Sourdough Pita Bread Recipe
This sourdough pita bread recipe yields soft, flavorful, and perfectly puffed pitas made with a natural sourdough starter. The dough is slowly fermented overnight for enhanced taste and texture, then baked at high heat on a baking stone to achieve traditional pita pockets. Ideal for sandwiches, dips, or Mediterranean-inspired meals.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (excluding fermentation and resting)
- Cook Time: 3-5 minutes per batch
- Total Time: Approximately 14 hours 25 minutes (including 12+ hour cold fermentation and resting times)
- Yield: 8 servings (8 pita breads) 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup active sourdough starter (stirred down)
- 1 cup warm water (between 80-90°F)
- 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour (using the scoop + level method)
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Mix initial dough: Combine 1 cup warm water, 1 cup sourdough starter, and 2 cups flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to mix until fully combined. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to hydrate.
- Add remaining ingredients and knead: Add the remaining 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt, and 3 tablespoons olive oil to the bowl. Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First rest and stretch-and-fold: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After resting, perform a stretch and fold on the dough to develop gluten. Repeat this rest and stretch-and-fold cycle a total of 3 times to improve dough structure.
- Cold fermentation: Cover the dough tightly and place it in the refrigerator overnight, from 12 up to 72 hours. This slow fermentation enhances flavor and texture.
- Bring to room temperature: Remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature, approximately 3 hours before baking.
- Preheat oven and baking stone: Place a baking stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). The baking stone ensures even heat distribution for puffed pita pockets.
- Divide and shape: Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, rolling each into a smooth ball. Let the dough balls rest for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Roll out pitas: Just before baking, roll each dough ball into a 6-inch circle, aiming for about ¼ inch thickness. The exact diameter is less important than achieving the proper thickness for puffing.
- Bake: Place the rolled-out dough circles directly onto the preheated baking stone. Bake at 500°F for 3-5 minutes, or until the pitas have puffed fully and show a light golden color.
- Keep warm and soft: Remove baked pitas from the oven and immediately wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. Slide the wrapped pitas into a plastic bread bag to retain moisture and softness while baking the remaining pieces.
Notes
- Using the scoop + level method for flour ensures consistent measurement and dough hydration.
- The baking stone must be thoroughly preheated to achieve puffing characteristic of pita bread.
- Resting dough balls before rolling helps with easier shaping and prevents the dough from shrinking back.
- Thickness is more critical than size; aim for about ¼ inch thickness for proper puffing in the oven.
- If you don’t have a baking stone, a heavy baking sheet preheated in the oven may be a substitute but results may vary.
Keywords: sourdough pita, pita bread, Mediterranean bread, homemade pita, sourdough bread, bakery style pita
Find it online: https://epicrecipebox.com/sourdough-pita-bread-recipe/