Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for pita bread with The Greek Herald. You can follow her on Instagram @mygreekkitchen for more!
This recipe makes two, 30-32cm round trays
Ingredients:
- 1.2kg strong bread four
- 950 – 1050ml warm tap water
- 3 tsp salt
- 10 g instant yeast
- 50 g olive oil
Method:
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, water and olive oil together with a wooden spoon. Add the salt and continue to mix thoroughly till no dry flour bits remain. It will be a wet mixture.
- Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes on the kitchen bench top and loosely cover it.
- After 30 minutes, stretch and fold the dough. Lightly oil your hands, and lift the dough from the sides of the bowl and fold inwards. Turn bowl 45degrees and repeat the process once more.
- Cover the dough again and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, repeat the stretch and fold the dough.
- Let dough rest again for 30 minutes and repeat process 1 more time. This will be the final 3rd stretch and fold.
- Now refrigerate the dough, covering it with a lid or glad wrap, between 12-48 hours.
- The next day divide your dough into 2 and transfer to 2 round/square/rectangle very well oiled trays of approx. 30-32cm.
- Proof again till almost double the size (this can take anything between 1 – 1 ½ hrs depending on the room temperature). It will be very jiggly and puffy and will have some air bubbles. Bubbles are good.
- Preheat your oven at 230C for at least 45 minutes.
- Using your fingers dimple the dough multiple times with olive oil and any toppings you desire. I like the simpleness of oil, salt and rosemary. You can add pesto or baked cherry tomatoes with garlic – your choice.
- Bake at 230C for 25-30 minutes.
Niki Louca runs cooking classes in Melbourne. For more or to book classes visit My Greek Kitchen at www.mygreekkitchen.com.au or Instagram @mygreekkitchen. You can email Niki at: niki@mygreekkitchen.com.au.
