Sponge Mix Time: 5 minutesRest Time: 30 minutes to 8 hours (longer is better)
Dough Mix/Knead Time: 15 minutes
Rise Time: 2-3 hours
Bake Time: 3-5 minutes
Recipe Source: Baking with Julia (Contributing bakers Jeffrey Alford, Naomi Duguid)
Note: Dough can be stored for up to a week in refrigerator, and little pieces may be pulled off to bake 1 or a few pitas at a time.
I used my Kitchenaid Mixer for this, but hand kneaded at the end. I wasn't exactly sure how the dough should feel and flour measurements given were imprecise. I ended up with a slightly sticky dough, but dry enough that I could knead with well floured hands.
There are 2 methods of baking these: 1) on a baking stone in a 450 degree oven, or 2) in a pan on the stovetop. I tried both. Neither one gave me the nice air bubble that I was hoping for. My stone may not have preheated enough. I will keep trying though, because these are very good even if they don't look as pretty as I would like. It is great to be able to make a few of these at a time.
Another theory I have for them not popping up with air is that they were too thin. The recipe says to roll out to 8-9 inches and says the dough should be less than 1/4" thick. Even rolling out to about 7" got me pitas that were definitely less than 1/4". Because I was going for 8", they really got almost see through in parts. (My rolling technique needs improvement for sure.) The first one I did ended up being very lopsided, stretched out and uneven.
But, as I mentioned, these tasted great, so looks aside, this is a recipe I will use again.
1 comment:
When making pitas, I've found that they bubble much better if I roll them out, then let them sit under a damp towel or saran wrap for 10-15 minutes before cooking them. I use a recipe that says to cook them on a baking sheet in the oven for 3 minutes on each side.
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