Farm School Pita Bread

A lot of participants in Hidden Villa's recent* Farm School event asked about the recipe for the homemade pita bread recipe that the CSA team whipped up for their demonstration, and we're happy to oblige. Pita bread is one of the easiest breads to make, but you won't know the difference between this recipe and a really complicated one when you're munching on soft, pillowy flatbread. Use these little pockets for a nice cucumber/falafel/salad wrap, or roll them up and dip them in hummus for a healthy treat.

Farm School Pita Bread

Makes 8 to 9 pitas

2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast

¼ teaspoon sugar

2 cups warm water

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ teaspoon salt

6 cups all-purpose flour (you can use half whole wheat flour if you like)

Cornmeal

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast, sugar and ½ cup of the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Allow the yeast to dissolve and swell in the water for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups water, along with the oil, salt, and 5 cups flour. Mix these ingredients vigorously, adding the flour 1 cup at a time.
3. You want the dough to be a little sticky. If it is too sticky to handle, add a little more flour. If the dough is too dry and shaggy, add a little more warm water.
4. Take the bread out of the mixing bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Shape the dough into a ball, place it into a bowl coated in olive oil, and turn the dough around in the bowl to coat all sides. Cover the bread and let it rise in a warm place for 1 ½ to 2 hours until it has doubled in size.
6. Punch the dough down and divide it into 8-9 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. On a floured surface, roll each ball into flat circles using a rolling pin, about 8 inches across.
7. Cover the dough circles with a cloth and let rise for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
9. Add a light layer of cornmeal to your baking sheets so the pitas don’t stick. Place as many of the pita rounds as will comfortably fit onto your baking sheets. The dough will puff up quickly in the oven and only need to cook for 2-3 minutes. (If they don’t puff up they are still fine.) Continue the baking until you’ve finished all of your pita dough.

Enjoy your homemade pita bread! 

*Okay, you caught us: Farm School Day was some time ago, and we're late in posting this recipe for you all. Better late than never, we say!