In Our Kitchen: Pita Bread
I've been sharing some stories lately on Instagram of some behind the scenes in our kitchen and received several messages asking about the recipes. I'm excited to start a new "In Our Kitchen" section on the blog to share some of our favorite recipes and things I'm experimenting with.
I definitely prefer homemade vs. store bought for almost everything that we eat. I don't usually mind the time that it takes to make delicious, well-crafted food at home because I know the end result is so satisfying. I hope the recipes that I share will show you that it's so easy to have delicious, homemade foods without too much stress!
In the past I wouldn't have thought twice about buying a package of naan/pita bread from the store and heating it up to have with our curry or hummus. Since moving overseas though, I've discovered that certain products aren't available with consistency at our local grocery stores, naan/pita bread being one of them. I decided to try my hand at making a batch a few months ago and now I don't think I can ever go back to buying from a store. We love having the warm, fresh bread to compliment a dinner of curry, wedges to dip in hummus or the base for gyros.
Pita/Naan Bread
Ingredients:
1 tsp active dry yeast
3 tsp divided (1 tsp for yeast & water mixture, 2 tsp for flour mixture)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 T plain yogurt
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar with 3/4 cup warm water. Let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar, flour, salt. Set aside until the yeast, sugar and water mixture is frothy.
3. Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and olive oil to the liquid and whisk to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and mix the dough together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, dust your hand with flour and knead gently into a soft, slightly sticky dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Lightly oil or spray a clean bowl with nonstick cooking spray (the bowl should be large enough to allow the dough to double in size). Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl and cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel. Let the bowl sit in a warm place for 2-3 hours, or until about it has doubled in size.
4. Prepare your work surface (counter or large cutting board) with a 1/2 cup flour. Dump the dough out and dust with flour. Shape the dough into a long rectangle and cut into 8 equal portions. Dust each portion with flour to prevent them from sticking together.
5. Warm a large cast iron or heavy nonstick pan over medium-high heat until very hot. With a rolling pin, roll one of the dough portions into an oval shape about 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough in the dry skillet and cook until the top is popping up with air bubbles and the bottom is golden and blackened in spots, a few minutes. Flip the naan and cook about 1-2 minutes more until the the bottom is lightly browned and blistered in spots. Remove the naan from the skillet and place on a plate, repeat with the remaining portions of dough, adjusting the heat lower if necessary as you go. Serve warm and enjoy!
