How To Make Pita Bread

Mix the ingredients according to the recipe; shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Brush the top of the dough lightly with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm spot (ideally around 75-90 degrees F) and allow the dough rise until doubled in size. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »

On a clean work surface, pull the dough from the bowl. Cut the dough into 6 even pieces (about 5 ounces each) and using your hands, shape each piece of dough into a smooth, even ball. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »

The dough needs to rise one more time before rolling it out and baking it off. To encourage the dough to rise faster, use this clever trick from Chef Jim Bostacos: Place dough balls on one or more sheet pans lined with parchment paper, leaving about 4 inches between each ball. Place two upside coffee cups or short glasses on the sheet pan, top with a wire cooling rack and wrap the sheet pan in plastic wrap. Return the dough to a warm spot and let the dough balls double in size. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »

Once the dough is risen, place it on a clean work surface and generously dust with flour. Using your fingers, start in the center of the ball and pat the dough down, working your way to the edges, forming a circle. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »

Dust a rolling pin with flour and gently roll out the dough into an even 7″ circle that is about 1/8″ thick. Repeat with remaining dough balls. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »

Using a pastry brush, dust the excess flour off the dough and transfer it to the clean underside of a sheet pan. (Using the bottom of the sheet pan will ensure even distribution of heat across the dough and prevent the bottom of your pita from getting too brown.) Bake for about 6 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping the pita once halfway through cooking, until the pita is cooked through but not browned. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »

When the dough comes out of the oven, transfer it to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cover the dough with another piece of parchment paper and a damp kitchen towel for about 10 minutes. The purpose of this step is to cool the pita while keeping the moisture inside the bread. Otherwise the pita bread stands the risk of becoming dry and tough. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »

When ready to serve, uncover the dough and lightly brush both sides of the pita with olive oil. Grill on both sides over medium high heat until warmed through. The pita should remain pliable. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »

Cut the pita into wedges and serve with your favorite hummus or dip. See the recipe for Molyvos Pita Bread »