The pocket in pita

[poutine]

In the late 70s spent a few weeks in a "hut" on a beach in Dahab along the Red Sea coast (now part of Egypt) and we were awoken by a young Bedouin boy collecting the 1 shekel rent and offering up huge, hot chewy pita that his Uma just baked. It consisted of 2 quasi layers that puffed up in areas, were charred in some spots, but it was basically flat and almost impossible to separate the layers without ripping the pita apart. It was a considerable change from the somewhat thick Israeli pita with a pronounced pocket that I had become accustomed to (and still prefer). Makes me want a falafel!

[phaelon56]

You really should give them a try. It's probably the easiest, fastest yeasted bread you can make, and soooo good warm out of the oven.

It's the one thing I go into a Cosi's for (unless I need coffee and they're the only place available besides street cart coffee). They make rectangular bread in this style, slice off the rounded ends and then slice open the side, leaving a sort of squared off pocket (open on three sides) for their sandwich style. They brush the top with decent olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. The trimmings are tossed in a bowl for people to munch on when they wait to order their overpriced $9 sandwiches. I just grab an endpiece or two, get my coffee and go. No sandwich for me but the bread sure is tasty.

[Anna N]

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link to Pita bread recipe

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Yesterday I used this recipe for pita bread. I cheated only a little by letting the KA do the kneading but the result was AWESOME. I took two packages of store-bought pita and 5 of these home made ones to a family gathering and no-one wanted the store-bought at all!

I was a bit concerned that they looked pale and anemic beside the store-bought ones but I re-heated them briefly on the grill and they were just fabulous.

This is only the second time I have made pita and the first time I have used this recipe and it will go into my book as THE PITA recipe.

Thank you.

[naguere]

If when making pita, after rolling out each one, dab a dining fork through them all over, you will not get a pocket. Believe me.

[andiesenji]

Once you find out how easy it is to make them you won't go back to the commercial ones.

You can also cook them on a barbecue grill or on a slab of cast iron on the BBQ grill.

Here is my recipe:

Pita Bread

2-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons rapid-rise or "instant" yeast

2 tablespoons oil, olive or canola or grape seed.

1-1/4 cups water room temp.

Measure the flour (unsifted) into a large bowl.

add the salt, yeast and oil.

Make a "well" in the center of the flour and pour in the water.

Using your hands, bring the flour into the water and continue mixing until a ball of dough is formed.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 15 minutes.

(If you have a mixer that has a dough hook you can place all ingredients into the mixing bowl, blend until ingredients form a ball then continue mixing for about 10 minutes with the mixer set on lowest speed.)

The dough should feel silky and soft but not flabby, when a thumb is pressed into the dough it should fill in quickly.

Spray the inside of a large Zip-lok bag with Pam or similar oil spray.

Place the dough ball into the bag and seal.

Set aside to rise until it has doubled in size.

At normal room temp this should be about an hour to an hour and a half.

Turn the dough out onto the floured board, knead 3 or 4 times then stretch into a fat cylinder.

Cut in half, then cut the halves in half, and so on, so that you end up with 8 pieces of dough.

Roll the pieces into balls and press flat into a disk.

Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with oil, place disks on it then cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Set aside to rest for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 475 degrees, F.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the disks on a lightly floured board and roll into about a 6-inch circle.

They should be about 1/4 inch thick or slightly less.

If you have a baking stone you can bake the pita directly on it, mist the stone with water before placing the pita on the hot stone then mist the pita.

Otherwise, place the pita on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place on center shelf in oven.

Mist the pita and close the oven door.

Watch closely. In about 3-4 minutes the pita will have blown up like a baloon and are done. They should not brown, but might show a little color around the edges.

Immediately remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

Depending on the size of your oven you should be able to bake 3 or 4 at a time.

You have to leave room above the pita for them to expand.

To reheat, fold into a kitchen towel and heat in microwave for 30 seconds.

When I cook them on the barbecue grill the temp is usually 500 or above and they cook in just a couple of minutes. I have a long toasting fork and stab them in an edge, flip them over for half an minute then transfer to a platter on which I have placed a folded towel in between the fold to keep them warm.

[richw]

In Israel I've had felafel sandwiches on various kinds of pita, including Yemenite, which is more of a wrap-type deal. Not all of them had pockets.

Hmmm, y'see, everything in the world boils down to semantics.

