Pitta Calabrese is a traditional bread from the sun-drenched region of Calabria in Italy. This delicious bread is characterized by its crispy crust and soft interior. With simple ingredients such as flour, water, yeast, olive oil and a pinch of salt, you can conjure up a bread that is perfect with Mediterranean starters or simply enjoyed on its own.
First, put the all-purpose flour, as well as the Manitoba flour and the yeast in the mixing bowl of the stand mixer and let knead with the dough hook on the lowest speed.
250 g manitoba flour, 250 g all-purpose flour, 5 g fresh yeast
Now pour in the oil. Then add the water little by little. Let the dough knead for at least 10 minutes. Then add the salt and knead for another 2 minutes.
300 ml water, 30 g olive oil extra virgin, 15 g salt
Once the dough has a nice smooth surface and there are no more dough scraps hanging from the mixing bowl, turn off the machine. Release the dough from the hook and fold by hand a few times from the outside to the inside. Then shape into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover with a cloth and let rest at room temperature for 12 hours.
After resting, place the dough on a sheet of baking paper and pull it out with your hands to form a disc 1cm / ½in thick. Cut in the middle of the disc and shape the dough into a ring. Then transfer to a baking sheet, cover with a cloth and let rest for another 60 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the static oven to 200°C / 390°F.
Now put the pitta in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 180°C / 360°F and bake for another 20 minutes.
Then remove the bread from the oven, baked until golden brown, and let it cool completely on a rack before eating.Buon appetito!