How to Make Chewy, Tender Pita Bread (with Pockets Every Single Time)

Test cook Erin McMurrer shows host Bridget Lancaster how to make Pita Bread.

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[lulubata]

The best recipe so far for pita bread that tastes like heaven. I started to make bread when covid-19 started. I love pita bread like any other Middle Eastern person. I tried 6 or 7 recipes, all of which were OK, but this is more than OK. The taste, not just the texture, is much better; it is like a cookie. I think it is the slow fermentation process because of the ice-cold water and the placement in the fridge for 17 hours.
Thank you for sharing. This is the first recipe I use from America's Test Kitchen.

[joeb]

I just want to know who has enough room in their fridge for a baking tray? Lol

I love the fact that this recipe is so different from other pita recipes I’ve seen! A lot more time but intriguing.

This recipe made my mouth water so it has my official seal of approval 👍🏻🤤

[janjones]

I am so happy I found this recipe because I have failed many times in the past with “no pocket” pita bread. Now, my pita has big pockets and is soft, chewy, and scrumptious. Thanks so much, ATK!

[timjackson]

I was waiting for Bridgette to say, after rolling out the first one, now we re-pita the process.

[RGS]

Metric measurements and baker's percentages:

416g bead flour (100%)
7g instant dry yeast (1.7%)
298g water (71.6%)
28g honey (6.7%)
53g olive oil (12.7%)
5g salt (1.2%)

ATK!! Please oh please at least give the metric measurements as well for the bread bakers! .. It's laudable that you encourage weighing ingredients, but utterly laughable that you then use extremely 'inaccurate' ounces, cups and teaspoons!! .. When the scales you recommend measure in grams, and provides ounces in decimal places and not fractions!!!! .. Btw .. please get it right .. instant yeast fermentation barely contributes to flavor development. It's principal function is to produce lots of gas .. Also, salt doesn't "inhibit gluten formation" .. if anything, it regulates/moderates yeast activity, which is what you claim to be looking for, so best to include with the dry ingredients .. "Autolyse" involves just flour and water, as a method of hydrating the flour, kickstarting gluten development and conversion of starch into sugars, and creating extensibility in the dough .. the adding of olive oil creates a smoother textured crumb, but inhibits gluten development .. Good for nice soft pita breads, but the opposite of what you claim your were trying to achieve by delaying the salt .. . For that smoother more extensible dough that will produce a nicely puffed pita, without the need for an overnight retard, better to first do a regular autolyse (flour + 90% of the water) for 30-60 mins, then mix in the remaining water and ingredients .. and add a bit more salt for more flavor .. 8g (1.9%) should be enough ..

[tinabalyezyan]

You guys are so awsome for helping us to bring up our cooking skills,

[Barrelu]

That is the best tutorial for making a pita I have seen and I really wish I had watched about two years ago. It would have saved me a whole lot of misery. Hopefully by next weekend I will be able to have a real pita to make a lamb sandwich. Thank you for showing me a better way to make a pita.

[billkaline]

I was surprised at the amount of kitchen science there is when making proper pita bread with pockets. Thank you!.

[tobehonest]

This looks amazing !

and something I will likely never make....unless time is no object

[RoamTheWorld]

Made the best pita bread I've ever had using this recipe! Thank you!

[thesharpercoder]

Supermarket pita bread usually do lack pockets, but they make great personal pizza crusts!

[thanatopsis]

The overnight ferment adds a lot of flavor that many recipes lack. High heat over 400F is also needed for a good puff, whether in the oven or on the stove. I prefer the stove, but this is a good recipe either way. I have some in the fridge right now to cook tomorrow!

[trickvro]

I love how you advocate for weighing ingredients. But why not go all the way and advocate for weighing things in grams? Any scale that can weigh ounces can also weigh grams. Plus, no pesky fractions!

[jamessawyer]

As a 22 year fan of the show I'd like to thank them for teaching me so much.
The largest problem I have other than the cost and availability of ingredients that most small towns can't come close to providing, Is measurements in ounces.
14 and 2/3 ounces? I'm always confused my scale reads and ounces but not it's not the fancy read out like the show uses in 2/3 for example, If that is point what?.I Please oh please girls give us give us measurements in grams I love your cookbooks but but none of them ever use grams for measurement.
I know we Americans aren't metric smart. Most bakers are. Please help us ou

[MendeMaria-ejbf]

Thank you for the tutorial and the insights. Unfortunately, I don't have all the fancy kitchen equipment.

[rohanlg]

What an interesting video. I love the science explanation. And how they magically separate like that is

[alikhattab]

Super Baker, perfect Bread. Good Job.

[dtaesvafamily]

Im not sure if anyone else ran into this problem, but Ive tried the recipe twice now and the same thing happened. When mixing for 6-8 min on medium after adding the salt, it would not form a dough ball. To fix this I slowly added 1 cup of white wheat bread flour to the mixer, and an additional 3/4 cup of white bread flour. This seemed to make a perfect sticky dough ball after about 3-5 minutes. The reason I used white wheat is because you can add less to thicken it up, plus it adds a wonderful flavor to the pita :)

[BernieYohan]

Julia Childs Persian Naan dough works great with this method which I learned from James Beard.

[robertbrewer]

If one really wants a cold dough preparation, it is imperative that the massive glass bowl be chilled with ice water and then dried.
The heat of the room temperature glass bowl that weighs 5 to 10 pounds will warm the relatively small amount of cold water very quickly.
Don't believe it? Try using a thermometer to check the dough temperature after mixing. I'm definitely trying the cold dough process!