Sometimes I think I suffer from cooking ADHD. I try out a new thing for a while, then decide that I’ve done that and move on to something else. A few months ago it was pan-seared duck breasts. Last year I was doing the whole wheat sourdough starter (which I would still be doing if I hadn’t killed it).
Maybe I just like the challenge of exploring a new type of food, a new ingredient, or a new cooking technique. Once I have tried it and understand it, I feel like it is successfully in my repertoire and so I search out something new.
Recently, I’ve been thinking about pita bread. We have a good-sized population of expats from various Mediterranean countries and enjoy a few restaurants that cater to them. My favorite is Beirut, but there are others. Locally-made fresh pitas are available in two types – softer/more doughy and drier – at my local Villa market. Even the drier type is a far cry from the tough-as-shoe leather pitas I remember from my childhood.
But I wanted to make my own pita bread. So I did. Turns out it is pretty easy. The biggest challenge is making the individual breads evenly round and the same size.
First step: Mix whole wheat and white flours, water and a small amount of yeast. Combine until it forms a very wet sponge then let it sit for several hours.
Second step: After the sponge has a foamy surface, add more flour and combine into a dough. My dough turned out really sticky, almost to the point of not being able to handle it. Am not sure what it should look like, but next time I’m going to cut back on the liquid a bit.
Third step: let the dough rise for another hour or two, until doubled in volume. The dough can be refrigerated and used over the next several days. The flavor will improve over time due to fermentation.
Fourth step: Form the dough into individual breads, rolling it about 0.25 in / 0.75 cm thick. As you can see, my dough was so hydrated I had to use a lot of flour. Also, I didn’t manage to get consistently sized and consistently round breads. I like to say that they are “rustic” or “artisinal”.
Fifth step: Baking. Heat a baking stone, some unglazed quarry tiles, or a cast iron skillet in a very hot oven – 450 F / 220 C. Then cook the breads, a few at a time, on the stone. They only take about three minutes to cook and there is no need to turn them over. Sometimes they puff up, but according to the recipe, sometimes they don’t.
Set them aside on a rack to cool a bit. They can be stored in a tea towel to keep them fresh and warm. They can also be reheated before use. Even though they have that rustic look, the flavor and texture was spot-on.
I prepared Indian spice pork chops, marinated in a rub for a few hours so the flavor really soaked in. Served along with homemade hummus, a red cabbage cole slaw, and salted cucumbers with plain yogurt. Quite a tasty dinner.
San Francisco in April – Interested in subletting a fully-furnished apartment in San Francisco for a few weeks in April? It you or someone you know is interested, please send me a message and I’ll connect you with my friend.
christao408 
I like to cook the same thing over and over until I get it rightbut I get complaints for doing that :-
I do the same thing. I cook, I accomplish, I move on. I just saw a pita recipe on another blog and was considering trying it. Looks like you did a great job. Maybe I’ll try it soon.
Wow… you really know how to stretch your horizons! Nice job.
expanding your horizon on cooking sounds fun… the pita bread looks good. when I cook, if I like it, I’ll make it again, but if I don’t like it, there is no next time. 🙂
Wonderful! I love how u apply your food ideas. I just got a hankering for baking.. but alas I only bake from mixes and add extras in..
I have to say Tawn is so lucky to have such a creative cook in the house, always manage to create a new recipe every now and then. Can imagine how hot it is to bake and cook under the hot and humid weather of BKK.
envy that you can cook so many dishes. Yeah, Mr. T is so lucky.
We’ve started making our own bread because it’s cheaper and tastier. I’d love to try making these pitas. Do you use the same amount of wheat flour as white flour?
I am like you Chris. Once I have “mastered” one thing I just am not interested in it any more. One suggestion to get your naan, pita bread of equal size: after you have rolled the dough out, invert a glass or steel bowl over it and cut around the edges. You will have perfectly round and same size breads. In order to not allow the dough to be too sticky, where you have to use a lot of flour, try using oil or ghee on the surface and on your hands. The dough won’t be so stubborn then.
@ZSA_MD – Excellent suggestions. Thank you so much. I think I need to get a better work surface, too, as this composite stone countertop is a bit too rough. Time to go buy a marble slab or, if I’m going to use oil, maybe just use a baking sheet. The other idea I had was to use my kitchen scale to measure out portions of dough. If they are about the same weight, they should end up closer to the same size.
@TheCheshireGrins – About a 1:4 ration of whole wheat to white flour. Would be happy to share the recipe with you. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pita-bread-recipe/index.html
@curry69curry – Yeah, cooking here is a bit of a hot prospect. I’d prefer to do it at night when the temperatures are lower but I haven’t any screens on my windows (another project to get done) so if I leave them open I end up with many insect visitors. So I work during the mid-afternoon and just go for a swim afterwards!
@Wangium – Yeah, sometimes those we cook for aren’t properly appreciative of our desire to perfect our culinary skills, are they?
@socaltransplant – I’d encourage you to try the recipe. They were surprising easy to make and turn out really nicely.
@ElusiveWords – @stevew918 – Thanks, Matt and Steve.
@snowjunky8 – Even from a mix, it is fun to bake something yourself. I think there is a sense of accomplishment in it.
@icebladz – I like your litmus test!
Hi Chris
I have been reading your blog for a while but never written any comments. Today I saw your note about apartment in San Francisco. As my partner and I will be visitting SF in April about a week, thought I would write to ask some information about the apartment.
Thank you.
Chai, beautyandthebum@hotmail.com