Pita Bread

Watching a completely flat piece of dough transform into a hollow pocket in the oven is nothing short of magic. Pita, one of the oldest types of bread, is also incredibly practical – just think of all the different fillings you can stuff inside!

Here’s a basic pita recipe that’s easy to follow and doesn’t require special bread-making skills. A video showing all the steps is at the end of this post.

Ingridients

• 300 g flour (e.g., 100 g all-purpose flour and 200 g strong bread flour)
• 180 g water (slightly warmer than room temperature)
• 2 g dry yeast
• 15 g olive oil
• 12 g sugar
• 6 g salt

Instructions

Mixing and Kneading:

Combine all the ingredients and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and non-sticky. Cover and let it ferment in a warm place for about 3 hours until it doubles in size. After about 1-1.5 hours, punch down the dough, reshape it into a ball, and let it rest for the remaining time.

Preheating the Oven:

Preheat your oven to 260-270°C (500-520°F) along with a baking stone and a baking tray for ice. This should take about 45-60 minutes.

Shaping the Dough:

Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball, cover to prevent drying, and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll each ball into a thin, flat disk. Use flour sparingly to prevent sticking, but don’t overdo it. The disks should be thin, but be careful not to tear the dough.

Final Proofing:

Cut parchment paper into small squares and place the rolled-out disks on them. Cover to prevent drying and let them proof for 30 minutes.

Baking:

Bake the pita breads one or two at a time. Transfer the dough onto the baking stone, toss two ice cubes into the lower tray, and immediately close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 3 minutes. The pitas will start to puff up. Once spots begin to appear and the color starts to change, they’re ready to be taken out. If you prefer softer pitas, you can remove them before they change color.

Cooling:

Repeat the baking process with the remaining dough. For every two pitas, add two more ice cubes to the lower tray. After baking, let the pitas cool for a couple of minutes, then wrap them in a towel or place them in a bag to cool completely. This will soften the crust. If left exposed to air, they will harden quickly.

Note: Pita bread usually puff up into hollow pockets, but sometimes pitas remain flat or partially puffed. This isn’t a big deal – you can use them as open-faced sandwiches instead. Typically, 80-100% of the pitas will puff up properly.

Enjoy your homemade pita, perfect for filling or topping with your favorite ingredients!

For the best viewing experience, you can change the video quality settings on YouTube:

1. Click on the gear icon (settings) on the video player.
2. Select “Quality”.
3. Choose the highest resolution available (e.g., 1080p or 4K).

And there you have it—delicious homemade pita bread ready to enjoy! Whether you fill them with your favorite ingredients or simply dip them in hummus, these pitas are sure to delight. If you’re looking to explore more tasty creations, check out other recipes on my site here.

Happy baking!