadmaker method

1. Tip all of the ingredients into your bread maker
2. Set it to the short dough program (normally the pizza dough setting)
3. Panasonic SD253 breadmaker, use pizza setting.
4. Panasonic SD-ZB2502 automatic breadmaker use menu option 22, pizza dough setting.
5. 45 minutes later, proceed as below

Either method - continue from here

1. Divide into 4 balls [about 100g each] and roll out into oval shapes, about the length of your arm.
2. If you have the time, leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise a little
3. Preheat the grill
4. Place on a cornmeal dusted pizza stone or lightly oiled baking tray and bake for 5 to 6 minutes, keeping a watchful eye on them.

Chef's tip

Don't allow these to get too browned, especially if you are likely to reheat them again before eating.

We made the batch shown with wholemeal flour (plus 1/4 of a crushed vitamin C tablet, for the ascorbic acid needed when using wholemeal flour in a bread maker)

If the dough is a little too wet (or dry), just add a little more flour (or water) and run it through the bread maker again. It only takes another 45 minutes and no further involvement on your part.

Although this recipe quantity ideally makes 4 pitta breads, you can make 6 mini pittas instead. They are smaller than pittas we find in the UK, but are great for little snack pockets if filled!

Arm's length roll out

After reading The Fabulous Baker Brothers cookbook [ISBN 0755363701, 9780755363704] and following their suggestion to roll the pittas the length of your forearm, that's what I now do. The pittas generally shrink when they puff up so you get lovely oval pittas. Thanks guys!

Variations

See the comments page page for variations to this recipe.

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