One of my favorite parts of frequenting one of my favorite Middle Eastern restaurants is being able to dip pillowy pita bread into hummus and enjoying as much as I can. The bread is fresh and the hummus is smooth and it brings me joy. But what would you say if I told you that that fresh pillowy pita bread can be made at home and if you have a bread machine and an oven, it's even easy?
Once a month or so, I make a batch (or two) of this pita bread. Some gets enjoyed right away and the rest gets cooled and tucked into resealable freezer bags to get used throughout the month. For a family that loves dipping it in hummus or tucking all manner of delicious things into it, this low-effort recipe is just what you need.
I like rolling my dough out on a metal pastry board to keep things from getting too sticky, but a clean counter dusted generously with flour will also do the trick. Just make sure you give the dough a few minutes to relax before baking - it will make puffing easier and get you exactly the results you want.
Sheet Pan Pita Bread
- 1 c. warm water
- 2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast
- ½ tsp. sugar
- 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
Place all of the ingredients in the pan of a bread machine and choose the dough setting. Run the cycle to completion.
Preheat the oven to 500˚F.
Punch the dough down and transfer it to a clean surface and divide into 8 even pieces. Cup your hand around each dough ball and roll until you no longer see a dimple or seam underneath. Cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel and let them rest for 15 minutes.
Place a dough ball onto a surface generously dusted with flour and press gently into a disk with your fingertips to disperse bubbles. Roll each dough ball to 6” wide and less than 1/4” thick. Move the disk several times while rolling to ensure it doesn’t stick to the counter. Keep the rolled disks covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out. Do not stack them.
Place half of the pieces of dough on a baking sheet and bake on the bottom rack of the oven at 500˚F for 2 to 3 minutes or until puffed. Remove from oven and transfer to a rack for 5 minutes then cover with a dry towel to keep the pitas from drying out.
- Yields: 8 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes