My daughter treated us to homemade Pita bread. With this recipe you can make your own pita bread, which I find superior to the store bought versions. The process is a bit time-consuming, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons yeast

½ cup warm water

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 Tablespoon flour (for dusting your surface)

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil plus 1 Tablespoon oil (for greasing your bowl)

Directions:

1 – Stir in the yeast and the sugar in the warm water and set aside for ten minutes.

2 – In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer pour in the flour, salt, the oil and the yeast mixture and mix until the dough has formed into a ball (about 5 minutes).

3 – Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in a greased bowl for 2 hours or until the mixture has bubbles.

4 – Sprinkle a flat surface with flour. Deflate the dough to remove the bubbles. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and form them into 2½ inch balls.

5 – Roll the ball into flat disks using a rolling pin.

6 – Place on a baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel and let them rest for 30 minutes.

7 – Uncover and bake in a 450 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until they are soft and fluffy. Cover with a towel to keep them moist and warm.

Tip: Alternatively, in Step 6 you can drop the pita dough disks onto hot oil in a large skillet. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes then flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes or until golden brown.