Imagine a soft and chewy pita bread that will put store-bought versions to shame and is darn simple to make. I’ve been having a great deal of fun baking these on a pizza stone on our grill this summer. The only downside is that the boughten kind will never taste as good again.
This recipe is my own tweak on the one in the venerable Joy of Cooking.
In a large bowl or a stand mixer with a bread hook, combine:
- 2 cups unbleached white all-purpose flour (I’m partial to King Arthur)
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour (You can use all white flour if you prefer, but I like the nutty taste of a little wheat)
- 1 1/2 TBS sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp active dry yeast
Add:
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
- 2 TBS vegetable oil (I use canola) or melted butter
If using a mixer, mix for a few minutes at a low speed (I use setting 2 on my KitchenAid) until it forms a smooth ball. Alternatively, mix into a rough dough with a rubber spatula, then turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for about five minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or tightly fitting pot lid.
Let rise for about an hour, or until doubled. Divide dough into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover again (you can just invert a pot or large baking dish over the balls), and let rise for about 20 minutes. Make sure to leave room between them so they don’t merge when they rise.
Notes and options: Ours is a gas grill; I can’t vouch for how this would work over coals. You can also cook the breads in a 450° oven, using a pizza stone or a cookie sheet. (A stone holds the heat better.) I’ve found that the grill comes back up to temperature more quickly than an oven each time I have to open and close it to put the breads in, and yields more consistently puffed breads.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, flatten one ball into a round about 1/8″ thick and 8″ across. Lift the lid of the grill and quickly place the round onto the pizza stone. Close the lid. If your pizza stone is large, you can do two at a time. Start a two-minute timer.
At this point, roll out another round or two.
Here’s the fun part. After two minutes, lift the lid and you should see a nicely puffed pita, just starting to brown. (If you’re using an oven, this may take up to three minutes.) Yes, they really do balloon up (although they deflate as they cool)! If yours hasn’t puffed, make sure you get the dough rounds as circular as possible and try to keep them that way when you put them on the stone. Also make sure your stone is well heated.
Remove cooked pitas gently and place the next rolled round(s) onto the stone. If the first one was too brown, cut back on the time.
Continue rolling and cooking until all the pitas are done. (As you remove them from the grill, wrap them in a clean dish towel or cloth napkin to keep warm.)
Cut across the diameter of the cooked pitas and you should be able to gently separate the halves into pockets. I’ve found one side of the pocket always ends up thicker than the other, so make sure the thick side is on the bottom if you fill them with stuff. If they don’t puff, or if you prefer, just cut them into triangles for dipping in hummus, peanut butter, or the substance of your choice.
They’re best fresh and warm, but will keep for a few days in a sealed plastic bag.
