Greek Pita Bread

I can't describe how delicious these are! 

Aside from cutting them in triangles and serving them alongside traditional Greek fare,

my favorite way to use them is as a basis for mini-pizzas. 

400 degrees for 4-6 minutes and...

perfection!

Greek Pita Bread 

Serves 6 
Adapted from Food.com

Ingredients 

1 envelope of dry yeast
2 teaspoons of salt
1 tablespoon sugar

4 cups white all-purpose white flour

1 1/2 cups water

 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions 

Combine the yeast and sugar in a small bowl, add 1/2 cup of the warm water and let it stand for 10 minutes to proof and ferment it.

Dissolve the salt in the remaining warm water.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, making a well in the middle and put the dissolved yeast and salt water into it.

With your hands, blend it into a dough.

You may need a bit more or less water depending on your flour.

Knead the dough in the bowl with your fists for 10-15 minutes or until it is smooth.

Pour the oil over the dough and knead it again until the oil is absorbed.

Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel and set it in a draft free area to rise to double it's bulk (1-2 hours), then punch it down and knead it again for a few minutes.

[Note:  If you're short on time, set dough-as prepared above-in a 200 degree oven with the door propped open for 15-20 minutes.  The dough should rise quickly, allowing you to proceed with the recipe.]

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Cut pieces of dough, egg size or larger, depending on the size of the pita desired, shape them into balls with your hands and roll them out over a lightly floured board or pastry cloth to 1/4 inch thickness.  Try not to overwork the dough.

Set 2 or 3 pitas on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake on the lower rack for 2 to 3 minutes each side. 

Pitas should be white and soft with several toasted spots.

Wrap the baked pitas in a clean towel until they are cool, then store them in plastic bags to prevent them from drying out.  

When you are ready to use them, re-heat for 30-seconds in the microwave.  For crispy pitas, spray PAM into a shallow skillet and toast for a minute or so on each side, until golden brown.

Serve immediately to prevent them from drying out.

Nutrition Facts (1 pita): 

334 calories; 3.1 fat grams