Pita Pockets

I am so happy to finally be posting this recipe.  I've tried to make pita pockets several times and have ended up very disappointed all of those times until now.  They always seemed to end up only partially puffed or not puffed at all.  And they never stayed soft--eating tough, half puffed pita was beginning to make me very sad.  But I was determined to get it figured out and man was I happy when these puppies came out of the oven.  Also, watching them puff up in the oven was about the most fun I had all day.  I tried to take a picture through the oven door (so obviously it is basically the worst picture in the world) but I wanted you to see how much they puff because it's awesome.  The key to getting these to puff is to make sure your oven (and baking stone) are nice and hot.  The 20 minute heating time is definitely a must.  Let me tell you though, after I made these I told my husband I'm never buying pita again.

Pita Pockets

Number of Servings: 8 pita pockets
Time to Prepare: 2 hours 40 minutes

• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1 1/4 cups warm water, divided
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 3 to 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Mix yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and sugar in a small bowl.  Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of the flour and the salt.  Stir in the olive oil, yeast mixture, and remaining water.  Stir together until it forms a ball, adding additional flour as needed.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.  Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.

Place a baking stone in the center of your oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Once it has reached 450 degrees, it needs to continue heating for 20 more minutes before you put anything in it.

Punch the dough down and divide into 8 pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball.  Cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel and let them rest for 20 minutes.

Once the dough has rested, roll out one ball of dough on a lightly floured surface until it is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.  Carefully place it on the baking stone and bake for 3 to 5 minutes.  Repeat with remaining dough balls.  (It is hottest for the first couple so those usually take about a minute less to cook than the later ones.)

Source: slightly adapted from The Fresh Loaf