YOGURT PITA BREAD

SERVINGS: 12 PITAS | RECIPE BY: MAUREEN ABOOD

This perfect recipe is from Molly Yeh’s Short Stack Yogurt book (get it here, and see Molly’s post with photos here). I use labneh rather than her recipe’s Greek Yogurt, because, well, I always have labneh in my refrigerator and I use it for anything and everything calling for thicker yogurt. If any of the pitas don’t balloon in the oven, don’t worry one bit. They’ll still have a pocket when you open them up and they’ll still taste wonderful. Be sure to put the pita in a ziplock bag or airtight container immediately after they cool off to keep them soft. If they’re at all hard on the outside, they’ll soften right up in the container.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup warm water (105-110 degrees)
2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 packet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting (if needed)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt or labneh

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let the mixture sit until it's foamy on top, about 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, combine the flour, salt, and remaining tablespoon of sugar. Add the yeast mixture, oil, and yogurt and mix to combine. Knead the dough either in the mixer or by hand on a clean work surface, adding more flour if needed, until the dough is soft and slightly sticky, 7-10 minutes.

3. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic (not touching the dough), and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it's doubled in size, about 2 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it into 12 equal balls. Cover and let rise an additional 20 minutes.

5. Roll the balls out into circles that are 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. Place them on the baking sheets an inch apart, then bake until they're puffy and lightly browned on top (begin checking for doneness at 5 minutes).

6. Transfer the pitas to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!