Pita Toasts Recipes

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl add 1 cup lukewarm water and stir in yeast and sugar until dissolved. Add 1/2 cup flour and whisk together. Place the mixing bowl in a warm place, uncovered to form a lose sponge. Give it 15 minutes or so, the mixture should bubble.
• Now add salt, olive oil and almost all the remaining flour (keep about 1/2 cup of the flour for dusting later). Stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass (at this point, the dough has little to no gluten development and just looks like a sticky mess and you can easily pull bits off). Dust with a little flour, then knead the mixture inside the bowl for about a minute to incorporate any stray bits.
• Dust a clean working surface with just a little bit of flour. Knead lightly for a couple minutes or so until smooth. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then knead again for a couple more minutes. The dough should be a little bit moist, you can help it with a little dusting of flour, but be careful not to add too much flour.
• Clean the mixing bowl and coat it lightly with extra virgin olive oil and put the dough back in the bowl. Turn the dough a couple times in the bowl to coat with the olive oil. Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap then lay a kitchen towel over. Put the bowl in a warm place. Leave it alone for 1 hour or until the dough rises to double its size.
• Deflate the dough and place it on a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 7 to 8 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Cover with a towel and leave them for 10 minutes or so to rest.
• Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle that's 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. It helps to lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll so that dough doesn't stick to your counter too much. (If dough starts to stick, sprinkle a tiny bit of flour). If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get going, you can be cooking one pita while rolling another, if you like). You have two options for baking the pita from here.
• Heat the oven to 475 degrees F and place a heavy-duty baking pan or large cast iron skillet on the middle rack to heat. Working in batches, place the rolled-out pitas directly on the hot baking baking sheet (I was only able to fit 2 at a time). Bake for 2 minutes on one side, and then, using a pair of tongs, carefully turn pita over to bake for 1 minute on the other side. The pita will puff nicely and should be ready. Remove from the oven and cover the baked pitas with a clean towel while you work on the rest of the pitas.
• To cook pita on stovetop: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (Test by adding a couple drops of water to the skillet, the skillet is ready when the beads of water sizzle immediately). Drizzle a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil and wipe off any excess. Working with one pita at a time, lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until bubbles start to form. Using a spatula, flip the pita over and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita is ready when it puffs up forming a pocket (sometimes, with this method, the pita may not puff or may only form a small pocket. Try pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel). Keep baked pita covered with a clean towel while you work on the rest.

TOASTED PITA TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut each pita in half and then each half in triangles and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
• Bake for 10 minutes.

TOASTED PITA TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice the pita bread into 8 triangles and place them on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the oven and toast the bread for 10 minutes.

EASY TZATZIKI WITH TOASTED PITA CRISPS

Steps:

• Place the yogurt in a medium bowl. Grate the cucumber on a box grater and squeeze the grated cucumber with your hand to remove some of the liquid. Add it to the yogurt along with the sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Serve with Toasted Pita Crisps.
• Heat a gas grill or charcoal grill with coals. Brush the pita with olive oil and heat on both sides until toasted.

PITA TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Halve pitas horizontally to form 8 rounds and lightly brush rough sides with oil. Season pitas with salt and cut each round into 6 wedges.
• Arrange wedges in one layer on 2 baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Cool toasts. Toasts may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

TOASTED PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using kitchen scissors, halve each pita horizontally. Cut each piece in half. Place, rough side up, on a baking sheet. Brush with oil; season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Place yeast into the work bowl of a stand mixer and add 1 cup warm water and 1 cup flour. Whisk together and let stand 15 to 20 minutes for mixture to rise and make a loose sponge. Mixture will bubble and foam.
• Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and salt into sponge; add 1 3/4 cup flour. Mix at low speed, using a dough hook attachment, until dough is soft, supple, and slightly sticky. If dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a little at a time.
• Knead dough with machine on low speed until slightly springy and still soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a ball.
• Wipe inside of bowl with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Turn dough around in bowl to cover with a thin film of oil; cover bowl with foil and let sit until dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Remove dough from bowl and place onto a floured work surface. Lightly pat into a flat shape about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut dough into 8 pieces.
• Form each piece into a small round ball with a smooth top, pulling dough from the sides and tucking the ends underneath the bottom.
• Cover dough balls with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a work surface and top of a dough ball; gently pat dough ball flat with your fingers, forming a flat, round bread about 1/4 inch thick. Let dough round rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
• Brush a cast-iron skillet with remaining 3/4 teaspoon olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Lay pita bread into hot skillet and cook until bread begins to puff up and bottom has brown spots and blisters, about 3 minutes. Flip, cook 2 more minutes, and flip back onto original side to cook for about 30 more seconds. Pita bread will begin to puff up and fill with hot air. Stack cooked breads on a plate; when cool enough to handle, break breads in half and open the pocket inside for stuffing.

