Pitta bread: recipe for soft breads with a pocket

Pitta bread is one of the most fun things to bake. After a few minutes in a hot oven, the flat rounds puff up like balloons. If you have the grandchildren visiting, it is worth sitting down in front of the oven to watch.

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What you need

The recipe makes 8 pitta breads.

• 500 g plain flour
• 7 g dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 300 ml lukewarm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil

How to make it

1. Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl.
2. Add the water and oil, and knead for about 8 minutes.
3. Cover the dough, and let it rise for about 1 hour.
4. Put a baking tray in the oven, and heat the oven to 250 °C.
5. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll them into balls.
6. Roll the balls into round or oval flatbreads of about 5 mm.
7. Let the rounds rest for 15 minutes under a tea towel.
8. Lay two to three rounds at a time on the hot tray.
9. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until they have puffed up.
10. Wrap the finished breads in a tea towel, and they will stay soft.

When the breads get no pocket

The most common reason is that the tray is not hot enough. Give the oven plenty of time. If the rounds are too thin or torn on the surface, the steam escapes and they do not puff up. They taste just as good, but are filled on top instead.

How to store pitta bread

Pitta bread is best the same day, but it keeps well in the bread bag once it is cold. Keep the bag in the fridge. If it needs to last longer, freeze it. Put the breads frozen in the toaster or in the oven for a few minutes, and they are soft again.

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Frequently asked questions

Have you got a taste for yeast baking? See bagels and focaccia.