Description
Delightful Homemade Pita Pockets bring Mediterranean charm to your kitchen, offering a perfect balance of crisp exterior and pillowy interior. Stuffed with fresh ingredients and baked to golden perfection, these pockets promise a delicious journey through authentic flavors you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 400 grams (14.11 ounces) flour
- 220 milliliters (7.44 fluid ounces) water
- 20 grams (0.71 ounces) vegetable oil
Leavening and Seasoning:
- 6 grams (0.21 ounces) pressed yeast (or 2 grams (0.07 ounces) dry yeast)
- 20 grams (0.71 ounces) sugar
- 7 grams (0.25 ounces) salt
Filling Ingredients:
- Mixed vegetables (lettuce, tomato, cucumber)
- Fresh herbs (parsley, mint)
- Grilled chicken or beef strips
- Shredded cheese
- Sauce or mayonnaise
Instructions
- Activate yeast mixture by combining warm water, yeast, sugar, salt, and vegetable oil in a spacious mixing bowl, ensuring uniform blending.
- Incorporate flour gradually, kneading the dough persistently for 8-10 minutes until achieving a silky, elastic consistency with smooth texture.
- Let dough rest and ferment for 60 minutes, performing gentle folding techniques every 20 minutes to enhance gluten development and texture.
- Partition dough into precise 10 uniform portions, carefully rounding each piece and placing them in a lightly oiled container for overnight refrigeration.
- Position oven rack with baking stone or heavy sheet at highest setting, preheating to intense 482°F (250°C) for optimal heat distribution.
- Extract dough portions, rolling each into thin circular shapes approximately 3-4 mm thick, ensuring consistent diameter and even surface.
- Transfer rolled dough carefully onto preheated baking surface, cooking in small batches of 3 for approximately 3-4 minutes until dramatically puffed and golden brown.
- Immediately transfer baked pitas into covered container, preserving moisture and softness, allowing gentle steaming to maintain tender texture.
- Store freshly prepared pita pockets at room temperature or freeze for extended preservation, ready to slice and fill with desired ingredients.
Notes
- Chill the dough overnight to enhance flavor and make rolling easier, developing deeper yeast complexity and improving texture.
- Use a hot baking stone or preheated sheet to create rapid steam, ensuring dramatic puffing and perfect pocket formation.
- For gluten-free adaptation, substitute all-purpose flour with a blend of rice and almond flour, adding xanthan gum for structural support.
- Store pitas in an airtight container with a slightly damp paper towel to maintain softness and prevent quick drying.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes per batch
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1.5 g
- Fat: 3.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg