About Pita Place:

Pitas have been a fundamental food in the Middle East for thousands of years. In Israel today pitas in one form or another are the country's primary bread and a staple in every home. The word pita can refer to various kinds of round, relatively flat breads, both leavened and unleavened. The origin of the word is unclear but is believed to have come from either Aramaic or Ancient Greek.

When we say pita, we are talking about the "pocket" pita, a relatively modern take on the ancient bread. The story is that the pocket pita was developed in the 1940's or 50's by a famous family of Israeli bakers as a clean and convenient way to serve kebab meat. Since then the pocket pita has become popular all over the world as a sandwich wrap and dip scooper.

Making the pita:

The critical and most dramatic part of making a pita is the baking. After it has been mixed, shaped, and proofed, the pita enters the oven. The oven is extremely hot--approximately 800 degrees F. At this temperature the pita needs to bake for less than a minute. In the first twenty seconds in the oven the shell of the pita is seared and sealed. During the next twenty seconds the moisture in the dough turns to steam and inflates the previously sealed shell. In the final stage, the new surface that has opened inside the pita finishes baking and the pita exits the oven. Then it finally gets a chance to rest and release its cache of hot air. And if it all comes together correctly, the pocket remains after the pita deflates.