Pita Puffs

Yesterday was a lazy Sunday morning, but busy baking/cooking Sunday afternoon. The morning was spent lounging, playing with our cat, Chuck, chatting with friends online who live far away. The afternoon picked up, though, and while the hubby was at work, I whipped up some homemade falafel, tried a recipe for chocolate pots de creme, baked blueberry muffins, and made these pita puffs. Plus, I managed to get in a 3-mile run (pretty good for me). Whew!

These pita puffs are really fun in that they truly do puff up, almost magically, revealing a beautiful (and durable) pocket in which you can stuff just about anything. I've been making them more and more since they're quite easy, and pita from the store can be expensive. The only disadvantage is that you have to heat your oven to 500, which in the summer may be insufferable. They're great for us, too, because again, we know what's going into our food, which is important with the hubby being vegan. Try them out and let me know how it goes!

Pita Puffs

Recipe given to me by Annie, originally from King Arthur Baking Companion

Yield: 8 pita puffs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup water (room-temperature)

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1.) Knead all the ingredients by hand for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Let the dough rest for an hour.

2.) Turn dough onto a lightly oiled (or floured) work surface (dough will be somewhat sticky). Divide it into 8 pieces. Roll out the pieces into 6 inch circles. Allow the circles to rest for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

3.) Place dough in oven on the lowest rack and bake for 5 minutes; they should puff up. (If they haven't wait a minute or so longer and raise the heat for the next batch). Transfer baking sheet to the oven's middle-to-top rack and bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until pitas have bronwed.

4.) Remove pitas from oven. (Can optionally wrap them in a dishtowl to keep them warm).

5.) Store in airtight container or plastic bag.