Recipe for Greek Pita Bread

Written by Greek Boston in Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Pastry and Greek Cake Recipes, Greek Pie and Pita Recipes Comments Off on Recipe for Greek Pita Bread

Pita bread is a staple of Greek cuisine. It is the bread used for gyros and it is often served with dips such as tzatziki and hummus. This recipe is fairly easy to put together, but it does take some time because you need to wait for the dough to rise before you can bake it.

Greek Pita Bread Ingredients:

• 1 envelope dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

How to Bake Pita Bread :

Empty the packet of yeast into a small bowl and gently mix in the sugar. Add 1/2 cup of the warm water and gently stir to mix. Let the mixtures stand for about 10 minutes. At this point, the sugar should have activated the yeast and formed bubbles on the surface of the water. If this hasn’t happened after 10 minutes, discard the mixture and start again. This is the easiest way to determine if the yeast will activate!

Add the rest of the warm water to a separate bowl and mix in the salt. Stir until it completely dissolves. Place all of the flour in the center of a large mixing bowl and make a hole in the center of the flour. Pour the yeast mixture and the water and salt mixture into the well. Mix for a few seconds with a wooden spoon, switching with your hands when the ingredients are combined.

After mixing for a minute or two, you’ll want to assess the dough. If it is sticky, add more flour in very small amounts. The dough should be smooth and moist, but it shouldn’t stick to your fingers. If it becomes too dry, mix in a little more warm water.

Once the dough is the perfect consistency, you’ll want to knead it with your hands for 10-15 minutes. Your goal is to work the dough so that it becomes smooth. You’ll know it’s ready because when you pinch the dough, it should slowly snap back into place. At this point, you’ll want to slowly knead in the oil until it’s fully combined into the dough.

Brush a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the center. Spread more olive oil over the top of the dough and cover it with a large towel. Place the dough in a warm, dry place to allow it to rise. You’ll want to let it rise until it’s about twice the size. This should take around 2 hours, but it could take less depending on how warm and dry the air is.

Punch the dough down once it’s done rising and knead it gently for about 2 minutes to release the air bubbles.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the dough into 2-inch pieces and roll them into balls. Roll each ball until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. You can use more or less dough for each piece depending on the size that you want your pita bread.

Brush several baking sheets with oil. Lay the pita bread flat on each cookie sheet, spaced about 1-2 inches apart. Each standard-sized baking sheet should have 2 or 3 pita breads on it, depending on the size. Place the baking sheet on the lower rack and cook the pita bread for 2-3 minutes, or until they become soft. Make sure to only cook one sheet at a time. Remove the pita breads from the oven and wrap them in a dry towel to cool. If not using the pitas right away, store them in an airtight container after they cool down.

**Please Note:  Recommended cook times for GreekBoston.com Greek recipes vary depending on elevation, environmental conditions, the cookware being used, and the nature of the oven or stove. Although we have given approximations, these don’t always take into account your unique environment.

Categorized in: Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Pastry and Greek Cake Recipes, Greek Pie and Pita Recipes

This post was written by Greek Boston