Pocket Pita Recipes

THE SOFTEST PITA POCKET RECIPE: THE OVEN METHOD

Steps:

• Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that is fitted with the dough hook attachment, add all of the wet ingredients except for the olive oil. Allow the yeast to activate for 8 minutes. As soon as a puffy cloud forms at the top of the mixture, the yeast is active.
• Add the olive oil along with all of the dry ingredients and knead on low speed for 12 minutes.
• Lightly grease a large bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Toss to coat in oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in the warmest room of your home to rise until doubled in volume. About 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 525 °F, 270 °C.
• Cut the dough into 10 equal portions.
• Lightly flour your work surface and roll each portion of dough out into about 6-7-inch circles. Keep their thickness even. Use as much flour as needed to roll them out evenly.
• Line 3 baking trays with parchment paper and sprinkle some semolina flour on top if desired.
• Place 3 pitas on each baking tray.
• Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.
• Bake the trays in the preheated oven for approximately 4 minutes or until the pockets are formed.
• Transfer the pitas to a plate and serve immediately.
• Leftover pitas can be stored in an airtight bag or container and kept in the freezer or the refrigerator until ready to use.

CHEF JOHN'S PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Place yeast into the work bowl of a stand mixer and add 1 cup warm water and 1 cup flour. Whisk together and let stand 15 to 20 minutes for mixture to rise and make a loose sponge. Mixture will bubble and foam.
• Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and salt into sponge; add 1 3/4 cup flour. Mix at low speed, using a dough hook attachment, until dough is soft, supple, and slightly sticky. If dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a little at a time.
• Knead dough with machine on low speed until slightly springy and still soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a ball.
• Wipe inside of bowl with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Turn dough around in bowl to cover with a thin film of oil; cover bowl with foil and let sit until dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Remove dough from bowl and place onto a floured work surface. Lightly pat into a flat shape about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut dough into 8 pieces.
• Form each piece into a small round ball with a smooth top, pulling dough from the sides and tucking the ends underneath the bottom.
• Cover dough balls with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a work surface and top of a dough ball; gently pat dough ball flat with your fingers, forming a flat, round bread about 1/4 inch thick. Let dough round rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
• Brush a cast-iron skillet with remaining 3/4 teaspoon olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Lay pita bread into hot skillet and cook until bread begins to puff up and bottom has brown spots and blisters, about 3 minutes. Flip, cook 2 more minutes, and flip back onto original side to cook for about 30 more seconds. Pita bread will begin to puff up and fill with hot air. Stack cooked breads on a plate; when cool enough to handle, break breads in half and open the pocket inside for stuffing.

EASY HOMEMADE PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients into your bread machine's baking pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Insert the pan into the bread machine. Select the dough cycle.
• When the machine has completed the kneading cycle, leave the dough bread machine to rest, for at least 30 - 60 minutes.

THE BEST AND SOFTEST HOMEMADE POCKET PITA BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that is fitted with the dough hook attachment, add all of the wet ingredients except for the olive oil. Allow the yeast to activate for 8 minutes. As soon as a puffy cloud forms at the top of the mixture, the yeast is active.
• Add the olive oil along with all of the dry ingredients and knead on low speed for 12 minutes.
• Lightly grease a large bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Toss to coat in oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in the warmest room of your home to rise until doubled in volume. About 1 hour.
• Cut the dough into 10 equal portions.
• Lightly flour your work surface and roll each portion of dough out into about 6-7-inch circles. Keep their thickness even. Use as much flour as needed to roll them out evenly.
• Sprinkle some semolina flour onto the work surface and place each rolled out piece of dough on it.
• Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.
• Warm a cast-iron pan over medium heat.
• Cook each pita 20-30 seconds per side and continue cooking until it puffs, and the pita is fully cooked (see video).
• If the pita is not puffing up, increase the heat a little bit.
• Transfer the pitas to a plate and serve immediately.
• Leftover pitas can be stored in an airtight bag or container and kept in the freezer or the refrigerator until ready to use.

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
• Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup). With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.
• Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)
• Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.
• Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat diskc with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)
• Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.

CHICKEN PITA POCKETS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix oil, thyme, paprika, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt until blended. Add chicken; toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix, mayonnaise and remaining salt; spoon into pita halves. Place chicken on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 3-4 in. from heat 3-4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Fill pitas with chicken strips.

PITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Warm pitas in the preheated oven or in a microwave for 1 minute, or until soft. Spread lightly with tomato sauce, pressing to flatten while spreading. Sprinkle with black olives, pimento peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, blue cheese, basil, oregano and coriander.
• Spread the pitas on a large baking sheet and place in the preheated oven 8 minutes, or until the pita bread has reached desired crispness. Serve whole, or cut into slices.

