i can’t really contain my excitement, so we’re just going to jump right in to talking about this pita bread recipe!
when i was testing this recipe it was for just a basic, soft flatbread. i had tried a few different baking techniques and temperatures for the flatbread, and to my surprise one of them resulted in these beautifully puffy pitas 😍. i cut one open right away to find a steamy hollow pocket that was begging to be filled with all the things. and i could not think of a time that i was more excited.
pita bread and i go way back to my childhood. my favorite was a tuna salad pita sandwich, with pita pizza coming in a close second. and on occasion, when my mom would make hummus, she would buy pita bread to serve alongside chopped veggies. when i was older i frequented an old favorite, mamoun’s. my friends and i would always go there late night and get their “classic” sandwich: pita bread stuffed with falafel, hummus, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and tahini sauce. while it was the messiest, it was also the best sandwich i ever ate. i honestly never thought i could get this close to a traditional pita bread while still being gluten-free.. until now.
with about 5 basic ingredients, this dough is super simple to put together. we start by whisking the flours and salt. from there, we bloom the yeast, and then add in the psyllium husk powder to help in binding the dough and to give it a springy texture. we let it rise, and then divide the dough. from there, we make little flat dough balls, and let them puff up a bit. we place a baking stone in the oven (or baking sheet turned upside down) and crank the heat. once the pitas are in the oven, they take about 6-8 minutes to puff up and cook through. here are a few things to keep in mind while making these:
rolling the pita bread out - 1/3-inch was the perfect thickness. i found that anything less than 1/3-inch resulted in pitas that didn’t puff up as well.
we want a hot oven! - the high heat is what makes them fluffy and puffy! so i cranked mine up as high as it would go - 550°F! if yours doesn’t go up that high, bake the bread for longer increments until it’s puffy and cooked through.
baking the pita bread - we don’t want to overcrowd the baking stone (or baking sheet), otherwise the pitas won’t cook evenly. i found baking them 2 at a time was best.
toasting the pita - i threw mine over my gas stove for a few seconds on each side just to them a wood-fired vibe, but this is completely optional.
reheating the pita bread - the bread is best eaten on the day it’s baked, but it can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days and reheated in the oven (the bread does dry out a bit, so try to eat the first few days).
happy baking, friends. i hope you love this one ❤️
homemade gluten-free pita bread | v
| makes 8 pitas |
ingredients
2 cups superfine brown rice flour, plus more for dusting (i use this one)
1 cup arrowroot flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 2/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon filtered water, warmed to 110°-115°F
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 packet instant yeast (roughly 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder
extra virgin olive oil
method
mix ingredients. in a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt, set aside.
in another large bowl, whisk together the warmed water and sugar. mix until sugar is dissolved. whisk in the yeast and let it sit until it has bloomed, roughly 10 minutes. whisk in the psyllium husk powder. let sit, whisking every so often until mixture has thickened and is a bit gel-like, about 5 minutes.
make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture. use a rubber spatula to bring everything together. dough will be a bit shaggy and hard to stir, at this point set the rubber spatula aside, and use your hands to knead the dough together until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
let the dough rest. lightly oil another large bowl and place the dough inside. pat some oil on the top and sides of the dough. cover with a clean dish towel and place in warm spot until the dough has puffed up and nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour. (if not using on the day of making the dough, wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
prepare the dough. line a cookie sheet or baking sheet with parchment, then dust it with brown rice flour. turn dough out onto it, and cut the dough in half. then cut each half into 4 equal sized pieces, giving you 8 pieces of dough. shape the dough into balls, dusting them with flour as needed. place a clean dish towel over top and let them rest for 30 minutes.
preheat the oven. while dough is resting, place a baking stone in the center of your oven (alternatively, flip a sheet pan upside down for baking). preheat oven to 550°F.
shape the pita. dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough into a circle that’s about 7-8 inches wide and about 1/3-inch thick (the dough tends to be a little sticky, therefore i prefer rolling it out on top of a large piece of parchment paper). repeat with remaining dough. *i like to roll and bake no more than 2 at a time. while the pitas are baking i am rolling out another 2.
bake the pita. once the pita is rolled out, use a pizza peel dusted with flour (or cutting or bread board) to shuffle the pita dough onto your baking stone. bake for 4-5 minutes, until puffed up. carefully, use tongs to gently flip the pita over, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. repeat with remaining dough.
eat as is, or toast over a flame. if you have a gas range, quickly toast the pita by quickly turning it over an open flame, until the edges and tops are slightly charred (this is totally optional, but it gives the pita a slightly more wood-fired, smoky flavor).
store the pita. pita is best eaten the day of, but you can store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months if need be.
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