Compared to most bread recipes, homemade pita is one of the easiest to prepare and master. Similar to pizza dough, these breads can be whipped up fairly quickly, and although they are best when eaten fresh from the oven, they store nicely for a several days in an airtight container. They are perfect for stuffing with other delicious goodies too.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 pita breads |
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (100˚ F to 105˚ F)
- 1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
- (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir gently to mix. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the olive oil into the yeast mixture. Sift together the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture. Stir together until a wet dough forms.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and bounces back when pressed, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a large ball.
- Oil another large bowl and add the dough, turning to coat. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Set a pizza stone or pizza steel on a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 475˚ F. Form the pita: Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a log, about 8 inches long; cut the log crosswise into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Cover with a clean towel and let rest 15 minutes. Roll out each dough ball to a scant 1/4-inch thickness, 6 to 7 inches in diameter.
- Brush off any excess flour from the dough rounds. Place the rounds on the hot pizza stone, 2 at a time, keeping the remaining rounds covered with the towel. Bake until puffed and slightly golden, 5 to 6 minutes if using a pizza stone or 3 to 4 minutes if using a pizza steel. Remove from the oven; stack the pitas and wrap in a clean, dry towel so that they remain soft while you make the rest.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 181 |
| Total Fat | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 178 mg |
Reviews
I made these today and they came out great! I’ve never made pita bread before so was a little nervous, but the instructions are spot on. I wound up using an upside down cast iron skillet to cook them in the oven. The pitas puffed up great, my 4 year old couldn’t stop snacking on them, plain.