Peppy's Pita Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cups water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. 1

   Place all ingredients in bread pan, select Dough setting and start. When dough has risen long enough, machine will beep. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into 12-inch rope.

2. 2

   With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7-inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop; cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.

3. 3

   Preheat oven to 500°F Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas are softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or freezer for 1 or 2 months.

4. 4

   Avoid using too much flour while rolling them out. Keep unrolled balls covered to prevent drying out.

5. 5

   Handle with care while rolling and transferring. Tears or creases cause them not to puff up while baking.

6. 6

   Avoid overbaking - they will turn crisp and brittle.