I'm still a novice when it comes to yeast breads, but this week I had a small victory. My pita bread puffed up into pita pockets!
Cast Iron Skillet Pita Pockets
I’ve made pita before, but in the past it 's always been the flat type with air bubbles here and there, or more like naan. It tasted okay, but I wasn't getting a pocket and couldn't figure out why. This week I tried a couple of new recipes and started combining techniques. It seems the key to getting dough to puff is a 500 degree oven and a fiery hot cast iron skillet.
Recipe
Here’s the recipe. You can use a pizza stone or a cast iron skillet. The drawback to a cast iron skillet is that you have to cook the pitas one at a time, but each one takes only about 3 minutes, so it's no big deal.
Update: I don't know if anyone is using this recipe but me, but for anyone interested I've come up with a new method for baking the pitas and have revised the directions slightly. In short, you bake the pita dough on pieces of parchment.
Recipe
Pita Pockets
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm water 110 degrees to 115 degrees F
- 1 packet active dry yeast instant yeast okay too, see note
- 2 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (380 grams)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or as needed for the bowl
Instructions
- Put the water in bowl of a stand mixer. Add yeast and stir to dissolve. Add sugar, salt and flour. Stir well. Dough should be a little sticky. Using dough hook, knead for about 5 minutes or until you have a smooth and elastic dough. After kneading, it will be smooth and elastic and a tiny bit slippery.
- Rub a second bowl with the olive oil, transfer dough to oily bowl, roll dough around in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (an hour).
- Punch down dough and shape dough into 6 rounds (mine were more like gobs, but not ridiculously sticky). Set the rounds on a parchment lined cookie sheet to rest for about 15 minutes.
- Alternatively, set each round on a small square of parchment paper (about 6 inches). If using this method, you may be able to skip any extra flour and just rely on the oiliness of the dough.
- Meanwhile, put a cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. While oven preheats, (and after dough has rested) take one of the dough gobs, and shape it into about a 5 inch round (Try for an even thickness) on a surface lightly coated with flour. Use just enough flour to keep it from sticking.
- If using the alternate method with individual pieces of parchment, take one of your dough rounds that you've set on a piece of parchment, press it into a 5 inch round right on the parchment, then lift the parchment and flip the pressed dough piece right down onto the hot skillet. Put the skillet with the dough, parchment still sticking to the top, right in the oven and set timer for 5 minutes. After 3 minutes, very carefully pull the parchment off the cooked pita, flip it and cook for another 2 minutes.
- With a couple of hot pads, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and set on another hot pad. Transfer the dough round to the hot skillet trying your best to keep it in its 5 inch (ish) circle.
- Quickly put the skillet back in the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes. My pitas took 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining 5 pitas. Makes 6 pitas.
Notes
Josie says
I'm in! Looks awesome. And Fuzz's smile sold me even if they didn't look as good as they do.
Anna says
Maggie, you should try making your pizza dough into pita. Maybe it will puff up!
Maggie says
What's strange is that these are almost the exact same proportions of ingredients for my quick pizza dough! I think I use 2 Tbs oil and put it together in a different order. But otherwise same stuff! Strange!
Julie says
Those are perfect! I use the pizza stone and turn the oven up as high as it goes--550. I don't make them that often, but I do think it's worth it when I do.
Katrina says
Yummy--homemade pitas sound yummy!
Amy @ What Jew Wanna Eat says
I have been meaning to make my own pita bread- this recipe looks fantastic!
Gloria says
I've never had a fresh pita-I'm afraid once I have one, I'll never be able to eat the card-boardy pita's again. I have Sabra garlic hummus in the fridge right now waiting for some pita and some Mah Jongg players to eat it!!! On another note, I posted my experiment with your BB pecan pie on my new, under construction blog. Can't figure out how to get two pictures in the same post...oh well!! Soon I will have lots of time to figure it out!
Cupcake Activist says
Cute cupcake beanie! I love pita bread so I think I'm going to have to try this recipe.
Robyn says
After my 3rd pizza stone cracked, I gave up on them and moved on to a cast iron pizza pan. I use it for pizza, but also for baking bread, and I think it would be perfect for your pita method: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000E2V3X/ref=oss_product
bakingblonde says
I love pitas but have never made them, i think i am too scared to try but it is worth a shot!
Jennifer says
If you don't have a pizza stone, you can use unglazed quarry tiles. I have 4 that fit and take up most of one oven rack. I just put a piece of parchment paper down on top of them, due to the creases.
I'm very impressed with the pocket! I've made various flatbread but have never had pita bread puff up that well. I never though to cook them in the oven, though, I've just done them on the stove top. I'll give it a try, I'm sure homemade tastes much better than those kangaroo pita they sell at the grocery store and would be a lot less expensive than at the Lebanese restaurant.
Doris Ruth says
Anna,
I have had good luck with pita bread by replacing the stone with doubled up cookie sheets that get put in the oven and preheated. If the dough is the consistency of an ear the handling works best; rolling it into a ball, then gently flouring it and rolling it into a circle.
I hope you will continue your yeast explorations. I really enjoy your blog!
Melissa says
These look so fun!
Louise says
Does Fuzz ever take off her cupcake hat? 😉
Louise says
Those look great. It's almost lunch time here and this is making me hungry. 🙂
vanillasugar says
WOW! you did have good luck with those. they look perfect! man those would be so good with fresh hummus.
i bet using the cast iron gave it a better crust you know?
Erin @ what the fork says
I can't wait to try this, last time I made pitas they only had little bubbles that I couldn't fit anything in. Thanks for sharing!
Sue says
I've had the dumbest luck making pita bread. And, now that I've said that my pita bread will probably always be flat. haha!
You have beautiful pockets!!