Is there anything more satisfying than a warm, freshly baked pita, puffed up like a proud peacock?
This Sourdough Pita Bread recipe is your ticket to pillowy, soft, and irresistibly fluffy pitas that are perfect for scooping up hummus, wrapping around falafel, or just devouring straight from the oven.
Living in the UK? Don’t let our chilly homes put a dampener on your dough’s rise—my oven hack will keep things cosy. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get baking!
How Do I Tackle A Cold Kitchen?
If you’re in the UK like me then you’ll be all too aware of the gloomy weather recently! Of course, whilst we can keep our spirits up by baking enough sourdough to feed friends, family and anybody else who stops by, the coldness of your kitchen can really put a dampener on things.
Luckily, I’ve discovered the ultimate sourdough life hack to help your dough rise every single time! All you need to do is turn your oven on for one minute at 150C fan. Next, you should switch it off and place the bowl containing your dough inside the oven.
Keep this up for every half an hour for between one and a half hours to two hours for the perfect toasty warm environment to help your bread rise to the top every single bake!
Saving Time With Sourdough Pita Bread
Some of us who hopped on the sourdough bandwagon earlier cannot go back (including me!) to a life without a sourdough starter on the go at all times. However, for those of us super short on time (I see you toddler mamas!) you might want to take a recipe like this one and condense it a little to be able to whip up sourdough pita bread at the drop of a hat.
If you find yourself in a hurry feel free to skip the second rise and just pop it in the oven instead. This has been a game-changer for me when I’ve had unexpected guests or noticed that my children have been suspiciously quiet!
Another way to keep this recipe super accessible is to switch up the flour. You can absolutely make my sourdough pita bread without bread flour by switching over to all-purpose flour if that is something you have in your cupboards anyway!
Why 60% Hydration is Perfect for Pita Bread
When we talk about hydration levels it is basically the ratio of water to flour in the dough which plays such an important role in making things like sourdough pita bread.
60% hydration is perfect for pita bread because it creates a dough that puffs up easily during baking yet is still very easy to work with when in dough form.
The hydration level of pita bread is so crucial to creating that perfect balance between texture, puff and the handling of the dough before it is baked. Too much water creates a sticky mess whereas too little water makes the dough incredibly hard to work with.
This is exactly why 60% is the Goldilocks ratio and the biggest secret to the perfect sourdough pita bread!
The Ingredients for My Easy Sourdough Pita Bread
As per usual I’ve worked hard to iron out any potential road bumps so you can sail through my recipes with ease! This includes selecting the most effective ingredients to secure your baking success every single time. Let’s look at the ingredients:
Sourdough Starter: Arguably the star of the show, my sourdough starter has pretty much become a permanent resident in my household and has brought so much joy to my kitchen that I’m eternally grateful to my little baking companion!
Neutral Oil: Allow your dough to effortlessly rise up to some seriously impressive heights by lightly oiling the bowl before you let it rest. This also helps for the dough to not stick to the dish.
Sugar: Feed your hungry starter a sugary treat to let it work its magic on your baking. The sugar and warmth are what help to bring your sourdough starter to life!
Step by Step:
1. Mix and Knead the Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients.
- Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on medium speed (speed 2) for 4 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Knead again for another 4 minutes.
2. First Rise:
- Lightly oil a large bowl (plastic works best) and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl.
- Let the dough rise for 4–6 hours at room temperature if it’s warm, or until doubled in size. During colder months, try my UK oven hack: turn the oven on to 150°C (fan) for 1 minute, switch it off, and pop the bowl in for a warm environment. Repeat every 1.5–2 hours.
- Alternatively, you can let it rise in the fridge overnight for a morning bake.
3. Shape the Pitas:
- Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball and let them rest for 10–15 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a flat circle about ¼-inch thick on a floured surface.
4. Second Rise (Optional):
- Let the pitas rest on the surface for 30–45 minutes while the oven heats up. This extra rest helps create even fluffier pitas but can be skipped if you’re short on time.
5. Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 250°C (500°F) and place a baking stone or inverted baking sheet inside. A heavy pan or stone helps trap heat, ensuring the pitas bake quickly and puff up beautifully.
6. Bake the Pitas:
- Bake the pitas for 5–7 minutes until they puff up and develop light golden spots.
- Transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
I love to serve this warm alongside one of my favourite jam recipes! It really is the perfect way to welcome in the winter months!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do I do if my dough is too sticky?
Now you have a few different options here to solve this incredibly frustrating (and messy) problem!
You could reset the dough. You do this by letting your dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes after it has been divided into smaller pieces. Let them have a rest before you whip out the rolling pin and everything should be a bit less messy!
You can also use less flour which sounds totally crazy but just trust me on this! When you use a minimal amount of flour on the surfaces you’re working on you should aim to keep the dough just slightly wet at all times. Then you can work on a non-stick surface or even a piece of parchment paper to keep things a little tidier!
Lastly, you can reach for the oil! Put a little oil on your hands or rolling pin to stop the dough from sticking and you should be able to work much more easily without getting stuck to your sourdough!
2. Do I need to let the dough rest twice?
Absolutely not! If you’re short for time or simply impatient then pop it in the oven after letting the dough rest and all should go smoothly still!
3. Can I prepare the dough the night before baking?
Yes! A super handy hack is to prepare the dough the night before and bake the next morning. This is so perfect for occasions when you want fresh bread for breakfast!
If you love all things sourdough then keep your eyes peeled for plenty more recipes coming your way!
Winter baking is something I look forward to every single year and I’m so grateful to be able to share these special moments with all of you and my favourite recipes for things like my sourdough pita bread.
If you do make my sourdough pita bread then tag me in any social media posts or leave a review right here! Of course, here is the best place to reach me and it brings me so much joy to be able to see you re-creating my recipes in your own kitchens!
Love, Nelly 🙂
More Tantilising Snacks
- Tameya: Authentic Egyptian Falafel
- Classic Tomato Salsa (Costco Copycat)
- Classic Nachos with Homemade Cheese Sauce
- 10 Minute Chocolate Date Truffle
- Torshi Shoor, the Perfect Persian Pickled Vegetables
Super Easy Sourdough Pita Bread
Ingredients
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer and knead with a dough hook on medium speed for 4 minutes. Cover and rest for 10 minutes, then knead again for another 4 minutes.
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Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for 4–6 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge). For cold weather, briefly warm the oven to 150°C, turn it off, and place the bowl inside.
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Divide the risen dough into 12 pieces, roll into balls, and let rest for 10–15 minutes. Roll each ball into a ¼-inch thick circle on a floured surface to resemble a sourdough pita bread.
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Let the sourdough pita bread rest for 30–45 minutes (optional) while preheating the oven to 250°C (500°F) with a baking stone or inverted baking sheet inside.
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Bake the sourdough pita bread for 5–7 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
