Sourdough Pita Bread
You don’t always have to use the same loaf of bread for sandwiches. Switch things up and try this sourdough pita recipe!
Homemade sourdough bread is one of my favorite foods to make for our family. And the options are truly endless! Whether it’s a soft sandwich loaf or a crusty artisan boule, there are so many types of loaves you can make.
Sandwiches don’t necessarily have to be made on typical loaves of bread, though. There are other types of bread that make delicious, different sandwiches, whether for lunch or dinner.
This sourdough pita recipe is a favorite in our kitchen. Skip the pita pockets at the grocery store that are filled with ingredients you don’t want, including commercial yeast.
These have basic ingredients, are light, easy to fill, and not that challenging to make.
So go feed your sourdough starter and get ready to make this sourdough pita recipe. Your family will love them!
Tools You Will Need
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer- You can mix and knead the dough by hand or use the dough hook attachment with a stand mixer.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Bench scraper or knife- To easily divide the dough into smaller parts.
- Cookie sheet or pizza peel- Having something to quickly slide the pita dough off of and onto the baking stone makes it faster and easier. If you don’t have either, you can simply grab the dough with your hands and carefully toss it onto the baking stone.
- Rolling pin
- Baking stone- A cookie sheet will be fine if you don’t have a baking stone.
- Tea towel- To keep the pitas warm while you bake the rest. A clean kitchen towel will work.
Ingredients for Sourdough Pita Recipe
Like most homemade bread, this sourdough pita recipe only needs a few simple ingredients:
- Active Sourdough Starter- Be sure to feed your sourdough starter the day before you want to make this bread so it’s active and bubbly. I pull mine out of the fridge the day before, feed it, then feed it again before I go to bed. Then I can mix up this pita dough in the morning and cook them for supper.
- Water- I start with hot water and then add the cold milk to lower the temperature so it’s nice and warm.
- Milk- We use raw, whole milk from our dairy cows.
- Salt
- Flour- Use all-purpose flour, bread flour, or your favorite freshly-milled whole wheat flour.
How to Make Sourdough Pita Dough
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the warm water and the milk. Add the active sourdough starter and the salt. Mix well.
- Start adding the flour, one cup at a time, and knead either by hand or in the mixer for 5 to 8 minutes. This will be a dry dough so add enough remaining flour and knead well until it is smooth and not sticky at all.
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, a beeswax wrap, or plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm place for 6 to 8 hours.
How to Bake Sourdough Pita Bread
Here are the steps for baking sourdough pita pockets:
- Place the pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. It’s very important for the oven to be very hot when making these or they won’t puff up properly.
- While the oven is preheating, divide the dough ball into 12 equal pieces using a bench scraper, a knife, or even your hands. Place the balls of dough onto a sheet pan, baking sheet, or cutting board and cover them with a damp tea towel so they don’t develop dry skin. They will continue to rise while the oven is preheating.
- Once the oven is at the right temperature, on a lightly floured surface roll out the first ball into an oval shape, about 6 inches long. Sprinkle flour on the pizza peel or cookie sheet and set the flattened dough on the flour.
- Quickly open the hot oven, slide the dough onto the hot baking stone, and close the oven door.
- The pitas bake very quickly! It only takes about 3-5 minutes. For best results, it’s very important that they do not brown! This will make them too hard and you want them to be nice and soft. Watch them closely. They will puff up into a ball and you want to remove them right away before they begin to brown.
- Pull out the puffed-up pita, place it on a plate, and cover it will a clean kitchen towel. It will slowly flatten as it cools and becomes the perfect texture.
- Continue with the next pita. I can fit two pitas at a time on my baking stone.
- Be careful that the oven temperature doesn’t lower too much. If you notice as you make more pitas they aren’t puffing up as well, take a break and allow the oven to heat back up for 5 or 10 minutes. Then continue baking.
How to Serve Sourdough Pita Pockets
Keep the pitas under the towel until you’ve cooked all of them. This keeps them warm and also softens them.
These are delicious nice and warm from the oven but they can also be left to cool for a little while.
When ready to eat, use a sharp knife to cut the pita in half. Then open it carefully so as not to tear the bread. If you can’t open it with your fingers, a knife inserted into the center will help to separate the sides. Be careful as the inside is hot and will release steam!
Fill your sourdough pita pocket with your favorite sandwich ingredients and enjoy!
Your little ones will have so much fun trying new fillings with this homemade pita bread. Here are some of our favorites:
- Chicken or turkey salad
- Egg salad
- Smoked salmon dip
- Leftover meats and veggies
- Pizza ingredients and toppings
- Salad and veggies
- Peanut butter and homemade jam
Storage and Reheating
Store completely cool leftover pitas in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for a couple of days but if you aren’t going to eat them right away, they also freeze well!
Simply place in a reusable (or plastic) freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.
These pitas are delicious at room temperature but if you want a fresh-from-the-oven taste, simply reheat them! The quickest way is in the microwave for 10 seconds, flip, then 10 seconds more. If it’s still not warm enough, try another 10 seconds. This keeps them nice and soft.
You can also reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 to 10 minutes. Just don’t let them get brown or they will become hard and not as easy to open.
This sourdough pita bread recipe will be requested over and over again once your family has a taste!
Sourdough Pita Bread
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Bench scraper or knife
- Sheet pan or pizza peel
- Rolling Pin
- Baking stone
- Tea towel
Ingredients
- 1 cup Active sourdough starter
- 2 cups Water
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 2 tsp Salt
- 5 1/2-6 cups Flour
Instructions
- Feed your sourdough starter the night before you want to make these so it is active and bubbly in the morning.
- Combine hot water and milk in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Continue to add the active sourdough starter and salt. Mix well.
- Add the flour about a cup at a time and knead for about 5 to 8 minutes until you have a dry, not sticky, dough.
- Place the dough in a non-metal bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel, beeswax wrap, or plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise for 6 to 8 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven with the baking stone in it to 500 degrees F for at least 30 minutes.
- Take the dough and use a bench scraper or a knife to divide it into 12 equal pieces. Set the pieces on a cookie sheet and cover them with a damp tea towel. They will continue to rise a little as they rest.
- When ready to bake, Take a piece of dough and roll it out into an oval about 6 inches across. Dust a pizza peel or cookie sheet with flour and set the flattened dough on it.
- Quickly open the oven door and slide the dough onto the baking stone. I can fit 2 on my baking stone.
- Watch closely for the pita to puff up into a ball. This only takes 3 or 4 minutes. Do not let it brown! If it starts to brown before fully puffing up, remove it from the oven.
- Once it has puffed up, quickly remove it from the oven, place it on a plate and cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
- Continue until all of the pitas are cooked. If as you cook more pitas they aren't puffing up as well, take a break and allow your oven to heat back up for 5 or 10 minutes then resume cooking.
- To enjoy, cut a pita in half and then gently use your finger or a knife to separate the two sides and open the pocket up. Be careful as steam will come out!
- Fill with your favorite sandwich ingredients and enjoy!
