COOKING HOUR: Homemade Pita bread recipe

Homemade pita bread, how to make pita bread at home. Step by step pictures and full video recipe.

Pita bread can be made at home easily. Since lockdown, I have made quite a few times and had a hummus platter along. It is so yummy to have a generous scoop of hummus with pita. I would say it is the perfect to go with hummus, though we can have it with cucumber, capsicum, tomato and crackers. I have tried with a proportion of wheat flour too. But not entirely wheat, but it is do-able.

So should we make thick or thin pita bread?

I have made both ways and they turn out good either way. If you are making it for just having it with dip, it can be thin or thick, but if for pita pocket, better to make it thick.

How to make pita bread puff up?

Thin pitta puffs really well and easily. If making thick, make sure to have the dough soft, pliable with lots of moisture. We can use dusting flour generously even if it is sticky. Another key for perfectly puffing pita is smooth knead dough.

Can we make without pita bread without yeast and oven?

Yes you can make, but yeast gives the bread flavour, so highly recommend using yeast. If skipping yeast, you can add baking powder and baking soda to soften the bread. Also you can rest the dough longer.
It can be cooked over a hot cast iron pan/ griddle if you do not have oven.

How to make whole wheat pita bread?

Though you can make fully with whole wheat flour, I suggest adding vital gluten or using 50 : 50 with all purpose flour for best results.

How water content affects the pita bread’s texture?

Less water = chewy
More water content = soft

Though I tried a recipe from Youtube initially, I adjusted similar to my bread recipe. I have tried without baking powder too, it turns out good.

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Homemade pita bread

Homemade pita bread, how to make pita bread at home. Step by step pictures and full video recipe.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Lebanese

Cup measurements

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp Instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder optional
1 tbsp olive oil
165-170 ml water refer notes

Instructions

Take flour, yeast, sugar, salt, baking powder in a mixing bowl.
Give it a mix. Make a dent in the middle, add luke warm water and a tsp of oil.
Gather and knead well for 10 mins. I used my bread maker to knead, but you can knead with hands until smooth.
Keep the dough in a greased mixing bowl. Oil the surface of the dough too. Cover with a damp towel (without touching dough) or clingwrap the mouth of the bowl. Set aside for 1 hour.
After 1 hr, it will double in volume. Punch down and knead to make it smooth again. Dust the surface generously, to avoid sticking.
Divide into 8 equal sized balls. Keep the dough and balls covered all the time to prevent drying.
Roll each ball with dusting the surface generously. I rolled roughly around 6 inch roughly.Preheat oven to it’s highest 250 deg C. Use the tray inverted. Over which dust slightly. I place 3 per batch.
Insert the tray to top rack (I used top second) and bake for 2-3 mins. It should puff up within this.
Do not bake for longer as it can make it crisp or chewy.
Take out and cool over wire rack or wrap in a clean kitchen towel.

Video

https://youtu.be/sA7CF97FGi8

Notes

You can make smaller/ thicker according to your preference. So depending on that, it can make 8 to 12 pitas
The water quantity varies depending on the flour quality, humidity at your place, hand knead/ machine knead. So use this as guidance and adjust as needed.
I have made without baking powder too, it turns good. It’s added to easily puff up and make double sure it gets cooked inside too.
Stiff dough – chewier pita, sticky dough – softer pita bread.

Homemade Pita bread method:

Take flour, yeast, sugar, salt, baking powder in a mixing bowl. Give it a mix. Make a dent in the middle, add luke warm water and a tsp of oil.
Gather and knead well for 10 mins. I used my bread maker to knead, but you can knead with hands until smooth.
Keep the dough in a greased mixing bowl. Oil the surface of the dough too. Cover with a damp towel (without touching dough) or clingwrap the mouth of the bowl. Set aside for 1 hour. After 1 hr, it will double in volume.
Punch down and knead to make it smooth again. Dust the surface generously, to avoid sticking.
Divide into 8 equal sized balls. Keep the dough and balls covered all the time to prevent drying.
Roll each ball with dusting the surface generously. I rolled roughly around 6 inch roughly.
Preheat oven to it’s highest 250 deg C.
Use the tray inverted. Over which dust slightly. I place 3 per batch. Insert the tray to top rack (I used top second) and bake for 2-3 mins. It should puff up within this.
Do not bake for longer as it can make it crisp or chewy. Take out and cool over wire rack or wrap in a clean kitchen towel.