Pitta breads

Incredibly easy to make. Very fast to cook. Pitta breads are basically flat white breads. Best to eat them with a meal as their bland flavour will take in other food's flavours.

From Paul Hollywood's 'How to bake'.

Serves: 8 breads.

Ingredients:

• 250g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 160ml cool water
• 2 tsp olive oil, plus extra for kneading

Method:

1. Tip the flour into a bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add ¾ of the water and the olive oil, and turn the mixture round with your fingers. Continue to add the remaining water, a little at a time, until you've picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all the water, or you may need to add a little more - you want dough that is soft but not soggy. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Coat the work surface with a little olive oil, then tip the dough onto it and begin to knead. Keep kneading for 5-10 min. Work through the initial wet stage until the dough starts to form a soft, smooth skin.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. When your dough feels smooth and silky, put it into a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until at least doubled in size - at least 1 hour, but it's fine to leave it for 2-3 hours. I did not oil the bowl any further because the dough picked up enough oil from the work surface.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Heat the oven to 220°C and put a bakestone or baking tray in the centre to heat up.
5. Dust a work surface lightly. Tip the risen dough onto it. Fold it inwards repeatedly until all the air is knocked out and the dough is smooth. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a ball, keeping them covered with a tea towel as you work. With a rolling pin, start rolling out the pieces of dough into rough oval shapes, about 3mm thick. I rolled the dough with the rolling pin until the dough was thin enough but still could be handled. I did not measure the 3mm.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Take the hot stone or tray from the oven, scatter with a little flour (no need it it's non-stick), then lay the pitta breads on it. Bake for 5-10 min, taking the pittas out of the oven as soon as you start to see any colour on them. The breads will rise and create a bubble of air inside. They are easy to flatten with your hand by bursting the bubble, if you want to.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Leave the pittas to cool, keeping them covered with a cloth as they do so - the trapped steam will keep them soft.
8. Eat within 24 hours or freeze.