Pita Bread Recipe First Try!

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Thanks for watching everyone! *Full recipe in the description box.* *Don't forget to carefully deflate the pita and wrap in a tea towel so they stay soft and supple... otherwise you'll end up with hard soccer balls.*

[@theJoker-po5xp]

Hi Glen and Julie! To answer your question, the water in the dough turns into steam, that steam gets trapped inside the now hardening shell causing it to puff up as required (The body of dough becomes sort of a membrane trapping steam) . Some recipes require the dough not to puff up so we punch holes using a fork or any sharp tool eliminating this effect. I hope lockdown ends soon and we get to see you cook the Shawarma! Thank you for all the great videos!

[@PeterSFam]

Interestingly there is a traditional bread in Upper Egypt which is basically a whole wheat pita but they bake it a little longer so it crisps into the "hard socer ball". Forgot the name, though.

[@mikeanklewicz9250]

I didn't have a clean tea towel but used paper towel and the pitas have stayed soft!

[@okjacob21]

If you were really wanting to make the "vertical meats" you could live stream the event and give the food to a local food bank which in turn they give to families struggling during this time of crisis.

[@Syndr_me]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate those seamless transitions 👏👏👏

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

I try

[@peteraldrich1444]

Glen’s editing is awesome!

[@bhotaling1]

Nice matching on the edits.

[@bradmcmahon3156]

As soon as I heard you say "Don't fear the pita", I got a Blue Öyster Cult earworm. Thanks!

[@pjtfd3849]

Still got it?

[@debbieburchell1573]

Baking these with kids watching is so much fun. It's magic!

[@daniellecrevier970]

Great recipe to do with kids and teach them some baking magic tricks too!❤❤

[@shasbucks]

Every time I cook bread I quote you when it comes to the oven temp. 'Screamin' hot'. Love it.

[@SleepscapeSerenity]

makes lockdown slightly easier watching your videos

[@jasoneyes01]

Glen, your presentations are engaging and incredible. The way you explain the many variations that cause changes to results has helped alot. Dough is an art. The complex flavor, aroma, and texture are some of the most challanging to master. The advise you give saves people many mistakes in the learning process.

[@markphillips7538]

I used to work at a pizza place where they management would keep track of hoagie buns but wasn't as strict about pizza dough. Each day we would make essentially pita bread from pizza dough to make lunch for the staff. Best Pitas ever.

[@gattagoblin]

it inflates because of water in the dough, you bake it so hot, it steams and steam forces the dough to rip from inside where it is softest. I have made them few times in 3 weeks, but I was not using the oven, I used pancake pan ( non-US pancakes ) heated to the max and had about 70% puff nicely :) You can also leave the dough in fridge for few days and bake them when needed

[@kathysunshine699]

Hate to sound to stupid ,but what exactly,is your pancake pan?... (what is US versus non US)...I have several pans,that could be considered ( flat type pans)... as well,as a closing type electric pancake maker,I have one that is only about 3 1/2 inches in diameter...that would make perfect size for lunch pita's. I would just try it,but do not want to waste ingredients,if it just turns into a rock like disc!..sorry,but thank you for any info.

[@gattagoblin]

@@kathysunshine699 here we make, what you would call crepe, thin pancakes, pan is just flat and shallow 😊 No oil btw

[@Boyetto-san]

Technically though, that's true of all breads. All doughs have some water that evaporates and serves to puff up the bread. But the way pita puffs up is different: instead of developing a crumb structure, it puffs up like a balloon. My guess is that this has more to do with flattening the yeast dough before heating. The complex of bubbles that otherwise becomes the crumb gets smushed down thin, so that when the top and bottom sides are heated, they set into just two distinct layers. Any gas produced by evaporation and the last gasps of the yeast accumulate and inflate between the two layers as just one big bubble, instead of many tiny ones scattered around the gluten structure of the crumb.

[@O0o__.]

hi would you have a recipe for using whole wheat? and also gluten free. If you do thanks in advance

[@JohnLeePettimoreIII]

@@O0o__. Yes. A glass of water. 😀

[@MagnusGuldbrandsen]

Made these tonight along with greek meatballs and loads of fresh spring veggies - they we're soooo good, and very easy to make. One lesson learned was not to have them in the oven for too long. flip it when it's still light - it'll brown faster than you think. Thank you so much for these recipes! Love that you keep telling us that this isn't an exact science, but that you need to play it by ear. It's SO refreshing to hear

[@4themotherload]

My husband has been making homemade pita for years, same recipe as you. It was taught to him from his grandmother, we cook them on bbq - this pita would be out of this world cooked in your wood burning stove!

[@jordanpayne6838]

If you do make the shwarma (idk how to spell it). Just drop it off on your friends/family's doorstep and have a quick chat through the window. I'm sure they would appreciate it, and we would definitely appreciate the video! Keep doing what your doing, love the videos!

[@crystalwright1504]

Well done!! I used to work in a pizza shop owned by an Iranian man. He used his basic pizza dough to make pitas and flat bread. The flat bread was poked with a fork to prevent the puffing while pitas were not poked. His dough did not have any fat in it surprisingly. All versions were delicious!!

[@Underestimated37]

I’ve heard on gas cooktops often they’ll finish the bread quickly over the open flame to add that barely there char that is present on most pita (at least over here it is) so that may add a little more to the recipe too! Excellent work, now all I have to do is find something I can use in my oven to cook these on.

[@quiltbugj]

upside down cookie sheet is fine

[@PeterSFam]

Thats the way we toast pita right before using it all the time is directly over the open flame of a gas cooktop.

[@ManmeetSingh235]

We finish cooking our chapatis here in India over an open flame, after cooking them, ideally, on a cast iron skillet over the gas. It always results in them puffing up. Then again, chapattis are much thinner.

