Skip to main content

Homemade Greek Pita Breads

By

 
We make a lot of homemade bread. Sweet breads. Savory breads. You name it, I've probably tried it. Sourdough boules are always made in pairs and often cooling on my countertop. On the savory side of the bread world, we have made naan, bolillos, hamburger buns, and more. But, until this weekend, I have never made pita pockets.

Since our local Greek fest was canceled, again this year, due to COVID concerns, we decided to have our own festival. And R came home early from his day trip to Santa Cruz to help me make pita and kourabiedes for the dinner.

I read and researched before deciding on this process. Also, I cooked the pita on a hot skillet on the stovetop, but many recipes suggested baking on a hot stone in the oven. I will have to try that another time. But it was so rewarding to see these puff up on the skillet in front of my eyes! I doubled this recipe, but still made them in separate bowls

Ingredients makes 8 pita

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3/4 cup flour plus more for rolling and dusting
  • Also needed: kitchen scale, optional; rolling pin; heavy skillet


Procedure

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let bloom for fifteen minutes, until the mixture is puffy and foamy. Stir in the salt and olive oil. Then fold in the flour until completely moistened. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for five minutes.

Place the dough back in an oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for at least 90 minutes or until doubled in size.


Once the dough is risen, divide the ball into 8 pieces. I weighed mine and they were 80 grams each. Roll the pieces into balls and cover them with damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.


On a well-floured surface, flatten each ball lightly with your fingertips. Then use a rolling pin to press the balls into a disk approximately 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Keep the breads separated until ready for cooking.


Preheat skillet over medium high heat and brush lightly with olive oil. Place pita on the skillet for 30 to 45 seconds. Once you bubbles form, flip the pita and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds.


While the pita cooks, it will puff up to form the pocket. It will delate when it cools.


You can open up the pitas for stuffing or use it as a flatbread.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

By
If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce
1 comment
Read more

Aloo Tiki {Pakistan}

By
To start off our Pakistani culinary adventure, I started us off with aloo tiki - potato cutlets. I'm always game for tasty street food. I found a couple of different recipes and incorporated those together for this version. Ingredients 6-8 small red potatoes, scrubbed 1 T cumin seeds 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1/2 t ground coriander 1 t minced garlic Procedure Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Mash the potatoes. Traditionally they are mashed without their skins. I left the skins on. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds on high heat until the begin to give off an aroma and begin to darken. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to keep them from cooking any more. Blend all of the spices into the mashed potatoes, then shape into small patties. If you wet your hands, the potato mixture won't stick to them. Heat a splash of oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Dip each patty into beaten egg and carefully place in the oil. P
9 comments
Read more

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

By
photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an
183 comments
Read more