Pita Pita Bobita Bananafanafofita Fi Fie Momita... Pita!

I've been meaning to write a post about pitas for years... and it seems like now is the perfect time for a couple of reasons. Since our move to New Zealand, we've been cooking with local ingredients that seem plentiful and in season. 

Even though we've only been here 3 weeks, we've cooked nearly from the beginning for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that eating out here is quite expensive and well, nothing against the Brits but to us, they don't exactly have the most adventurous palettes on the planet. Sure, they love Indian food and they do think they invented curry, but it isn't the curry we love and it isn't always authentic. It's well, British. Think Madras curry powder and you're in the neighborhood. 

Having said that, they are lovely people and the true Kiwis we have met have hooked us up with the real food of New Zealand, locally grown, proudly raised and supreme to almost any other we've come across in any country. You simply won't find better produce, almost all organically or "naturally" grown. It has a brighter color and very literally mesmerizes you. It's texture is crisper, fresher and now that we've moved into the area in which we will live for a few years, we see it literally growing on the mountainsides, wild, uninterrupted. Produce, gone wild! It's a beautiful thing and I can't help but giggle on my way home from work, grabbing wild rosemary, thyme, fennel, radish pods, carrot tops, you name it. I play a little game on the way home from work trying to pay attention and find at least one wild edible as I meander along the beach winding towards home.

The village we live in has a great butcher and being our second Saturday, we had coffee at the local cafe which is adorable and then planned the rest of our day. We missed our window of opportunity last Saturday having missed the butcher by minutes so we made a point to get there in time this weekend.

First thing that caught our eyes: lamb kafta kabobs.  New Zealanders are mad for their lamb! Thank god because we love lamb and the lamb we have had here so far is quite extraordinary and readily available. Earlier this week, I made a lamb neck "osso buco" that was to die for. I will post that recipe as well. Having enjoyed it so much, we quickly decide that lamb kabobs or sticks, as they call them here, was on the menu for tonight. Very very Moroccan. 

Inspired, I decide to make the pitas myself. Sure, I could buy pitas, but why? They are so easy to make yourself and listen, if I can make them in a 2 bedroom B&B apartment with a kitchenette and no real appliances save a measuring cup and chopsticks, so can you! Trust me, once you make them fresh, you will be hard pressed to buy store bought again. Best thing is that you can keep the dough in an airtight fridge for about a week, making what you need when you need or make them all at once, freeze them and reheating them as you need them. See what works best for you, but do give it a whirl.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp yeast
• 1 1/2 c warm water
• 3 1/2 c flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix water, oil, sugar, yeast, and 1 cup of flour with a wooden spoon (or chopstick lol) until combined and smooth. Let the sponge proof and bubble for about 15 minutes, then add the salt and remaining flour, one cup at a time to incorporate.
2. Using clean hands, knead the dough on a stable surface for 5 minutes until it becomes smooth and very elastic, adding only very small amounts of extra flour if dough is extremely sticky. Alternatively, knead dough at low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment until dough is very elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a clean mixing bowl and place the dough inside, turning the ball of dough over to coat. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Really depends on how warm your kitchen is so keep an eye...
4. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the top oven rack and preheat oven to 500°F. Line a plate with a large, clean kitchen towel and set aside.
5. Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and cut into 12 even pieces. Form each dough piece into an even ball. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Roll each piece of dough into a 7-inch circle, no more than 1/4 inch thick, taking care not to tear dough and keeping the thickness even all around. Place dough disks on a lightly floured surface, cover with a damp towel, and let proof until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
7. Working with as many pitas as will fit on the stone or baking sheet at once, pick up each pita and place onto the stone top side down. Immediately close the oven door and bake until pitas have puffed and are slightly golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake. Place baked pitas onto towel-lined plate and wrap with the overhanging towel. Repeat with any remaining pitas.
8. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat until smoking. Working with one pita at a time, briefly heat each side until charred in a few spots, about 30 seconds. Return pita to towel and cover. Repeat with remaining pitas and serve immediately. 

Now, you can experiment and skip the baking and just bake the pitas directly on a hot flat cast iron skillet or tortilla pan. But it needs to be hot enough and sometimes that means a bit of smoke in the kitchen. If you are well ventilated and can open a window, try it this way as it saves a step. If not, be patient and use the oven method.

While we've absolutely embraced the little 2 bdr we've rented for the time being, we really can't wait to get back to a real kitchen. But it's been fun to make do and enjoy cooking in a totally new place with the simplest of tools and ingredients. Now that we've settled into the area though and are finalizing our new house this week, we know that we'll have it all worked out for the holiday season. And not a moment too soon!