Soft, pillowy, perfectly puffed pita bread—and another reason to never throw away your sourdough discard.
These homemade pitas are surprisingly simple and come together in just over an hour thanks to a little instant yeast. Bake them hot and fast and they puff into the dreamiest little pockets, ready for hummus, grilled chicken, veggies, sandwiches—or just tearing apart while they’re still warm.
Makes: 8 pitas
Prep: 15 minutes
Rise: About 1 hour
Bake: 2–3 minutes per batch
Ingredients
- 180 g warm water
- 120 g sourdough discard, room temperature
- 30 g extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 g honey
- 290 g all-purpose flour
- 35 g whole wheat flour
- 7 g instant yeast
- 6 g fine sea salt
Method
1. Mix the wet ingredients.
Add the warm water, sourdough discard, olive oil and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together until smooth and milky.
2. Make the dough.
Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, instant yeast and salt. Using the dough hook, mix on low for about 2 minutes, until everything comes together.
Increase to medium-low and knead for another 5–7 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, soft and slightly tacky, but shouldn’t stick heavily to your hands.
3. Let it rise.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45–60 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
4. Divide + shape.
Gently deflate the dough and turn it onto a clean work surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces—about 83 g each.
Shape each piece into a smooth, tight ball. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
5. Get your oven HOT.
While the dough rests, place a pizza stone or baking steel on the center rack of your oven and preheat to 500°F. You want the baking surface fully heated before the pita goes in—the blast of heat is what helps create that beautiful pocket.
6. Roll.
Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll each ball into a 6–7-inch round, keeping the thickness as even as possible and just under ¼ inch.
Try not to create any tears or super-thin spots. You want the steam to stay trapped inside the dough so the pita can fully puff.
7. Bake.
Working in batches, carefully transfer the pitas to the hot stone or steel.
Bake for about 2–2½ minutes, until dramatically puffed with just a little color around the edges.
8. Keep them soft.
Transfer the hot pitas directly into a clean kitchen towel and wrap them up while you bake the remaining batches. This traps a little steam and keeps them beautifully soft.
Serve warm.
No Pizza Stone? Make Them on the Stovetop
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush very lightly with olive oil.
Add one rolled pita and cook until bubbles begin to appear, about 30 seconds. Flip and cook for about 1 minute, then flip once more and cook for another minute or until puffed and cooked through.
Flour Girls Tips
Don’t roll them too thin. An even thickness is one of the secrets to getting that big pita puff.
Avoid holes. Even a tiny tear can allow the steam to escape instead of inflating the pita.
Use room-temperature discard. Cold discard will slow down your rise, so pull it from the fridge ahead of time if you can.
Make them ahead. After the first rise, gently deflate the dough, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next day, divide, shape and continue with the recipe, allowing a little extra time for the cold dough to rest.
Freeze the extras. Once completely cool, stack the pitas with parchment between each one and freeze in an airtight bag. Warm them in a skillet or wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel when you’re ready to eat.
And whatever you do, eat at least one straight from the oven with really good olive oil and flaky salt. That’s the rule.
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