Grilled pita
Complexity: easily
Servings: 8
Calories 171, total fat 2 G., saturated fats 0 G., proteins 5 G., carbohydrates 34 G., fiber 2 G., cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 148 mg, sugar 0 G.
Pita, common throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean, is traditionally baked at high temperatures in a tandoor (clay oven). It's incredibly versatile and is served with kebabs, falafel, souvlaki, hummus, baba ganoush, and many other dishes. However, store-bought pita usually leaves much to be desired. Consider, for example, that it sits on the supermarket shelf for days. With this recipe, you can make authentic pita at home. It will be super-fresh, soft, and flavorful, making the effort worthwhile. While you can bake pita in a conventional oven, it's best to use an outdoor grill, which will help impart that smoky tandoor flavor.
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.
Ingredients for the recipe:
- 2.5-3 cups of premium flour + extra for working with the dough
- 1 tbsp. instant yeast
- 0.5 tsp table salt
- 0.5 tsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water + extra for drizzling
- Olive oil for greasing
- Special equipment: cast iron grill pan
We recommend
Cooking the dish according to the recipe:
- In a large bowl, combine 2.5 cups flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water and mix with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. The dough should be slightly sticky but soft and hold its shape. Add up to 1/2 cup more flour if it's too sticky. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until soft, smooth, and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead the dough in a stand mixer until soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough may be slightly sticky—this is normal.
- Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place it in a draft-free place, such as a turned-off oven, until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
- Gently knead the dough, pressing it with your hands. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and gently flatten it. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a cast-iron grill pan on an outdoor grill and preheat to 220°C, covered. Alternatively, you can use a large cast-iron skillet.
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough into a circle approximately 0.5 cm thick, turning the dough several times to prevent it from sticking. Meanwhile, keep the remaining pieces of dough under a kitchen towel. Transfer the rolled out dough to a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining dough, lining the dough with a sheet of floured parchment or waxed paper to prevent sticking.
- Lightly brush a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Spray the rolled pita with water and place it in the skillet. You can fry 2 pitas at a time on a grill pan or 1 pita at a time in a cast iron skillet. Close the grill and cook until the pita is lightly browned, about 2.5 minutes per side. Some pitas will puff up as they cook. Transfer to a platter and cover with a clean towel to prevent them from drying out. Fry the remaining pitas in the same manner. If your cast iron is seasoned, you don't need to re-oil it. Serve the pitas warm.
Author of the recipe - Shadi Hasanzadenemati is a food writer and recipe developer who runs the blog Unicorns in the Kitchen.
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