Perfect Puffy Pita Bread Recipe

Name: Perfect Puffy Pita Bread Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 18 pitas
Cuisine: Israeli
Ingredients: 3 cups warm water (110°F / 43°C); 2 teaspoons dry yeast (14 grams); 4 teaspoons sugar; 1000 grams (8 cups) white flour; 4 teaspoons salt

AI Kitchen

Jun 22, 2024

This easy-to-make pita bread is the perfect sandwich bread, holding all of your favorite fillings and spreads within its round shape. Light, soft, and puffy, it’s great for sandwiches, especially for kids' school lunches.

Jump to recipe

This is another constant winner in our household. I make a large batch about once a month and freeze any leftovers that aren’t eaten within two days. It's been in my head for years, so I used AI to turn it into an actual recipe:

I need you to create a perfect and easy soft and puffy pita bread recipe based on the ingredients and instructions I provide. It should follow typical format of recipe and not exactly the one I write - for quantities, convert to the American way and put the metric too in brackets. and and you should adjust wording and name of recipe, tools and ingredients to use proper ones. In addition, provide number of servings, total prep time (without fridge time) calories per serving.  Give it a description around ease of making and how it is the perfect sandwich bread because it holds all of the fillings/spreads within it thanks to it's round shape. The ingredients should be: Part 1: activating yeast: 3 cups warm water (not too hot). 2 teaspoons dry yeast (14 grams). 4 teaspoons of sugar. Part 2: flour: 1000 grams white flour. 4 tsp salt.
To make the pitas-part 1- mix the sugar and yeast with warm water and let sit for 15 minutes, until yeast forms foam and is visibly different. At the same time, mix flour and salt. Set aside about 1/3 of the flour mix. This helps with hand kneading, because you later add flour gradually and it is easier to start kneading with a sticky dough. Pour the yeast and sugar mix into the 2/3 flour salt mix and knead until even (it will be super wet and sticky but the point is getting rid of lumps). Gradually add the rest of the flour until the dough is elastic but not sticky. Set aside for about 2 hours. After 2 hours, divide the dough to ~100gr balls (make them round, you can do that by stretching all the dough to one side and putting the ball on the side with the connection point). let balls sit, covered with fabric that isnt heavy for about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees f. When hot, change the setting to broil on 500 f. On a tray, put parchment paper. Take each ball and using a rolling thingy flatten it to about 15 cm diameter. lay as many pitas as you can without them touching each other in the tray and put in the oven, it should be in the center of the oven. Look at the pitas, and the moment you see a visible rise (should be about 3 minutes), open the oven and turn them over. Close the oven and observe. The pitas should rise but not crack. If they crack, they will dry out, so if you see a crack, immediately take them out. The pitas should stay white. Remove ach pita when it is nice and round and not cracked yet (usually 1-2 mins after turning). Set to cool on a net (so the steam doesn't make them wet). Repeat the process until all pitas made. Whatever you don't eat within 2 days should be frozen for later use.    add something about being the prefect sandwich bread for kids for school. It yields 18 pitas. also you need to put some flour on the parchment paper where the dough balls will rest.

Here's the final recipe, forever on the internet for others to enjoy:

*I used this scale. I love it because it is so easy to switch units and it has a large surface which is great for big bowls.

Servings: 18 pitas

Prep Time: 30 minutes (excluding rising time)

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Calories per Serving: Approximately 160 calories per pita

Perfect Puffy Pita Bread Recipe

Ingredients

For Activating Yeast:

3 cups warm water (110°F / 43°C)
2 teaspoons dry yeast (14 grams)
4 teaspoons sugar

For Dough:

1000 grams (8 cups) white flour
4 teaspoons salt

Tools Needed

Mixing bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Whisk or spoon
Kitchen scale (optional)
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Baking trays
Parchment paper
Rolling pin
Cooling rack

Instructions

Activate the Yeast:

In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of warm water with 2 teaspoons of dry yeast and 4 teaspoons of sugar. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes, until the yeast forms a foam and is visibly different.

Prepare the Flour Mixture:

In a separate bowl, combine 1000 grams (8 cups) of white flour with 4 teaspoons of salt. Set aside about 1/3 of this flour mixture for later use.

Make the Dough:

Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl with 2/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until even. The dough will be super wet and sticky, but the goal is to get rid of lumps.
Gradually add the remaining flour mixture while kneading until the dough is elastic but not sticky.

Let the Dough Rise:

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

Shape the Pitas:

After 2 hours, divide the dough into ~100-gram balls. To make them round, stretch the dough to one side and place the ball with the connection point on the bottom. Let the balls sit, covered with a light fabric, for about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Once preheated, switch the setting to broil on 500°F (260°C).
Line baking trays with parchment paper and lightly flour the paper. Using a rolling pin, flatten each dough ball to about a 6-inch (15 cm) diameter.
Place the pitas on the tray, ensuring they do not touch each other.

Bake the Pitas:

Place the tray in the center of the oven. Watch closely and as soon as you see a visible rise (about 3 minutes), open the oven and turn the pitas over.
Close the oven and continue to observe. The pitas should rise but not crack. If they crack, they will dry out. If you see a crack, immediately take them out.
Remove each pita when it is nice and round and not cracked yet (usually 1-2 minutes after turning). Set to cool on a cooling rack.

Storage:

Repeat the baking process until all pitas are made.
Whatever you don’t eat within 2 days should be frozen for later use.

Enjoy these perfect puffy pitas as a sandwich bread that holds all your favorite fillings and spreads securely, making them ideal for school lunches or any meal.