Homemade Pitas with Chicken Salad

Pitas:

Ingredients:

*2 cups Bread Flour or All-purpose Flour, more for dusting

*1/2 cup Wheat Flour

*1 teaspoon Sea Salt or a Kosher Salt

*1 heaping tablespoon Sugar

*3 tablespoon Extra Light Oil or Vegetable Oil

*2 and 1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast

*1 cup warm Water 105*-110*

Directions:

In a 8 cup sized mixing bowl add bread flour or all-purpose, wheat flour, oil and salt, set aside

In 2 cup measuring cup add the warm water, yeast and sugar, stir and set aside for 10 minutes to get bubbly. Then add to the flour mixture, mix to combine, then knead by hand with flour covered hands, (Clean hands of course.) adding flour to your hands as needed. Avoid adding extra flour this is a soft slightly sticky dough. Knead 7 to 14 minutes or until dough bounce back when pressed.

Cover bowl with lint free cloth or plastic wrap; allow to rise for 2 hours.

Then place dough on flour covered cutting board form into a rectangle shape and cut into 12 equal pieces with dough cutter/bench scrapper.

Then with rolling pin, rollout each piece of dough into a round disk, then form into balls, bring the round edges of each individual dough disk up to meet together and form a ball, press up with your thumb where the dough meets together making a smooth top with your dough ball.  (I hope this makes sense, if not just form into dough balls). Space on a floured cutting board and cover with a lint free cloth, allow to rise 1 more hour.

Lightly flour/dust cutting board, Roll out each piece into a round 1/4 inch disks then place on 2 parchment covered half baking sheets.

Two baking options:

The puffiest more bread like option is the oven baked and the most flavorful is the cast iron fry/baked and is still puffy, and takes about a minute per side to fry/bake.

For Cast Iron Skillet Pitas:

You will need a very hot heated skillet on medium high heat, watch carefully for when they bubble up in about 30 seconds, then flip for another 20 to 30 seconds. They will be golden brown to dark brown. I find doing 1 at a time is best, these do take practice to achieve the right heat and the pitas being rolled thin for the puffing result. But they still work wether they are puffy or not, just slice the cooled pita in half cut down the center of each half carefully as to not cut a hole in the pita, but it happens sometimes, I just use them anyway. Fill with chicken salad or filling of choice.

For Baked Pitas:

Bake in a a preheated 500*F. oven for 5 minutes, they will be puffy and light in color. Remove and allow to cool. Slice in half and fill each half with chicken salad. (Some may need some cutting to form a pocket.)

Note: Pitas are best eaten right after making. Double bag and freeze remaining pitas for later.

Filling Suggestions:

*Salads, celery or lettuce type

*Taco

*Sloppy Joe

*Any type cold sandwich filling: Cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced turkey, bacon, dressing and etc…

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

*Pre-cooked Rotisserie Garlic Chicken (I got mine at Maceys)

*11 medium Celery Sticks, diced/chopped

*1 bunch of Grapes (Red or Green)or about 20 Grapes cut in half

*1/2 cup Sliced Almonds

Directions:

Combine together in Bowl. I use the breast meat for salad and save the darker meat in the fridge for a Casserole for later.

Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

*2/3 cup Greek Yogurt ( You can use all Mayonnaise instead of using yogurt. I just like less calories.)

*1/3 cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise

*1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

*1 teaspoon Onion Powder

*1/2 teaspoon Sugar, or to taste

*1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt, or to taste

*1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper

*1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds, more if desired

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in Dressing in a bowl and then add to the above Chicken Salad Mixture. Stir until everything is coated. Chill for an hour before serving.

Serve salad inside Pitas.

Cast Iron Skillet Pitas

Baked Pitas

Enjoy!

Lindy