The recipe is from Leith’s Baking Bible by Susan Spaull and Fiona Burrell.

Pitta Bread

MAKES 8
15g / 1/2 oz fresh yeast (If using fast-action or dried yeast, see below)
1 teaspoon caster sugar
150ml / 5 fl oz lukewarm water
250g / 9 oz strong white flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons polenta

[NB This is a British recipe so a tablespoon is 15ml and a teaspoon is 5ml].

  1. Mix the yeast and sugar with 2 tablespoons of the warm water.
  2. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
  3. Tip the yeast mixture into the well, add the olive oil and enough water to make a soft but not too sticky dough.
  4. Knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes or by machine for 6 minutes, until smooth.
  5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat it in the oil. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  6. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knock back by kneading for 30 seconds.
  7. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Place the polenta on a plate and roll each ball in it. Roll the dough balls into rounds 12cm in diameter.
  8. Heat the grill on its highest setting until very hot. Place the dough rounds onto a greased baking sheet (you will need to do this in 2 batches or use 2 baking sheets).
  9. Grill the dough about 7.5cm from the heat source for 2 minutes per side, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm. The bread can be reheated if required before serving.

Yeast: The quantity of yeast recommended to raise 225g / 8 oz flour in a standard bread recipe is as follows:

  • 10g / 1/3 oz fresh yeast, or
  • 3.5g / 1/8 oz fast-action yeast = 1.5 teaspoons fast-action yeast or
  • 5g / 1/5 oz dried active yeast = 2 teaspoons dried active yeast

The type of yeast used to make a dough will affect the rising time of the dough, although by making the relevant conversion using the quantities table above you should get similar results from the various types.

Road Test

A note on ingredients: We used fast-action yeast, as per the instructions.

Method: Our hand-held mixer with the grappling hooks was perfect for kneading the dough. The instructions were clear and easy to follow.

Results: Fantastic! The bread was golden brown and slightly puffed - exactly how you would expect pitta to be! We ate it with hummus.

Verdict

The trouble with bread is that it’s cheap to buy, it takes a long time to make and the homemade stuff is not always better than what’s available in the shops. This recipe sounds like it should be difficult but it’s actually really easy. Normally with bread you have to prove it (let it rise), knead it and prove it again - a process that takes a couple of hours. With this recipe, you only have to prove it once and it’s a shorter proving time. Also because you grill it, the cooking time is much faster as well. And there is a clear advantage because you get to eat it when it’s hot.