Pita

Ingredients for Pita

• 350ml warm water

• 1 teaspoon instant yeast

• 575g (540 grams) strong flour, divided, plus more as needed

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for your bowl

• 3 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt

How to make Pita

Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl (if you have a stand mixer, use that bowl) and let sit for 5 minutes.

Reserve 60g (60 grams) strong flour and add the remaining 950ml to the mixing bowl along with the canola oil.

If you have a stand mixer, fit it with the dough hook and knead the mixture on low speed for about 3 minutes, until a sticky but cohesive dough starts to form. Pause occasionally to scrape down the bowl if the flour is clinging to the sides and bottom or climbing up the hook. If you’re making the dough without a stand mixer, mix it with a wooden spoon. In either case, loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

With your stand mixer on low or while stirring by hand in the mixing bowl, add the salt and, over the course of 2 or 3 minutes, add the remaining 60g flour, 2 tablespoons at a time. The dough should be more tense; it will feel soft but tacky, although it will pull from the sides of the bowl.

Flour your hands generously and use them to pull the dough onto a clean, unfloured work surface. Cup your hands around the dough, rolling it in short, circular strokes and using the sides of your hands to nudge it into a relatively smooth ball.

Lightly wipe the inside of a large bowl with canola oil and place the dough inside, flipping it once or twice to coat. Loosely cover the bowl and let the dough rise at a warm room temperature for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, the dough will be stretchy but very soft. Leaving it inside the bowl, stretch opposite sides of the dough over the centre. Rotate the bowl a quarter- turn and stretch the dough in the same way, then flip the whole mound of dough upside down and cover again. Let rise for 1 hour.

Repeat this series of folds one more time, allow it to rise at room temperature for 1 hour, then tightly cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. The longer the dough is refrigerated, the more flavour it will have. After this rise, it’s ready to be shaped; bear in mind that, once it’s shaped, it will need more time for a final rise, so plan ahead.

Wipe a bit of canola oil on a large baking sheet. Dump the dough onto a clean, dry counter, and use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut it into eight equal pieces; make clean, decisive cuts rather than use a sawing motion, so you don’t deflate all the air inside.

Lightly flour your hands and place one palm directly over the dough ball, with all your fingertips touching the counter to make a sort of “cage” around the dough. Roll it in brisk, small circles on the countertop so it tightens itself into a smoother, more taut ball.

Space the rounds of dough a few inches apart, seam side down, on the sheet, and roll to coat them lightly in oil. Tightly cover the sheet with plastic wrap so the dough doesn’t dry out, and let them rise at room temperature for 2 to 4 more hours, until they’re pillowy.

Meanwhile, set a baking stone on the centre rack of your oven and turn on the grill. You’re emulating a 371°C wood- burning oven, so you need to give the stone a good long while to preheat before you bake.

When the dough is ready, lightly flour a work surface, and use a bench scraper or thin metal spatula to coax one piece into your palm; be sure you don’t manhandle it or you’ll force out the pockets of air that formed while it rose. Dust a little more flour on the top of the dough and onto your rolling pin.

With firm, even pressure, briskly roll the dough a few times along its length. Flip it upside down, rotate it a quarter- turn, and roll it the same way, keeping it as round as possible. Repeat, dusting a little extra flour as needed, until it’s about 6 inches across.

This next part happens fast and furiously, so make sure you have no distractions—screaming children and natural disasters will have to wait. Use tongs or a good oven mitt to pull the oven rack with the baking stone partially out. Carefully pick up the pita, drape it over your palm, and slap it down onto the stone as if you’re giving it a high- five (just be careful not to touch the hot stone!). Set a timer for 1 minute, and close the oven. Broilers vary in strength but all are quite hot, so don’t turn your back on the oven or the pita may burn. Check on it— it should puff up and build in colour, with some beautiful blistered spots. If it’s still pale, close the oven and let it keep baking for 30- second intervals.

Use tongs to flip the pita, and let it finish baking with the oven door cracked so you can watch it finish. Pull it out when the second side is as pretty as the first; this can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your grill.

Bake off the rest of the dough this way; as you get the hang of it, feel free to bake two pitas at a time. Serve these hot or at room temperature.

Haftungsausschluss

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.