Description
Warm, pillowy pita bread emerges from your kitchen with simple ingredients and easy steps. Homemade comfort starts here, bringing Mediterranean tradition right to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
Leavening Agents:
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Seasonings and Liquids:
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 teaspoons active dry yeast in 1 ¼ cups warm water at 110°F. Allow mixture to activate and become foamy in 5-10 minutes.
- Combine 3 ½ cups flour and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large mixing bowl. Create a well in the center.
- Pour the activated yeast liquid and 2 tablespoons olive oil into the flour mixture. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Transfer your dough to a floured surface. Knead firmly for 8-10 minutes until the texture becomes smooth and stretchy.
- Coat a clean bowl with olive oil. Place your dough inside and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm area for 1-1.5 hours until doubled in volume.
- Deflate the dough by gently pressing down. Divide into 8 equal portions using a bench scraper.
- Shape each portion into a round ball. Let the balls rest, covered, for 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Roll each ball into a 6-inch circle, approximately ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat. Carefully place one dough circle in the hot pan.
- Cook the first side for 1-2 minutes until bubbles start to form across the surface.
- Flip the pita and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula to encourage puffing.
- Turn the pita one more time and cook for a final 30 seconds until lightly golden brown.
- Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and cover to keep soft. Repeat with remaining dough circles.
Notes
- Keep water temperature around 110°F to activate yeast without killing it, which ensures proper rising and soft texture.
- Knead the dough thoroughly to develop gluten, creating those signature soft and stretchy pita pockets.
- Rest the portioned dough balls helps relax the gluten, making rolling easier and preventing tough bread.
- Use a hot cast-iron skillet or griddle to create quick, high heat that helps pitas puff up beautifully and develop light char marks.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 138 kcal
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 293 mg
- Fat: 3.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg