| 1. |
Combine
the yeast and sugar in a small bowl, add 1/2 cup of the warm water and
let it stand for 10 minutes to proof and ferment it. |
| 2. |
Dissolve
the salt in the remaining warm water. |
| 3. |
Put the
flour in a large mixing bowl, making a well in the middle and put the
dissolved yeast and salt water into it. |
| 4. |
With your
hands, blend it into a dough. |
| 5. |
You may
need a bit more or less water depending on your flour. |
| 6. |
Knead the
dough in the bowl with your fists for 10-15 minutes or until it is
smooth. |
| 7. |
Pour the
oil over the dough and knead it again until the oil is absorbed. |
| 8. |
Cover the
dough in the bowl with a towel and set it in a draft free area to rise
to double it's bulk (1-2 hours), then punch it down and knead it again
for a few minutes. |
| 9. |
Preheat
your oven to 350°F. |
| 10. |
Cut pieces
of dough, egg size or larger, depending on the size of the pita desired,
shape them into balls with your hands and roll them out over a lightly
floured board or pastry cloth to 1/4 inch thickness. |
| 11. |
Set 2 or 3
pitas on a lightly oiled cookies sheet and bake them on the lower rack 2
to 3 minutes each side. |
| 12. |
Pitas
should be white and soft. |
| 13. |
Wrap the
baked pitas in a clean towel until they are cool, then store them in
plastic bags to prevent them from drying out. |
| 14. |
When you
are ready to use them, heat a bit of oil in a shallow skillet and fry
them a minute or so on each side, or until golden brown. |
| 15. |
Use them
immediately, because they get hard when they dry out. |
