Greek pita bread

For New Year’s Eve we cooked a Greek meal, with meze to start and lamb souvlaki.  I made these flat breads based on a recipe in the fantastic Tessa Kiros book, Food from Many Greek Kitchens.  Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get a photo before they all got wolfed down hot from the pan – but they were brilliantly soft and airy, and definitely a recipe I’ll use again! 

Ingredients

2 tsp dried yeast

1 tsp honey

3 tbsp warm water

1 lb strong white bread flour

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp olive oil

7 fl oz water

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the yeast, honey and warm water and leave for 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to activate and the mixture gets frothy.
2. Sift in the flour and salt, make a well in the centre and add the olive oil and the water.
3. Using the dough hook on a low speed, start incorporating the flour with the water and olive oil.
4. Once the dough starts to come together, increase the speed and knead for five minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Wipe out the bowl with an oiled paper towel, put the dough back in, and toss to coat in the oil.  Cover the bowl with clingfilm or a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
6. Punch the dough to knock it down and then divide it into eight equal balls.  Press each ball into a flat disc and set aside for five to ten minutes.
7. Once they’ve relaxed, roll the dough discs out to quarter of a centimetre thickness.
8. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and cook the breads for two minutes on each side. Stack them between paper towels to keep them limp so they can be rolled around kebabs.