Recipe
Rosemary pita bread
Posted by : unknown
Preparation time : 2 Hrs 40 Min
Cooking time : 15 Min
Level of difficulty : Medium
Ingredients
8 servings
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 packet yeast
- 1½ tsp. salt
- 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5½ cups all-purpose or bread flour, unsifted
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
Preparation
Heat the warm water and the sugar in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves; do not let boil. Pour into a large bowl. Slowly add the yeast, stirring just a bit. Let stand for 5–7 minutes. Tear apart the rosemary and cut the leaves into very fine, small parts; do not use the stem, as it will leave too strong a taste in the bread. Add the salt, rosemary, and 4 cups of flour to the mixture, and as it starts to thicken, slowly add the remaining flour. Continue stirring until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (If the mixture seems too sticky, just add a little more flour until it starts to hold together well; if it seems too dry, add a little more water.)
Knead well for about 5–7 minutes. Put a little olive oil on the palms of the hands and smooth all over the dough to help prevent crusting. Place dough mixture into a greased bowl; cover with a wet towel, and set it aside for about ½ hour. The dough should rise to double its size. Preheat oven to 500°F. (With this sort of bread, the hotter the oven, the better.) Divide the dough in half; then form into 12 balls. Roll out each ball into a 6˝ circle, about 1/16″ thick, on a generously floured table or countertop. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 5–8 minutes or until lightly browned. Make sure there are no creases in the dough and that the pitas are lying flat on the cookie sheet.
When finished cooking, place pitas in a paper lunch bag with a damp towel and seal. Let cool completely before serving.
