Pita Bread

Gather your ingredients.

Put some warm water in a large mixing bowl. You want the water to be a little warmer than body temperature. I usually run the faucet over the inside of my wrist and adjust the temperature until it feels warm. If you have a good thermometer, aim for somewhere between 100°F and 110°F.

Cast in the yeast. Stir it up and just let it sit for a few minutes.

Add the salt.

Add the olive oil.

Start folding in the flour, a little bit at a time.

Once you've added 2 cups of flour, slow down. You only want to add enough flour to form a wet dough. You should have 1/2 cup to a cup of flour left over.

Once the dough comes together, knead for about 5 minutes, adding dustings of flour to keep the dough from sticking to the table.

Pour a little drizzle of oil into a bowl that's about twice as big as the dough ball. Place the dough in there and flip it to coat in oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let it proof in a warm spot in your kitchen for about 90 minutes.

Once the dough is doubled in volume. You can refrigerate the dough now for up to about a day before using. Once you're ready to cook the pitas, turn it out and roll it into a log.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.

Roll each portion into a ball.

Pull out a ball of dough and roll it out into a thin oval.

This dough can be fried or baked with different but equally delicious results. If you plan to bake, place a sheet tray or a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 425°F. Place a round of dough directly on the stone for 4 minutes. To fry, heat a small amount of oil in a heavy pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Frying adds more color, but baking is easier and will result in a puffier pita that's much easier to open and fill.