Linda Zervakis family recipe: Mom's pita
Cooking with Mom: Linda Zervakis, known as a longtime Tagesschau presenter, host, and bestselling author, presents her personal collection of recipes. At the start of the pandemic, she realized: "I can do many things, except cook." Together with her friend Eli, Linda embarks on a cooking adventure. The result is a personal cookbook with a pinch of heart. Here on SoSUE, she shows together with her mom how to make pita. A classic of Greek cuisine. Have fun trying it out. Enjoy your meal! Kali Orexi!
"Pita is a sacred tradition in every Greek family. The special thing about it: the dough is homemade and rolled out paper-thin – a matter of honor and an art in itself. It takes some practice, but the enjoyment of a homemade pita is incomparable. Every Greek mom has her secret recipe, and of course, the best is my mom's."
RECIPE FROM MOM
YIELDS: 12 pieces PREPARATION: 1 hr BAKING 30 min.
FOR THE DOUGH: 300 g flour (Type 550), 1 tsp salt
FOR THE FILLING: 400 g sheep cheese (feta), 2 eggs (M), 130 ml milk
ALSO: approx. 200 g flour (type 550) for rolling out, deep baking tray, approx. 200 ml olive oil for brushing
- For the dough, put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add salt and 150 ml lukewarm water into the well. Knead everything by hand into a smooth dough. The dough should no longer stick to your hands but also not be too dry so that it can be rolled out well. Add a little more flour or lukewarm water if needed.
- Shape the dough into a roll and divide it into seven equal pieces. Shape the pieces into balls. Dust the work surface with flour and roll out the balls one by one into very thin, slightly translucent dough sheets at least the size of the baking tray. This works best with an oklava, a long rolling pin with a small diameter. Loosely fold the finished dough sheets and set aside.
- For the filling, crumble the feta into a bowl and mix with the eggs and milk. Set aside 4 tablespoons of the feta-egg mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the baking tray with olive oil. Place one dough sheet on the tray and brush with olive oil. Place three more dough sheets on top, brushing each with olive oil. Press the dough sheets slightly at the corners so they fit the shape well.
- Spread half of the filling on the dough. Place another dough sheet on top and brush with olive oil, folding the overhanging edges upwards. Spread the remaining filling on top. Place the last two dough sheets on top, brush each with olive oil, and fold the overhanging edges upwards as well.
- Bake the pita in the oven (middle) for 15 minutes until it gets a light color. Prick the surface several times with a fork and brush with the remaining feta-egg mixture. Bake the pita in the oven (middle) for another 15 minutes until golden brown. Towards the end of the baking time, my mother slightly lifts the pita: when the bottom is golden yellow and slightly crispy, the pita is perfect.
"Rolling out the dough is an art in itself. I have great respect for it. But practice makes perfect. And you don't have to be afraid of failed dough sheets: just knead them together and roll them out again. A tip from my mom: dust the work surface with enough flour so the dough doesn't stick. Always turn the dough sheets while rolling so you can work on them from all sides. This way, they become evenly thin"."
In Linda Zervakis' recipe collection, you will find more simple dishes. Anyone can become a cook or chef. Try them out. You can order the cookbook here:
Linda Zervakis, Elissavet Patrikiou
Length: 144 pages
Price: €19.99 (DE) / €20.90 (AT) / 28.90 CHF (CH)
GRÄFE UND UNZER
ISBN: 978-3-8338-8232-6