Pita Bread

Directions

1. 1
   Add the water to a large bowl, stir in the active dry yeast and sugar - proof it = let it sit until foamy 2-5 minutes. Stir in the salt. Mix in the flour until uniformly moist...skip to step 3.
2. 2
   NOTE: if using instant yeast, instead, mix your yeast, salt and flour together . Add the water to a large bowl and then mix in the flour mixture until uniformly moist.
3. 3
   There's no need to knead - but is optional. Cover with a loose lid or towel and let rise for about 2 hours. Can let rise covered in the refrigerator overnight - let the dough sit out about an hour before forming pitas and baking.
4. 4
   An hour before baking, preheat the oven to 500F, with or without a baking stone. Pita dough likes a very hot oven.
5. 5
   Before forming a round, dust the surface of the dough with flour and pull off a piece - size is up to you. Dust the piece with more flour and shape it into a ball, at this stage, this dough is sticky but easy to handle, it's ok to use the amount of flour it takes to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the rolling pin.
6. 6
   So, using your hands, a little flour and a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin but kind of puffy round...see special note below.
7. 7
   SPECIAL NOTE: In the past years I rolled the dough so flat it didn't puff; hmmm, but some say the flatter you roll the better
8. 8
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9. 9
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10. 10
    - I found what works for me is not to roll so flat.
11. 11
    If using a baking stone; I place the dough round, by hand, one by one, and take it out with the help of a metal peel. Note: most instructions say to place the round on a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal and slide the dough directly onto the baking stone; I don't like messing with the cornmeal, I prefer my method. BTW, I own a wooden and metal peel, I find the metal peel works best when taking the pita out of the oven.
12. 12
    Alternate pita baking would be to place the dough on a baking sheet, it works great, you can make 3-4 at the same time, this is actually my favorite way to bake them. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed. My oven takes between 6.5 to 7 minutes, they start to puff a little over 3 minutes.
13. 13
    When you pull them out of the oven, wrap the pitas in a clean dish towel and set on a rack to keep them soft.