Homemade Pitta Bread

Homemade pitta breads are so easy to make and taste so much better than ready made. The pockets are perfect for all your favourite fillings or eaten with a tasty dip like hummus.

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Course: Appetizer, bread, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Baking, Greek, Mediterranean

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

Servings: Makes 12 large pittas

Calories: 173kcal

Author: Sarah James

Makes 12 large pittas

Equipment

You will need: 2 or 3 large baking trays/sheets with liners or baking parchment

Ingredients

450 g white bread flour or 150 g wholemeal bread flour and 300 g strong white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
250 ml tepid water

Instructions

By hand:

Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the oil and a little water, mix well adding a little water at a time until you have formed a ball of dough.
Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes.

KitchenAid:

Add flour, salt and yeast to the mixing bowl, make a well and the oil and water.
Mix on slow speed number 1 for 1 to 2 minutes and then on number 2 speed for 8 to 10 minutes.
Check your dough is ready by using the windowpane test.

Prove your dough:

Place your dough in a large greased bowl and cover and leave to rest in a warm place for about one and a half hours or until doubled in size.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide into 90 g portions, 8 balls. I like to weigh them to make sure they get an even bake but you can divide into 8 equal portions by eye if you prefer.
Shape into balls, cupping in your hands and place them on a large baking sheet.
Gently press the balls of dough to flatten them a little.
Cover with greased clingfilm/plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave to rest for approximately 10 minutes.

Bake your pittas:

Preheat oven to 475℉/240℃/Gas mark 9
Place a baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven to get nice and hot.
Roll out your flattened dough balls into pitta shapes as thinly as you can get them, approximately 4 to 5 mm thick and place the rolled out pittas on to a spare baking sheet with a liner, you may only get 3 or 4 to a sheet, you want them spaced well apart so they don’t touch when they rise.
As soon as you have your first tray ready with rolled pittas, take it to the oven and slide your liner with the pittas on to the hot baking tray.
You can if you wish place the pittas straight on to the tray with a paddle or your hand, I just happen to be a bit clumsy and either get burnt or fold the pitta. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes until your pittas balloon up.
Once your pittas have ballooned up remove them from the oven – if you leave them any longer they will go too crispy. Transfer to a wire rack. Once you have a stack of pittas, wrap them in a clean tea towel.

Notes

If your pittas don’t balloon up, it’s usually because the oven isn’t hot enough.

Don’t worry though, they still taste delicious and can be eaten with hummus or simply rolled around your filling.

Toast if you wish but I love homemade pittas just as they are.

Pittas are best eaten the day you make them.

Homemade pittas freeze well so you can take them out of the freezer as you need them.

Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.