Khubz (Bahrain)

This recipe Is from week 20 of my food blog, "Travel by Stove." I am attempting to cook one meal from every nation on Earth, and Bahrain is my 20th stop. Khubz is a kind of pita bread that is traditionally cooked in a clay oven, but this version can also be made in your home oven.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 10 mins
• Yields: 6-8 pitas

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 1 1⁄4 cups  lukewarm water
• 1  pinch sugar
• 3 3⁄4 cups bread flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast and the sugar in about a half cup of the lukewarm water. Let stand until frothy.
2. Sift the flour together with the salt and add the yeast mixture. Knead by hand until the dough is soft, adding water as necessary. Add the oil and keep kneading until the dough becomes elastic and is no longer sticky, which should take about 15 minutes.
3. Now form the dough into a ball and rub all over with a little bit of olive oil, to prevent it from drying out. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Punch down and knead for another five minutes or so. Now break the dough into tennis-ball sized portions. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll flat, until each ball is about a quarter inch thick. Dust with flour and transfer to a lightly floured surface, leaving a few inches between each one to allow for rising. Let rise for another 30 to 60 minutes.
5. Oil two large baking sheets. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. About 10 minutes into the preheating, put the sheets in the oven. Leave them there for another 10 minutes.
6. Now open your oven and quickly transfer the dough balls onto the baking sheets.
7. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes. When the breads are lightly browned, take them out. Let cool.
8. Each piece should have formed a pocket while baking.