Those Yemenite wrap-type things are called, in Hebrew, "aish tanoor." If you want one of those, you wouldn't ask for a pita, because if you did you'd get, well, a pita, and not an aish tanoor.

I thought they were called Laffa, or Iraqi pita.

[artisanbaker]

thanks for clearing this up for me. i can now earn $500 more each year.

[Behemoth]

In Israel I've had felafel sandwiches on various kinds of pita, including Yemenite, which is more of a wrap-type deal. Not all of them had pockets.

Hmmm, y'see, everything in the world boils down to semantics.

Those Yemenite wrap-type things are called, in Hebrew, "aish tanoor." If you want one of those, you wouldn't ask for a pita, because if you did you'd get, well, a pita, and not an aish tanoor.

I thought they were called Laffa, or Iraqi pita.

"Laffa" in arabic literally means "wrap". (The noun, not the verb.)

[Berlinsbreads]

I am an experienced baker and have made lots of different types of breads, including pitas & chipati. The pitas I have made from various cookbooks (including 'Flatbreads & Flavors') are usually partially, if not all, whole wheat and the instructions are to roll the dough out and peel them onto a baking stone.

However, the pitas that I see in stores (and the ones my family prefers!) seem to be 'fluffier' and not so condensed. I almost wonder if they are prepared more like a pancake rather than with rolling them out. They are thicker, puffier and with a little bubbly texture---like a cross between a pancake and a yeast bread.

Do any of you know how to prepare pita like this? I would love to hear some feedback and maybe some ideas! Thanks...

[Liron,C.]

as an israeli, most of the bread i eat is pitas. the "flufier" pitas are usually the Yemenite kind. they are more soft and thick. for this kind you should try this recipe :

1 kg bread flour

1 tbs fresh yeast

1 tbs kosher salt

1.5 cups water.

mix all dry ingerdients.

gradually ad the wet ingredients and knead the dough.

proof the dough until the dough double in size (at least one hour) and then divide it to 5 portions. flatten each part to 1cm thick.

let it rise again for half an hour, using a towel to cover the pita dough.

bake at 200 celsius, for about 10 minutes, or until it gets golden color, carefull, do not make them too baked.

if you want the outer crust more soft, get the pitas into a plastic bag, or a box as soon as they are out of the oven.

Liron.

[Liron,C.]

if you are using dry yeast instead of the fresh ones, you should try making lebanese pitas. the same proccess as mentioned before, but the ingredient are different :

1 teaspoon dry yeast+1 tablespoon sugar + quarter cup of water. let it sit for a few minutes.

then add 3 cups of bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and gradually add 3\4 cup of water.

knead for 10 minutes. make 8 balls and let rise for an hour. pound the ball and then flatten to 1cm pitas.let rise again for half an hour.

bake for 7 minutes at the highest temperture

your oven gets (about 250 celsius).

make sure the dough never stays exposed to air, so allways cover with a towel.

[Liron,C.]

p.s.

the secret of getting the pita "pocket" is using wet dough so it's not so firm, and rather elastic, and baking at highest temperature for a short time. that allows the pitas to puff up.

[Swisskaese]

Shalom Liron and welcome to eGullet. It is nice to see another Israeli here. I like the Yemenite pitas. I have a Yemenite bakery right around the corner from me.

Edited October 15, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Pam R]

Welcome to eGullet Liron!

When I think of 'fluffier' pita, I think of the Greek version.

Do you want the pita to have a pocket or is the type you're looking for pocket-less?

[matt_smith]

welcome Liron and thanks for the directions!... i'd been looking for a good (read: authentic) pita bread recipe.

i'll try these once i get the oven back up and running.

[Berlinsbreads]

The type I'm thinking about doesn't have a pocket. It has little holes in it, though. It's almost pancake-like in texture but it is strong enough to hold together if bent, if that makes any sense!

[Liron,C.]

thanks Swisskaese, pam, matt for the warm welcome.

Berlinsbreads, the bread you're describing doesn't sounds like a pita. it sounds rather like a Yemenite "Lahooch". just look at the picture in this page and tell me if this is the one. if you're talking about this, i'll translate the recipe for you :

http://www.temani.net/http/mahli-timan/macalim/8.htm

Edited October 16, 2006 by Liron,C. (log)

[Pam R]

hmm.. it also sounds more like the Greek pita. The kind that you'd get souvlaki or gyros wrapped in.

eta: look at the pita in the pictures here. Are they close to what you're looking for?

Here is a recipe and another picture (I haven't tried it)