I have a confession to make...
I'm a carb-aholic. There, I said it.
I love all things bready and yeasty and find fresh bread and numerous other baked delights completely irresistible. Don't even get me started on pasta...
Are you like me?
Are you too one of those poor souls unable to resist the smell of bread fresh from the oven or cookies or muffins or any of those delicously carby treats?
I just had to get my carb fix today, so I made pitas.
Soft, round, and golden, perfect for dipping or stuffing, these little rounds of puffed dough will satisfy even the most ravenous carbohydrate cravings...
...And before you know it you have a shaggy dough.
One of my favorite parts about baking bread is that it's therapeutic in a way. That's probably why I do it so often (besides the part about it being delicious and all). In fact, this summer I baked bread so often that my little brother's friend claimed I'm obsessed. Obsessed or not, there is something supremely satisfying about combining such simple ingredients, kneading them into a silky smooth pillow of dough, and baking it to golden perfection.
See how smooth the dough is after a good kneading?
Now it's ready to rise.
This part is always kind of magical to me. It's amazing how yeast can inflate dough like a floury delicious balloon.
Look how much it rose! Magical!
Ok, ok. This isn't really magic, there's actually some really cool science behind it. Maybe I'll go into all that next time though... We need to focus on the task at hand.
Here are our individual little dough balls, almost ready for pita action...
Each one gets rolled out, and then they're ready to go in the oven.
Now here's the really cool part about pita bread. When the dough is rolled out thin, it creates space for a giant air bubble to form. Ever wonder how pitas get their pocket? By puffing up like balloons!
Don't believe me? Look!
Perfect pita pillows!
Once they cool these pitas make awesome Mediterranean sandwiches, or even pb&j if you're feeling old school. If you have extras (which is unlikely) you can turn them into tasty homemade pita chips, a perfect vehicle for hummus.
I strongly encourage you to try these carbohydrate gems.
Go on, surrender to your inner carbaholic and let your soul be happy as it experiences soft, warm bread fresh from the oven.
Happy Wednesday, enjoy!
~Maddy
Pita Bread
adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients
- 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Combine all the ingredients into a shaggy dough.
Knead by hand or machine until smooth.
Place dough in lightly greased bowl to rise for 1 hour.
Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 pieces. (6 if you want larger pitas)
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Roll 2 of the pieces into 6 in. circles and let rest on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15 minutes.
Place the baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven and let pitas bake for 5 minutes. They should puff up at this point, but sometimes they don't. Don't worry, they still taste great and can make great sandwich wraps.
Transfer the baking sheet to the middle or top rack of the oven for about 2 minutes or until the pitas are golden.
Remove from the oven and wrap in a clean towel. This traps steam and makes the pitas soft.
Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.
Store in an airtight container.
0 Comments