Skip to content
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (110-115°F)
- 1 package (2¼ tsp) Yeast
- 1 tsp sugar (for proofing yeast)
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- additional oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the water, sugar and yeast together, and let sit for about five minutes until foamy.
- Add 2½ cups of the flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough is formed.
- Sprinkle the last ¼ cup flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough.
- Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Add more flour (if needed) to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface.
- Set the dough back in the bowl and add another teaspoon or so of olive oil (or use pan spray), then turn the dough until it’s coated.
- Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it’s doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled, gently punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece into a thick disk.
- Sprinkle the pieces with a little more flour and then cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap until you’re ready to cook them.
- Roll one of the pieces into a circle 6-8 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick.
- Sprinkle with a little extra flour if it’s starting to stick.
- If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
- Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until drops of water sizzle immediately in the pan.
- Drizzle a little oil in the pan and wipe off the excess.
- Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and cook for a minute, until you see bubbles starting to form and edges look set.
- Flip and cook for another minute, until large toasted spots appear on the underside.
- Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean dishtowel or in a warm oven while cooking the rest of the pitas.
Notes
- Pitas are best when eaten immediately after cooking.
- Leftover pitas will keep in an airtight bag for several days and can be eaten as they
are or warmed in a toaster oven.
- Baked pitas can also be frozen with wax paper between the layers for up to three months.