This is a very simple and easy pita bread, which can be amended to make many types of flatbread and loaf bread!

The don't all get perfect little pockets (for me anyways), but they are tasty! This recipe makes 16 good-sized breads.

Ingredients:

- 2 1/4 Cups Water (warm)

- 1 Tblsp Yeast

- 1 tsp Sugar

- 6 Cups Flour

- 1 Tblsp Salt

- 1/4 Cup Oil

Step 1: Prove Your Yeast.

Take your 2 1/4 Cups warm water and add your sugar to it. I used brown sugar, which is why it looks dark.Add your yeast, stir it in, and set it aside while you work on the rest of it.

You can do this before setting up for baking, because it takes a little time. During this time, set your oven on low if you are using it for rising.

Proving the yeast allows the little yeastie beasties to wake up and get busy reproducing and converting the sugars. After a couple minutes, you should have some foam on top. Sometimes I get real good foam, sometimes weak foam, but I think it's usually temperature, and the bread comes out fine unless the yeastie beasties are deceasedie.

Step 2: Mix the Dries, Add the Wets.

Mix most of the flour (5 cups or a little more) and the 1 T salt. A mixer is not necessary, but I've got one, you know?

Add the proved yeast, add the 1/4C vegetable or olive oil, and mix it up! Saving some of the flour is so that it doesn't get too dry, because measurements sometimes change and it's better to have wet dough for rising.

If it's really wet and sticky, add more of the flour until you reach the full 6 cups.

Step 3: You Need to Knead.

Once it's well mixed and still kinda sticky, turn it onto a floured counter and knead it until nice and smooth. Add flour so it stops sticking to you, but err on the wet side. The picture is pre-kneading. It will turn into a beautiful ball afterwards.

Step 4: Rise

Get a big bowl with a little oil, roll your dough in the oil, and set it in a warm spot. If using the oven, you will want to preheat it on its lowest setting and turn it off before putting the dough in. I forget to turn it off sometimes, so I just leave the door open for a couple minutes to let it cool to a nice warm cozy temperature for the yeasties.

Leave it for 60-90 minutes, until about doubled in size.

Step 5: Cut and Roll

After the dough has risen take it out of the oven, and turn the oven to 475 F (245 C). Put your baking pan or cookie sheet in the oven as it heats, you want it to be hot!

For this size recipe, you can cut the dough into 16 equal pieces, make them into little balls, and roll them flat. Give them a good coat of flour so they don't stick to the pan. Roll them about 6 inches in diameter, so that you can hold one in a hand fairly flat. I only rolled them two at a time to save counter space.

Step 6: Bake!

Hold a flat piece in one hand. With an oven mitt on the other hand, open the oven, and pull out the hot pan just enough to flop your bread onto it, nice and flat. You can grab and pull it if it folds, but don't burn yourself!

It'll take about 5 minutes for each one, and you'll see them puff up a bit. If you're lucky, you'll get full balloon-type pitas, but the others are good too! Bake a little longer if you want some darker crust.

That's it!

These go well with just about anything. Bake/microwave with some cheese, eat it with chili, dip it in your borscht, or just heat it up and give it some butter. Enjoy!