Pita Bread
There are SO MANY things out there that just taste better when you make them at home. It’s especially nice when you can say that about something that’s really easy to make as well. These pitas fit into both of those categories. They taste amazing and they’re surpringly easy to make.
I’ve made these a couple times in the past year and every time I do, I say that I should make them more often. I would love to make them with whole wheat flour too. We love to fill these guys with anything you would normally put in a pita. I like to make sandwiches with them for our lunches.
If you want to make these into pita chips, just cut them up and bake them at 350 for about 10 minutes or until browned. You can also spread some olive oil and seasoning on the chips before you bake them if you want.
Two Years Ago: Fourth of July Layered Cookie Cake
Pita Bread
These homemade pitas are easy to make and delicious! You'll never want to buy them at the store again.
Yield: 8 pitas
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
1 packet yeast (or, if from bulk, 2 tsp yeast)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, at room temperature
2 Tbsp olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or shortening
Directions:
If you are using active dry yeast, follow the instructions on the packet to active it. Otherwise, mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water to the flour mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.
Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.
When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it'll be easier to shape.
While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.
After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.
Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, but it isn't necessary.
Recipe from The Fresh Loaf
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Oh yum! Those look terrific. Congratulations on a successful first challenge and welcome to the Daring Bakers. Great job 🙂
-jen at use real butter
You bread looks great! Congrats on overcoming your fear of yeast.
Congrats on your first challenge!! Looks great!
1st, congrats on your 1st DB challenge! 🙂 2nd, congrats on overcoming your fear of yeast! i recently overcame this fear and am so glad i did! 🙂
Congratulations on your 1st challenge! Your bread looks so great!
Great looking bread! Congrats on becoming a daring baker. Isn’t it fun?
you’ve inspired me to get over my fear of yeast as well!
Great job on your first challenge and on overcoming your yeast fear! Welcome to Daring Bakers!
Welcome to the DBs! You did a “wicked awesome” job!
wow.. looking at your bread really reminded me of how this first challenge was for me.
Great looking buns.
Bravo on your first challenge! You did fantastic! I loave how cozy the loaf looks, it must be great for sandwiches, and congrats on beating the yeast demons to a pulp this month!!
Wow, what a success! All looks great
You did a wonderful job on your breads. Congratulations on your first DBer challenge!
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
Nice job! Love the step by step photos!
See yeast is not as scary as you though it was, huh?
Congratulations on your first challenge. All of your goodies look wonderful!!
You did such a wonderful job on your first challenge!! Especially with accidentally adding the larger amount of potatoes.
I loved your step by step photos and your bread looks divine. Great job in telling the yeast who’s boss !!
Your bread looks great. I loved your post…funny and detailed! You succeeded with using yeast – great job! Congrats on your first DB challenge!
Hey, your breads look great! Thank goodness your first challenge with us wasn’t baked yeast jello … gross. Anyway, your rolls especially look nice and tender torn in half, just crying for butter. Job well done!
Congrats on your first challenge! Carrying heavy baking ingredients lets you burn calories so you can enjoy your creations! Yippee!
Your bread turned out perfect! and the pictorial post is an added bonus! Super first challenge!
Glad you showed that yeast who is boss!
Nice job and good for you for getting right to it!
xoxo
Gabi
Congratulations and welcome. It lookw from here like you successfully tamed the yeast beast! And thanks for the measuring-cup-in-the-colander tip!
your bread looks great, your slashes on the loaf are so perfect!
I must say, for someone who is fearful of yeast you really came out on top and produced both a stellar loaf and rolls. Great job!
Welcome to the DBers!
Christina ~ She Runs, She Eats
What a success story! From the storm to conquering of yeast … you did it all! Way to go on your first challenge!
This dough looks like it makes a REALLY good loaf. Welcome to DB’s! Nice job.