PITA PIZZA POCKETS 4 WAYS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Make the pepperoni pita pizza: Cut the pita in half crosswise to form 2 pockets and fill each pocket with 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce, ¼ cup (25 G) shredded mozzarella, and 6 pepperoni. Place on a prepared baking sheet.
• Make the Hawaiian pita pizza: Cut the pita in half crosswise to form 2 pockets and fill each pocket with 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce, ¼ cup (25 G) shredded mozzarella, 2 tablespoons pineapple, and 2 tablespoons Canadian bacon. Place on a prepared baking sheet.
• Make the veggie supreme pita pizza: Cut the pita in half crosswise to form 2 pockets and fill each pocket with 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce, ¼ cup (25 G) shredded mozzarella, 2 tablespoons mushrooms, 2 tablespoons green pepper, and 1 tablespoon olives. Place on a prepared baking sheet.
• Make the BBQ chicken pita pizza: Cut the pita in half crosswise to form 2 pockets and fill each pocket with 2 tablespoons of barbeque sauce, ¼ cup (25 G) shredded mozzarella, 2 tablespoons diced chicken, and 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños. Place on a prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the pita pizzas for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
• Enjoy!

GREEK PITA POCKET

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine yogurt, 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the lemon juice, dill and ¼ tsp (1 mL) of the lemon pepper. Set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, sauté beef, onion and garlic, breaking up meat with a spoon until beef crumbles, for 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, Greek seasoning, remaining 2 tsp (10 mL) of lemon juice and remaining ¼ tsp (1 mL) of lemon pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.
• Place pitas on a work surface. Spread yogurt sauce equally in each pita. Place lettuce, beef mixture and feta cheese equally in each pita.
• Tip: Fresh dill can be kept for only about 2 days. It's wonderful in chicken salad, with seafood and as a garnish to many dishes.
• To make your own Greek seasoning: In a small bowl, combine ¼ tsp (1 mL) each dried oregano, dried parsley, dried garlic powder and salt.

HOW TO MAKE PITA BREAD OR PITA POCKETS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine yeast and sugar in ¼ cup of lukewarm water. Mix to combine. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Soon it will look creamy and frothy.This proofing procedure shows that yeast is alive and active. If by now your yeast has not become frothy, please discard and start over.
• Combine all the dry ingredients ( flours and salt) in a bowl and give a good mix.
• Add yeast to the dry ingredients and mix it well.
• Slowly add water and oil to the dough and mix until it forms a soft, pliable dough.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set it aside for 2 hours. Or you can cut short the time by proofing teh dough in the Instant Pot.
• The dough will almost double in size.
• Transfer the dough to a dusted surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 6 equal balls.
• Transfer the rolled dough balls to a baking tray. Cover them with a damp cloth and allow them to rest for another 30 minutes for second proofing.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• After 30 minutes, roll each dough ball out into thick circles. Place the rolled-out dough on a greased baking sheet.
• Bake it in the oven for 7-10 minutes or until brown from the top.
• All puffed.
• Remove the baked pitas from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
• Pita bread pockets are ready.

QUICK AND EASY HOMEMADE PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Pour yeast into 1/4 cup of the warm water. Add sugar, mix well, and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Sift the flour along with the salt into a bowl.
• Form a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture, the remaining cup of warm water, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Begin to mix with your hand, a wooden spoon, or the dough hook of a standing mixer to form a dough.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 to 15 minutes, or use the stand mixer and dough hook, until the dough is smooth and soft but not sticky. If needed, add more flour until the dough comes together nicely.
• Oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Turn to coat the entire surface with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put the dough in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 475 F. Place a heavy baking sheet or baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven. With the help of a rolling pin, roll the dough out, then fold and roll again. Close like a book, roll again, and close again, repeating the process a few times to get the air bubbles out of the dough. Shape the dough in a rectangle of about 9 x 12 inches and about 1/2 inch thick.
• Divide the dough into 10 pieces and cover with a dampened towel.
• Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll and turn each ball as you would shape a pie crust. Each pita should be about 1/4 inch thick and about 7 inches in diameter.
• Sandwich each dough circle between floured cloths and let them rest while you roll the remaining dough balls.
• Lightly sprinkle the hot baking sheet or baking stone with flour. Place as many pitas as will comfortably fit.
• Bake for about 5 minutes or until they just begin to show some color, carefully flipping them about halfway through.
• Remove from the oven and cover with a clean kitchen towel until cooled. Repeat the baking process with the remaining dough. Serve with your favorites dishes, and store in a bread bag for up to three days.
• Enjoy!

PITA POCKET BREAD RECIPE: SOFT & PILLOWY

Steps:

• Activate yeast by adding yeast, honey, & water (110-115° F) to a stand mixer. Give it a quick stir and let activate for 5 minutes or until bubbly on top.
• To a large bowl add bread flour, whole wheat flour, & sea salt and give it a whisk.
• When the yeast has activated add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Pour in about half of the flour mixture. Assemble hook attachment and turn on low speed.
• Gradually keep adding flour in increments until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. You may not need all of the flour.
• Continue to knead the dough for 7-10 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky.
• Remove from the mixer and transfer to a well oiled bowl & a light coat over the dough to keep from sticking. Cover & place in a warm environment and rise for 2 hours or until doubles in size.
• When doubled in size, punch dough down, remove from bowl.
• Lightly flour surface and gently press dough into a rectangular shape. Divide the dough into roughly equal portions with a bench scraper.
• Fold each dough ball under several times until a smooth dough ball is formed.
• Cover dough balls and roll out each dough ball out on a lightly floured surface into an oval shape 6-8 inches in diameter and about 1/8" thick.
• Cover & rest another 30 minutes.
• Preheat a large cast iron skillet on medium heat. Cook individually 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side or until golden brown & puffy. Flip and repeat process.