An opportunity for amateur bakers or businesses that want to diversify their offerings for customers is to learn how to make pita bread, a versatile bread, widely used in intimate receptions as an appetizer and has already become a favorite of many people. Here we have a delicious and relatively simple recipe. For those who want to venture more into this culinary journey, we also have a cooking alternative, using a skillet with the same ingredients. And since we’re giving accompaniment tips, why not also offer the basic recipe for some traditional and well-known spreads that are always served with services that include pita bread. Let’s go!
Pita bread recipe
Ingredients (for 8 pita breads):
- 3 cups of wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 cup of warm water
Instructions:
- Prepare the dough:
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar, and dry yeast.
- Make a hole in the center and add the olive oil and warm water.
- Mix with a spoon until it forms a sticky dough.
- Knead the dough:
- Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
- First fermentation:
- Place the dough in a bowl lightly greased with olive oil.
- Cover with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap.
- Let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Divide the dough:
- After fermentation, divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
- Form small balls with each portion.
- Second fermentation:
- Cover the balls with a towel and let them rest for another 10 minutes.
- Roll out the discs:
- With a rolling pin, roll out each ball forming a disc approximately 15 cm in diameter.
- Place the discs on a flour-dusted baking sheet.
- Last fermentation:
- Cover the discs with a towel and let them rest for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven:
- Turn the oven to 230°C (high temperature).
- Bake the bread:
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 3-4 minutes, or until the bread puffs up and is lightly golden.
- Finish:
- Remove from the oven and cover with a clean cloth to keep moisture.
- Let it cool a little before serving.
Estimated time:
- Preparation: 30 minutes
- Fermentation: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Cooking: 3-4 minutes per batch
Tips:
- Make sure the water is warm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast.
- The dough should be soft but not sticky. Adjust the amount of flour if necessary.
- The secret of pita bread is a very hot oven that makes the bread puff up and create the characteristic pocket.
- If the bread does not puff up, the oven may not be hot enough.
Serving suggestions: Pita bread is very versatile. You can serve it with:
- Hummus (chickpea spread)
- Babaganoush (eggplant spread)
- Falafel
- Greek salad
- Grilled chicken and vegetables
Learn to make pita bread on the skillet
Making pita bread on the skillet is an excellent alternative, especially if you don’t have an oven or prefer a faster method. It’s essentially the same recipe, but with a different cooking method. Let’s adapt our previous recipe for skillet preparation.
Ingredients:
(We will keep the same as the original recipe)
- 3 cups of wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 cup of warm water
Instructions:
- Prepare the dough:
- Follow steps 1 to 5 from the original recipe to prepare and ferment the dough.
- Divide and roll out the discs:
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and form small balls.
- Roll out each ball with a rolling pin, forming discs approximately 15 cm in diameter.
- Preheat the skillet:
- Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Let it heat well before starting to bake the bread.
- Bake the bread:
- Place a dough disc in the hot skillet (without oil or butter).
- Cook for about 1 minute, or until bubbles start forming on the surface and the bottom is lightly golden.
- Turn the bread and cook the other side for another minute.
- The bread should puff up, forming an air pocket in the middle.
- Finish:
- Remove the bread from the skillet and cover with a clean cloth to maintain moisture.
- Repeat the process with the remaining discs.
Estimated time:
- Preparation: 30 minutes
- Fermentation: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Cooking: 2 minutes per bread
Tips for the skillet method:
- Ensure the skillet is very hot before placing the first bread.
- Do not use oil or butter in the skillet; the bread should be baked dry.
- If the bread doesn’t puff up, try gently pressing the surface with a spatula.
- Adjust the heat as needed to prevent the bread from burning.
- Between each bread, wipe the skillet with a dry cloth to remove any flour residues that may have stayed.
Advantages of the skillet method:
- Faster than the traditional oven.
- Allows you to see the cooking process in real-time.
- Ideal for small quantities or when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
- Great for hot days, as it doesn’t heat the kitchen as much.
The final result should be very similar to oven-baked pita bread: soft, with a pocket in the middle, perfect for fillings. Remember that it may take a few tries until you get the hang of it, but don’t give up!
Learn to make the most traditional pita bread accompaniments
And since you are venturing more into Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, how about trying basic recipes for delicious accompaniments? Let’s start with simplified versions of each:
Hummus (Chickpea Paste)
Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas (400g), drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Cold water (if necessary)
Instructions:
- In a food processor, place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
- Process until you achieve a homogeneous paste.
- With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil.
- If necessary, add cold water gradually to achieve the desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust salt and lemon as desired.
Babaganoush (Eggplant Paste)
Ingredients:
- 2 medium eggplants
- 2 tablespoons of tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of crushed garlic
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Roast the whole eggplants in the oven at 200°C for about 40 minutes or until they become soft.
- Let cool, cut in half, and scoop out the pulp with a spoon.
- In a food processor, place the eggplant pulp, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
- Process until you obtain a homogeneous paste.
- With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil.
- Adjust salt and lemon to taste.
Falafel
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of dried chickpeas, soaked for 12 hours
- 1/2 chopped onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup of wheat flour (if necessary)
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- In a food processor, grind the chickpeas with onions, garlic, and parsley until you get a homogeneous mass.
- Add the seasonings and mix well.
- If the dough is too moist, add a bit of flour.
- Form small balls with the dough.
- Fry in hot oil until golden on all sides.
Greek Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium cucumber, diced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 100g of feta cheese, diced
- 1/2 cup of black olives
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta cheese, and olives.
- In a small container, mix olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix gently.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
These are simplified versions of these classic recipes. Each pairs perfectly with the pita bread you have learned to make. Remember, you can adjust the seasonings according to your personal taste.
Some additional tips:
- For hummus and babaganoush, you can decorate with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with paprika or za’atar before serving.
- Falafel can be baked in the oven for a healthier version.
- In the Greek salad, you can add fresh mint leaves for an extra touch of freshness.
I hope you enjoy trying these recipes! They are great to serve as a mezze (a set of appetizers) along with your homemade pita bread. Enjoy and have fun exploring these flavors!