11. Skillet pita bread
As a flatter bread, pita is great for dipping into foods and sauces. Pita is made differently from other bread as it contains a ‘sponge’ which adds a special flavor to the bread.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast
- 3½ cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ½ cup water
- Canola oil (for cooking)
Method
- Mix 1 cup of flour with the yeast and sugar, and 1 cup of lukewarm water with a fork. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow it to stand in a warm place for about 30 minutes until thick and bubbly. This is what is referred to as the sponge.
- Add 2 cups of flour, the salt and half a cup of water to the mixture. Stir well.
- Use the dough hook of an electric beater to make the dough smooth or knead by hand for 2-3 minutes.
- Add a half cup of flour and the olive oil to the mixture. Knead for another 2-3 minutes to bind it together.
- Dust work surface with flour. Knead dough on the work surface for 5-7 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl lined with flour. Cover it with a kitchen towel.
- Leave it to rise for one hour. Take dough out and punch it to remove air bubbles.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
- Warm canola oil in the skillet on high heat and place a dough ball in the middle. Each side must be cooked for about 1½ minutes. It will puff up as it cooks. Push down the puffs with a spatula so that the edges are cooked.