Pocket Pita

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

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups (560g) Better Batter Bread Flour*
• 2 cups (454g to 480g) warmed water, milk, or df milk (105 to 110°
• 1/3 cup (35g) sugar
• 2 tsp (11g) table salt
• 1/4 cup (56g) olive oil
• 1 1/2 packages 11g instant, rapid

*if preferred, you may use 4 cups 560g Artisan or 5 cups / 700g Original instead.

  

Instructions

Mixing

• By Hand: Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to stir and knead until ingredients form a dough, about 10–12 minutes. Mixture will be loose and sticky but will thicken during proofing.
• Stand Mixer: Place all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low for 2 minutes. Turn speed to medium high and mix for another 5 minutes. Mixture will be loose and sticky but will thicken during proofing.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest and hydrate for 45–60 min at room temperature (until doubled). (This could take up to 90 minutes in a colder environment. This could take up to two hours. (This must happen before we proceed with the rest of the recipe.) This option can happen after warm proofing. Alternatively, cold‑proof up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature ~90 min before use.

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 475 two 500 degrees

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.