Pita Bread from the Middle East

Like hummus, many Middle Eastern and North African countries lay claim to pita bread.  Therefore I am just giving the region it comes from rather than a specific country.
Pita bread is very easy to make, homemade is much tastier than the shop-bought varieties, and it freezes very well.  You can eat it with hummus or fill the pita pocket with whatever you like to eat.

1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
Mix the water and yeast and let it stand for about 5 minutes until the yeast dissolves.  Add the liquid to 2 and a half cups of the flour.  Add in the salt and olive oil.  Mix until you have a soft dough that does not stick to your fingers when you knead it.  Add a little more of the flour if it is too soft.  The dough needs to be kneaded until it is smooth and elastic.  Put it in a warm place to let it rise for about an hour or two.  Preheat the oven at 220 degrees Celsius.  Knead the dough again and divide it into 8 balls.  Flatten the ball with the palm of your hand on a floured surface.  Then roll out the flattened ball to make a thin circular shape about the size of a large saucer or side plate.  Bake the pitas for about 3 minutes until they start to puff up.  Although pitas are best eaten immediately, they do keep well in an airtight bag or container that is refrigerated.  Alternatively, cover the baked pitas individually in clingwrap and freeze them.
Cindy Vine lives and works in Ukraine and is the author of The Colorful Art of Pain, The Great Mountain to Mountain Safari and Survival Tips for the Suddenly Single.  All her books are available on Amazon in both Kindle and print format.  She is currently working on a cookbook called Around the World on 80 Plates.