Let’s Bake Pita
Let’s Make Pita
Pita is what you eat falafel and hummus with. Or maybe you eat gyros. Or it’s the stuff your crackers are made from. Either way, it’s the pocket bread. Where does that pocket come from? It's the coolest thing to watch the bread bake in just 5 minutes and see it POOF! It comes pretty early in the baking process. If you’ll notice, the ingredients are very similar to the French bread and the focaccia. But the trick and fun of pita is in the makeup. Makeup is the shape the bread is made into. As we noticed with the French, when you make it long and thin, it’s called a baguette. It’s just the shape it comes in. Without the correct shaping of pita, it’s just a flatbread without a pocket. Still good but the pocket makes it customizable.
Baked pita has a distinctive pocket
There should be very little color on the crust so it remains soft.
What are the basic ingredients?
Chef Tom Pita
ap flour 90% 450g
whole wheat flour 10% 50g
Water 70% 350g
kosher salt 2% 10g
olive oil 5% 25g
sugar 1% 5g
instant yeast 2% 10g
Sheet pan for proofing pitas
Rolling pin
(optional) Baking stone for that quick oven spring
Bench scraper
Stainless steel bowl for mixing
Straight dough method
Start with combining all the ingredients in a bowl. I use a rubber spatula and then change to a flexible bench scraper or just my hands. You can mix this dough in a mixer but I prefer doing it by hand. (in a mixer, you’ll mix for 4 minutes on slow and 4 minutes on fast) If you are mixing by hand, you’ll get a sort of shaggy dough in the first minute or two. Try to round it a bit and then give it an hours rest. I just cover it with a towel and walk away. I know you are thinking that there needs to be more than that. But during that time is when the hydration happens. Just let it do its thing. Go for a walk, do some errands, but just let it be.
When you get back from your walk, you can give it a stretch and fold. Wet your hands and pull the dough out of the bowl with a flexible bench scraper. You can do the stretch and fold in the bowl but I find it’s easier to do it on the bench. Fold it in thirds and then stretch it out again and fold it in thirds for a second time. Then return the dough to the bowl. I like to give 3-4 stretches over about 90 minutes to 2 hours with 20 minute rests between them. Then you are done mixing.
You can pre-heat the oven to 450°F at this time. You’re going to cut this dough up into 150g pieces. You should get about 6 pieces. If they are short a few grams, that is fine. Round the pieces of dough. This step is important as this will set you up for perfect pocket bread goodness. Let the rounds rest for 5 minutes on the bench. Then dust the bench with some flour. Roll the round to about ¼ inch thick. This is the important part. If you roll it too thick, it won’t puff with a pocket. It may end up not being the same thickness on either side. If you roll it too thinly, it won’t puff at all. I have found that ¼ inch is ideal. It may take some practice to get them the right thickness. The other thing to think about when rolling the pita is the roundness. I know some folks have a hard time rolling the dough to a circle. Try not to get any weird angles to the rolled pita. This pita will also have a hard time rising well. I think it’s because the heat is unevenly distributed while baking. If you get the dough to ¼ inch thick and to a circle about 6 inches diameter, you’re on your way. Let the rolled out pitas rest on a floured sheet for about 20-30 minutes.
If you have a baking stone, it should be hot now. After the pita rounds have rested until they are slightly proofed, you can just gently place them directly on the baking stone. I like to do only 2-3 at a time. I don’t want to lower the temperature of the stone. You can do the pitas in batches. Once you have your 2-3 pitas on the stone, close the door and don’t open it for a few minutes. After that time, you should be able to open the door and see that they have puffed up. I like to use a spatula to turn them over and bake on the other side for just a few minutes.
If you don’t have a baking stone, you can use an overturned sheet pan in the oven. Be sure to get it hot before baking as well.
Cool the pitas on a rack for a few minutes then move them to a tea towel. This will keep them soft and pliable. . You should have several pocket breads to make sandwiches or just fill with whatever you like. They are also great for dipping in hummus or salsa. And sad to say, some won’t poof up. They still taste great. But that gives you the chance to do even better the next time you make them. Good luck and pita on!
Chef Tom