SMOKED CAVIAR AND HUMMUS ON PITA TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Halve pitas horizontally and stir together oil and paprika. Brush rough sides of pitas with paprika oil and season with salt. Cut each pita round into 8 wedges and bake in single layers on a large baking sheet in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until crisp.
• Finely grind cumin seeds in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Purée chick-peas in a food processor with cumin, garlic, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, and salt and add enough water to make smooth.
• Put hummus in a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain tip. Pipe a scant 1/2 teaspoon onto each pita toast and top with 1/4 teaspoon caviar.

GARLIC-HERB PITA TOASTS

Steps:

• Cooks Tip: For the best results, use a baking sheet that is not too dark for this recipe; otherwise, watch the pita bread carefully as it burns easily.
• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Separate each pita quarter into 2 pieces.
• Arrange in a single layer, rough side up, on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Brush evenly with the oil.
• In a small bowl, combine the parsley, chives, and garlic.
• Using your fingers, distribute the herb mixture evenly over the pita quarters.
• Sprinkle evenly with coarse salt.
• Bake on the top rack of the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pita quarters are nicely toasted.

GARLIC PITA BREAD BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Open pita bread halves and roughly cut into approximately 2 inch pieces. Arrange on a medium baking sheet.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and mix in garlic and dried Italian-style seasoning. Pour the mixture over pita bread pieces.
• Sprinkle bread with Parmesan cheese, adjusting the amount as desired. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

BENNE SEED PITA TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk in salt, remaining 4 tablespoons butter, and sesame seeds.
• Brush rough sides of pita halves with butter mixture, stirring mixture well before brushing each half. Cut each pita half into 8 wedges and arrange, seeded sides up, in 1 layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes total. Cool toasts on a rack.

PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Cut each pita bread into 8 triangles. Place triangles on lined cookie sheet.
• In a small bowl, combine the oil, pepper, salt, basil and chervil. Brush each triangle with oil mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. Watch carefully, as they tend to burn easily!

PITA BREAD FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt. Cut 4 pitas in half crosswise and place in dish. Soak 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium until foaming. Lift 4 pita halves from egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm; repeat with remaining pita halves. Cut into wedges and dust with confectioners' sugar.

PERFECT PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Brush one side of each piece pita pocket with olive oil. Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and garlic salt over the pita pockets. Slice each pocket into 4 even triangles.
• Bake in preheated oven until the triangles turn a light brown color, 15 to 20 minutes.

SPINACH DIP WITH PITA TOASTS

Steps:

• For the dip: Drain spinach and press out as much water as possible.
• Combine the spinach, jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and half and half in a medium bowl and mix well.
• Spoon into a buttered baking dish and bake at 400º for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Serve with pita toasts.
• For pita toasts:.
• Combine the butter, lemon pepper and cumin in a shallow dish and mix well.
• Slit each pita bread round in half so you have 2 rounds.
• Cut each round into triangles (using a pizza cutter makes this very easy).
• Dip each piece into butter mixture and place on a cookie and put under the broiler until crisp.

HUMMUS & VEGETABLE PITA TOASTS

Steps:

• Heat broiler.
• Place pita rounds on baking sheet; brush with oil.
• Broil 1 min. or until lightly browned. Spread with hummus; top with vegetables and olives.
• Cut into wedges.

FRIED GARLIC PITA

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over low heat. Mix in the olive oil, 1/2 the lemon juice, garlic, and garlic powder.
• Place the pita bread in the skillet, and top with remaining butter and lemon juice. Cook 10 minutes, turning often, until golden brown.