Today I’ll take you again for a stroll into middle eastern cuisine. We are talking about Pita, a flatbread typical in the Mediterranean and middle east neighborhood areas. This Authentic Pita is perfect for kebabs, souvlaki or just to enjoy your hummus. Check the article online for the full recipe. Pita is one of those many doughs that doesn’t need that much fermentation. Therefore are so easy to make just some flour, yeast, salt sugar, and water. The only skill you need is a good kneading technique, that you can easily train.
I learned to knead the dough a long time ago, I don’t even remember when. I always would help my grandmom to cook and meanwhile I would play with some dough. This game slowly transforms into actual kneading and I become my grand mom’s co-chef. I reckon that she never made pita but the procedure is more or like the same for most of the bread.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR AN AUTHENTIC PITA?
All-purpose flour
Salt
Instant yeast
Sugar
Water
Prepare your utensil.
You will need a cleaning surface. A large bowl. A container for water, a scale, and a rolling pin. if you don’t have one don’t worry you can use whatever you have in the house, from an empty bottle of wine or a jar of beans.
As the first thing warm up 330ml of water, then drop 10 grams of instant yeast, let it bubble up. Then in another bowl mix 500g of flour with 10 g of salt and a pinch of sugar. Then mix them tighter in the bowl, you can use a spoon to help you out. Afterward, transfer the dough to the surface and start to knead the dough by stretching it and folding it on itself for 5 to 10 minutes. Spread it with some olive oil and let it sit for a while in a bowl under a moist towel until it rises a bit.
After 1 hour, take it out from the bowl and knead a bit more, then divide the dough into equal parts, with 500g of flower you should get around 8 to 10 pitas.
From the bowls by pinching the outside into the center and then turn it and roll it around under your palm until forming a smooth ball. Repete this for all your pita.
Then take a rolling pin and flatten them until they reach 1-1.5 cm. Then spread some olive oil on both sides.
You have two ways to cook your pita. you can choose the one you prefer.
BAKE IT
you can easily bake your pita, preheat the oven at 180°c and bake your pitas for 30 minutes.
MAKE IT ON A SKILLET
You can cook your pita as well on an iron skillet, preheat the pan, and drop your pita dough let it cook on both sides for 3 min each side, then lower the flame and let it sit so also the inside can get cooked.
there are so many ways to enjoy pita. In the next article I will prepare a vegan kebab with the pita I just made, but you can enjoy it with hummus, babaganoush, or just as normal bread.
Let me know if you enjoy this recipe for an Authentic Pita and if you want to see more middle easter dishes, I have already a few in mind for the future. it is perfect to match it with some hummus, babaganush, or some vegan shawarma. Stay tuned for more recipes.
As usual, you can share your result with us by tagging tag @veganjunkiesclub or with the #veganjunkiesrecipes. Or leave a comment below. If you are interested in more recipes check our apposite section.
