Easy Sourdough Pita Bread
Sourdough pita bread is simple to make and so versatile to use!
Make the dough ahead of time and bake them when you’re ready, or the baked sourdough pita breads can be frozen for future use.
Sourdough pita bread
Sourdough pita bread, or sourdough pita pockets as they’re also known, as super versatile flatbreads. When they’re baked, the pita puffs up which makes the middle of the bread hollow.
Once baked, the pita can be cut in half and the hollow middle can be stuffed with your favourite fillings.
Ways to use pita bread
They can be stuffed with pulled meats, falafel, cheese or spread with hummus. These sourdough flatbreads can also be used as pizza bases, or cut and baked into sourdough pita chips.
Equipment
The pita is best baked in a hot oven. However, a cast-iron skillet can also be used. This won’t cook the pita quite as evenly as the oven though and it may not give the hollow centre in the pita.
Ingredients
For the sourdough pita, you will need –
- water
- all-purpose flour
- active sourdough starter
- olive oil
- salt
Step by step
Day 1
- Feed your sourdough starter. You will need a starter that’s at 100% hydration – meaning a starter that has been fed equal amounts of flour and water, measured in weight.
Once it has doubled or tripled (but not passed its peak and collapsed), it is ready to be used.
- Mix together the main flour and water for the pita, and add in the oil, salt and sourdough starter. Mix it well together with a fork to form a shaggy dough. Tip the dough out onto a clean bench and knead the dough by hand for 5-7 minutes until it becomes a smooth dough ball.
- Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a plate and let it ferment at room temperature for 3-5 hours. In a warm kitchen with temperatures above 25°C, a 3-hour ferment may be sufficient, whilst dough in a kitchen with a temperature below 20°C will be better with a 4-hour ferment.
- The dough is not expected to rise much at all. After the bench ferment, place it in the refrigerator overnight, or for up to 36 hours.
The following day
- Preheat an oven and an oven tray to 230°C/450°F fan-bake or 250°C/480°F regular oven.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured bench and cut it into 8 even pieces. Once the oven is at temperature, roll one piece of dough out into a 5mm (just under 1/4 inch) thick circle. Place the dough circle onto the hot tray and bake it for about 3 minutes until the pita has puffed up. Remove the tray from the oven, and place the baked pita in a clean tea towel to cool.
- Repeat with the remaining pita bread, but allow the oven to come back to temperature before baking each pita.
Yes, the pita bread can be cooked in a heavy bottom skillet, like a cast-iron one, instead. They won’t puff as evenly as they do in the oven though and may not be as hollow in the middle.
If your pita isn’t puffing it is likely that your oven or pan are not hot enough. The pita bread needs a sudden burst of heat so the water in the dough evaporates quickly and pushes the dough upwards.
The moment the pita bread comes from the oven though, it will collapse. This is completely normal.
Serving and storing
Freshly baked sourdough pita bread is best enjoyed on the day of baking. If you’re not eating them right away they can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, in an airtight container.
The cooled baked pita bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight bag or container.
Lay a piece of baking paper between each bread before stacking them, so that they won’t stick together once frozen. They can be defrosted in a warm oven or in a toaster.
Related recipes
Looking for more sourdough recipes? Try these sourdough bao buns, or if you need to use up sourdough discard, sourdough waffles are the way to go!
Easy Sourdough Pita Bread
Sourdough pita bread is simple to make and so versatile to use!
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter (Makes approx 150g of doubled starter. 100g is used in this recipe)
- 30g sourdough starter
- 60g all-purpose flour
- 60g water
Pita Dough
- 400g all-purpose flour
- 200ml water
- 100g doubled sourdough starter
- 2 Tbsp olive
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In the morning mix together the starter, flour and water for the sourdough starter. Tip it into a clean jar and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (this may take approximately 6 hours)
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and water, oil, salt, and doubled sourdough starter. Mix it well together with a fork to form a thick and shaggy dough. Tip the dough out onto a clean bench and knead the dough by hand for 5-7 minutes until it becomes a smooth dough ball.
- Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a plate and let it ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours. In a warm kitchen with temperatures above 25°C, a 3-hour ferment may be sufficient, whilst dough in a kitchen with a temperature below 20°C will be better with a 4-hour ferment. The dough is not expected to rise much at all. Once fermented, it is placed in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 36 hours.
- Baking day - Preheat an oven and an oven tray to 230°C/450°F fan-bake or 250°C/480°F regular oven.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured bench and cut it into 8 even pieces. Once the oven is at temperature, roll one piece of dough out into a 5mm (just under 1/4 inch) thick circle. Place the dough circle onto the hot tray and bake it for about 3 minutes until the pita has puffed up. Remove the tray from the oven, and place the baked pita in a clean tea towel to cool.
- Repeat with the remaining pita bread, but allow the oven to come back to temperature before baking each pita.
Notes
Freshly baked sourdough pita bread is best enjoyed on the day of baking. If you're not eating them right away they can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, in an airtight container.
The cooled baked pita bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight bag or container. Lay a piece of baking paper between each bread before stacking them, so that they won't stick together once frozen. They can be defrosted in a warm oven or in a toaster.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 309mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 7g
Just finished making these for the first time and I’m so happy! They are beautiful and taste amazing. Such an easy recipe, im never buying pita again. Thank you.