Pocket Pita

Servings 12-16 |Prep Time:  2 hours+ | Cook Time: 5 min each

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups Better Batter Flour (choose one)
  • 490 g Bread Flour
  • 490g Artisan Blend
• 490g to 510g warmed water, milk, or df milk (105 F )
• 1/3 cup (35g) sugar 
• 2 tsp (11g) salt
• 1/4 cup (56g) olive oil
• 1 package (7 g) instant, rapid or active dry yeast
  
    

Instructions

Mixing:
Dissolve water or milk (or milk substitute), oil, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your electric stand mixer. Let stand about 5 minutes.

Create the sponge.  Add in the salt. Mix well. Add half of the flour and beat on high speed until the mixture resembles a very thick batter, about 4 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the sponge is fluffy (almost doubled).

Add the rest of the flour to the bowl and beat on high speed for another 4 minutes, or until mixture resembles very sticky bread dough.

Grease a clean bowl with the olive oil.

Roll the dough in the bowl in the oil and cover with plastic wrap.

Proof the dough. Choose one:

• Overnight Refrigerator proofing (recommended): Place dough into refrigerator and cold proof overnight 8 -18 hours.
• Quick Countertop proofing: Proof dough for 45 to 60 mins in a warm place until it is doubled in size.

Preheat the oven. While dough is rising, place a stone or sheet pan or pizza pan on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 500F.

Shape the dough. Divide the dough into 12-16 pieces, form balls and let them rest, about 10 minutes. Roll the balls out to about a 6-inch circle, slightly thicker than a pancake. Covered on a lightly floured sheet pan let poof for 10 mins. I like keep these covered using a wet dish towel.

Bake. Once the oven is heated, place the pita a few at a time onto the preheated pan/stone and bake for 5 minutes, or until the bread puffs. Remove and repeat in batches. NOTE: I do the rolling and baking in batches of 2-4 pita at a time. You need to make sure your oven is at a really hot temperature between each batch.

 

This post was originally published in 2008 by Naomi Poe. It was revised and updated by Patrick Auger in 2025. It originally called for Original Blend - you can use it at 560g if you wish.