Pizza Stone Pita with Herbed Labneh

To make the pita bread dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the lukewarm water, yeast, sugar and bread flour. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Fit the mixer with the dough hook and add the all-purpose flour, fleur de sel and 2 Tbs. of the olive oil to the bowl. Beat on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes.

Coat the inside of a large bowl with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the herbed labneh: Put the labneh in a medium bowl. Finely grate the garlic over the labneh and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Stir with a rubber spatula until blended, then fold in the herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning with kosher salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving, then transfer to a small serving bowl. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a few grindings of pepper and a sprinkling of herbs.

To shape and bake the pita, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each into a tight ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 500°F (260°C).

Pour the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil into a small bowl. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough balls into 6-inch (15-cm) rounds. Lightly brush the tops with olive oil.

Using your hands or a pizza peel, swiftly toss a pita onto the preheated pizza stone, then add a second pita to the stone. Bake until the tops are spotted and the bread has bubbled and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Carefully transfer the pita to a plate and stack them on top of each other to keep warm. Repeat to bake the remaining pita. Serve the pita with the herbed labneh. Serves 6.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen