Pitas

Why this recipe works Pita breads vary dramatically depending on the region of the world where they’re made. The thin, wheaty versions, often called Arabic bread, hail from all over the Middle East. We’re partial to Greek-style pita, with a pillowy interior ideal for sopping up sauces and dips, and a structure strong enough to support succulent gyro ingredients. But the pita bread that’s sold in the supermarket—no matter the style—is dry and tough, its stiff pockets unable to support sandwich fillings without splitting at the seams. Pitas don’t need to come in bags; we aimed to make a Greek-style pita at home. To create a light crumb with substantial chew we turned to bread flour. Even though our pita was light, it was also tough. Increasing the amount of olive oil in the dough from 1 tablespoon to a generous ¼ cup tenderized the crumb nicely. While traditional Greek pita doesn’t always have a pocket meant for stuffing (it’s often held like a taco and wrapped around sandwich fixings), we felt that our pita was lacking without it. The tricks to getting the dough to puff up during baking and create this open pocket were a well hydrated dough and a hot oven: We preheated a baking stone in a 500-degree oven; as soon as the dough hit the hot stone, the top and bottom exteriors began to set. Meanwhile, all that water in the dough turned to a cloud of steam inside, creating pressure outward. The exterior maintained its shape without stretching, while the steam inflated the dough into a balloon, creating the perfect pocket. Our favorite baking stone measures 16½ by 14½ inches. If you have a smaller baking stone, you may need to bake the pitas individually. Pitas can be stored in a zipper-lock bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.

MAKES: eight 8-inch pitas

RESTING TIME: 20 minutes

RISING TIME: 1 to 1½ hours

BAKING TIME: 8 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2¼ to 2¾ hours, plus 10 minutes cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: rolling pin, baking stone, pizza peel

INGREDIENTS:

• 3⅔ cups (20⅛ ounces) bread flour
• 2½ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1⅓ cups (10⅔ ounces) water, room temperature
• ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2½ teaspoons sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, yeast, and salt.
2. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together water, oil, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly add the water mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, for about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size, for 1 to 1½ hours.
5. Press down on the dough to deflate it. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and divide it into quarters, then cut each quarter into halves (about 4 ounces each). Cover each piece loosely with greased plastic wrap.
6. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keeping the remaining pieces covered), form it into a rough ball by stretching the dough around your thumbs and pinching the edges together so that the top is smooth.
7. Generously coat one dough ball with flour and place it on a well-floured counter. Press and roll it into an 8-inch round of even thickness and cover it loosely with greased plastic wrap. Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls. Let the dough rounds rest for 20 minutes.
8. One hour before baking, adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, place a baking stone on the rack, and preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently transfer two dough rounds to a well-floured pizza peel. Slide the rounds onto the stone and bake until a single air pocket is just beginning to form, about 1 minute.
9. Working quickly, flip the pitas using a metal spatula and continue to bake until light golden brown, for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the pitas to a plate and cover them with a dish towel. Repeat the process with the remaining dough rounds in three batches, allowing the oven to reheat for 5 minutes after each batch. Let the pitas cool for 10 minutes before serving.

VARIATION:

WHOLE-WHEAT PITAS

• Reduce bread flour to 1¾ cups (9⅔ ounces) and combine with 1¾ cups (9⅔ ounces) whole-wheat flour in step 1.