Description
Soft, fluffy oven‑baked pita breads that puff into pockets — perfect for stuffing or dipping.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water (≈ 100‑110 °F / 38‑43 °C)
- 2 ½ cups (≈ 300 g) all‑purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (plus extra for oiling bowl)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir and let rest about 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture, stirring until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled (≈ 45–60 minutes).
- Punch down the dough, divide into 8 equal pieces, and shape into balls. Cover and rest 10–15 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a circle about 7–8 in (≈ 18–20 cm) in diameter and ~¼ in thick. Keep the disks covered so they don’t dry out.
- Preheat your oven to 500 °F (≈ 260 °C) with a baking stone or an inverted baking sheet inside to heat thoroughly (≈ 20 minutes).
- Transfer a few dough disks at a time onto the hot stone or sheet, bake for 2–3 minutes until puffed, then flip and bake another 1–2 minutes more. The pita should puff into a pocket.
- Remove from oven, wrap baked pitas in a clean towel to keep them soft while baking the rest.
Notes
- If your oven doesn’t reach 500 °F, preheat as hot as possible and allow longer preheat time — the hotter the surface, the better the “puff.”
- If the pita doesn’t puff, check that the dough disks aren’t too thick or torn (steam may escape).
- You can also cook pitas on a very hot cast-iron skillet, 1–2 minutes per side, though puffiness may vary. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
- Cool completely before storing. Store in airtight bag at room temperature for a few days, or freeze for up to 3 months. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pita (≈ 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: ≈ 190 kcal
- Sugar: ≈ 1 g
- Sodium: ≈ 290 mg
- Fat: ≈ 2 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈ 0.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈ 1.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈ 37 g
- Fiber: ≈ 1 g
- Protein: ≈ 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
