Greek Pita

by Jun 1, 2017

Yes, you need a third flatbread recipe. This one is softer and more tender than pita, in fact, it’s kind of like naan, but without the added milk and yogurt. This recipe supposedly doesn’t “make a pocket like Arab-style pita,” (per Sunset magazine) but as you can see, my top one did puff.

 

From what I can tell, you get a puff when you roll the dough out thinly and leave the oven door shut while cooking, instead of peaking to check doneness (hot temp + oven door shut = steam in the dough/puff). No matter what happens, they all taste great.

 

 

Use these to make Greek-style sandwiches with grilled meat, cucumber/tomato/feta salad, pickled onions, and a drizzle of mint and lemon-spiked yogurt—a souvlaki (“little skewers”) dinner. You can find all the other recipes in Sunset magazine’s May 2017 issue. (I was playing around with beans the same day, hence the bean salad in the photo.) If you happen to have extra pita, they keep well for a couple of days.

 

Souvlaki dinner goodies: pickled onions, cucumber/tomato salad, yogurt with lemon and mint, bean salad (recipe on RIPE)

 

Greek Pita

makes 8; adapted from Sunset magazine

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cup warm water (105°–115°F)
  • 1 envelope active dry yeast = ¼ ounce = 2 ¼ teaspoons
  • 1 ½ tbsp olive oil (plus more to oil bowl and for baking)
  • 1 ½ tbsp honey
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Instructions

  1. Measure water into a glass liquid measuring cup and sprinkle yeast over surface. Stir the yeast and let stand for a few minutes to proof. The yeast will get creamy and foamy.

  2. In the work bowl of an electric mixer, add 3 3/4 cups flour, olive oil, honey, salt, and the yeast/water. Mix using the paddle attachment then switch to the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup flour (some or all depending on what your dough needs to get to be smooth and stretchy). If you don't have a dough hook, knead dough by hand but be careful not to add too much flour or the bread will be tough.

  3. Lightly coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil, add the dough, turn to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise in a warm room temperature location, until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let sit for 15–20 minutes so gluten can relax.

  5. Position oven rack to lower-middle position, place baking stone on the rack, and heat to 425°F.

    Alternatively, you can use a cast iron pan on the stovetop (medium-high heat), or an outdoor grill (brush one side of each round with olive oil then place pita round oil-side-down).

  6. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6–8 inch circle. Cook each for 4–5 minutes, flipping part way through the baking process, you want each side just beginning brown. Stack the cooked pitas on a plate or in a bread basket and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

 

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