There are many types of bread in the Middle East, but the first to reach the West was pita bread, essential for making the famous kebap sandwiches or Greek gyros. Pita is a Greek word that means cake or bread. In Turkey the name of the equivalent bread is 'pide'.
INGREDIENTS :
- 250 grams (9 oz) of bread flour
- 1 sachet of baker's yeast (according to the manufacturer's instructions for 250 grams / 9 oz of flour)
- Half a teaspoon of sugar
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 3/4 cup (150 ml) water
In a bowl we mix the yeast with 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of warm water. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.
In another bowl we mix the flour with the sugar and salt. We give the mixture a "volcano" shape and in the center we pour the yeast that we had soaked.
Knead until you get a homogeneous and slightly sticky dough. If you notice it so sticky that it catches between your fingers and there is no way to detach it, it is better to add a little flour.
Cover with a cotton cloth and let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in volume (approximately 1 hour). After the time has elapsed, we knead again for a few minutes and let it rest for another half hour.
We preheat the oven to 240 degrees (460 F). We make 6 balls of equal size and flatten them until they are the size of a dessert plate. We place in the oven and "paint" them with the oil (better if it is olive oil). They should be baked for exactly 8 minutes. After time we connect the grill for a couple of minutes and we can extract them.
Take out, let cool and can now be used to pinch houmus or make delicious kebap sandwiches.