Pita Bread

Mix the dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water and oil. Stir with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms — the mixture will appear dry and unevenly mixed. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly in the bowl just until the flour is absorbed and you have a sticky ball, about 30 seconds. Drizzle a little olive oil over top, turn the dough to coat, cover bowl with a tea towel, and transfer to a warm place (see notes above) to rise for 1.5 hours.

Prepare the oven

Heat the oven with a cast iron or stone inside at 550ºF.

Portion the dough

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead briefly to form a ball. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 6 equal portions — each ball should roughly weigh 73 grams. Using flour as needed to prevent sticking, ball up each portion, using the pinky edges of your fingers to create tension (see video for guidance). Let the portions rest for 30 minutes.

Roll out each ball

Flatten one ball, and, using flour as needed, gently roll it out with a rolling pin until you have a 6-inch round — the key is to not roll too aggressively in order to prevent the air pockets from being forced out. If a round is resisting, set it aside, begin rolling out another one, and return to the stubborn one at the end. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Bake the pita

When the oven has preheated, toss a 6 inch round onto the cast iron. Set a timer for 2 minutes. If the pita is lightly golden, it’s done. Remove pita, transfer to a tea towel-lined bowl, and close the towel. Repeat with the remaining 3 rounds of pita.

Store the pita

Store pita at room temperature in an airtight bag or container for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat before serving.