Fluffy homemade pitta breads
A recipe for homemade pitta breads – light, fluffy and very moreish.This recipe makes 6 large pitta breads.
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
- 450 g plain flour – I use Caputo pizza flour
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 300 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp honey or sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Durum wheat flour or fine semolina for rolling out (optional)
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the water, then add the honey or sugar and the oil.
- Mix the plain flour and salt and add it a little at a time.
- Mix the dough, preferably in a stand mixer, until all the flour is fully worked in and the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Knead at a fairly high speed – it takes about 5-8 minutes.
- Gather the dough into a smooth, round ball, tightening the surface a little (with a little flour on your hands if needed), and return it to the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, roll them into balls and tighten the surface a little. Leave them to prove under a tea towel for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 230°C fan. Put 2 baking trays in and let them heat up with the oven.*You can also bake one tray at a time at about 250°C in a conventional oven (top and bottom heat). Heat the tray up in the oven here too.*If you have a baking steel, I recommend using it and baking just one tray at a time. Heat it up in the oven so it is thoroughly hot.
- Roll each ball out into a thin pitta, about 1/2 cm thick.*I prefer to roll them out in a little fine semolina or durum wheat flour, as it gives them a lovely surface, but you can also roll them out in plain flour.
- Place 3 pittas on each hot baking tray and bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until they are puffed up and golden.
- Let them cool slightly before serving with your favourite filling.