Lots of folks are trying their hand at baking these days. Pita is one of the easiest bread recipes to make. Assuming, of course, that you can find flour and yeast in the stores. Both are in short supply around here during the Covid-19 crisis, but I managed to score some from King Arthur.

Pita is easy because you don’t need that second rise of the dough to make a perfect loaf shape. Instead, you’re going to roll it out flat and cook it on a griddle. Which also makes it the ideal hot-weather bread — no oven to heat up your kitchen!

Ingredients:

4 cups (480 g) flour

¾ cup (180 ml) milk

½ cup (120 ml) warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1.) Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer until the dough comes together into a ball. Add a little more water or flour if needed if the dough seems too dry or too moist. Mine was too sticky and wouldn’t come together, so I added another tablespoon of flour. 

2.) Knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes, until it’s smooth and elastic.

3.) Form the dough into a ball or disc and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl or dough bucket. I use a ball for a bowl but prefer a disc for my bucket because it’s easier to tell when it’s doubled. Let it pick up a thin coating of oil from the container, then flip the dough so that the lightly oiled surface is now on top. Cover the container and allow the dough to rise for about an hour or until doubled.

4.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces.

5.) Roll each piece into a ball. Heat a nonstick griddle or fry pan on medium-high. Roll one ball out into a very thin circle about 7 inches (18 cm). 

6.) Place the rolled dough on the hot pan. Cook until the top bubbles and the bottom is lightly browned. 

7.) Flip; cook until the second side is browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and repeat with the remaining balls of dough.