[@ad2309]

Very cool shot of the pita puffing up in the oven. Hope you and Jules stay safe and healthy.

[@kristinamikkelsoncasanova6287]

Have been making pita bred for months now...so much better then store bought pita...we just love it.

[@RayMacksKitchenandGrill]

Awesome recipe my friend.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Thanks Ray Mack! I see you got a new grill - grill up something amazing and pack it in a pita!

[@KathrynKauffmanPsychicMedium]

I like the way you explain everyone's flour and consistencies are different. So yes you are correct we have to be flexible.

[@cindymichaud7111]

We always put a rack over our screaming hot electric burner & throw on the dough round, it puffs up AND we get browned pitas. Delish. Great Work!

[@sandrastreifel6452]

Cindy Michaud: What kind of rack?

[@Alberad08]

Couldn't trust my eyes when that pancake turned into a football - wow! Thanks a lot for enhancing my bread horizon, and stay healthy too, guys.

[@gaildunbar7186]

The pita breads look amazing. They look delicious

[@OttoStrawanzinger]

I tried this recipe today, it was the first time making pita for me, and it worked perfectly! The pitas came out really nice, and it‘s amazing to watch the puff up.

[@michaelbeilner7383]

I've made pita on just a sheet pan with parchment paper in a 500*F oven. they turn out just great. good puff and all. nice thing is you can put 4 to 6 in at a time. They take a little bit longer though

[@mrchef1001]

best explanation for puffing...MAGIC

[@LL-ck4ei]

Glad to see you happy guys!

[@jamesellsworth9673]

BEAUTIFUL! I always love the 'magic' puffing of my pitas. In my experience, cast iron griddles work as well as pizza stones or the like. The softer dough allows for quick steam just when it is needed for the in-oven rising!

[@johnhanes5021]

I have had tortillas puff up like that on the comal when I press down on them as they are cooking. Flatbread seems to be in every culture and goes by a different name. Flour and water cooked on a hot rock like Bannock.

[@kimzastrow1268]

My eldest like pita bread or sandwhich bread wraps....loves that stuff

[@NoZenith]

I love how this deconstructs a very simple method for pita bread. I've always avoided it as well. Thank you

[@jimdownie5215]

Gave this one a shot this evening, had pretty good results! Heated up a casserole dish on the hob to cook them, worked well enough, although they weren't as puffy as yours!

[@ruthtorphy2204]

In other words, you do the research for us. Our thanks☘️

[@YaamFel]

Looks good! But those are a little pale for a pita IMO, should have some dark brown spots around the outside. I prefer searing them on a very hot cast iron pan for that extra char on the stovetop for a few minutes each side. Cheers from israel.

[@user-ze7sj4qy6q]

do you cook them in the oven too or just in a pan?

[@YaamFel]

@@user-ze7sj4qy6q Just the pan, few minutes on each side. You.still.get that spring and seperation tho

[@user-ze7sj4qy6q]

RedstonerProductions מצוין, תודה חבר שלי:)

[@JBlook]

Thank you for this recipe and idea during my time at staying home and being safe.I tried these and they came out perfect.I did not have a pizza stone but I doubled 2 heavy sheet pans and that worked. Again thank you and stay safe.

[@southerncooker6475]

Thanks for all the great recipes. Some recipes I thought I would never be able to do, you have shown me different!

[@rlwalker2]

Excellent. Time for some stuffed pita.

[@heatherlinton5057]

Wow absolutely fabulous for your first try 🏆👍🇿🇦

[@paulasimson4939]

Ah-MAZING! Those are some fine lookin' pitas! I made my first batch a few weeks ago and they turned out ok'sh, but yours are fantastic. I'm going to try your recipe now.

[@kg1478]

I have made the no knead pandemic bread a bunch since quarantine started it’s so good. Thanks you so much for these videos the Family loves it making a loaf a week :) I tried a no yeast pita the first week of quarantine it was tasty but no pockets trying this one next!!!

[@giorauda]

Making Egyptian food this weekend so this recipe came at a great time! Thank you!!

[@mrsmac1974]

Loved being able to watch them puff in the oven! Way cool photography.

[@fiona36b]

Your kitchen, your rules😎👍🏻

[@dmiller5765]

I made mine on the stove top in a cast iron pan. I loved how easy they puffed up.

[@scottl6665]

Thanks Glen. We made these with our dinner tonight they only puffed in the oven but not on the stove. That was interesting to experiment with.

[@daniellecrevier970]

Mine only puffed in oven, not in pan

[@mikeanklewicz9250]

Hi Glen and friends! Been making some of your recipes for the past few weeks during the pandemic and I've loved then all! This one in particular was fantastic! I had tried another pita recipe and it made some nice, tasty naan-like flatbread but it didn't puff properly. First time making your recipe and I had a batch of beautiful soft, pita that had texture and taste exactly like store-bought! Keep it up!

[@julescar74]

I've recently found your channel, and I really love the way you've set it up. The taste testing and opinions are lovely. I'm wishing I'd have found you earlier in this Coronaland timeframe of life. I'd have been cooking along with you the whole way. Oddly enough, I stumbled upon your channel by way of my culinary exploits last night, I made Ricotta cheese from scratch and was looking for things to use the leftover whey with. I used 3tbs of freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of the vinegar (it turned out fantastic). The reason I used the lemon juice was that I wanted to use the ricotta for dessert recipes, and the method I used advised one should utilize the vinegar to make ricotta for savory dishes. Then suggested/recommended the usage of lemon juice to make the ricotta for sweet or dessert dishes. Anywho, thank you so much for such a lovely, informative, kitchen tinkering and food experimenting channel. I wonder, have you ever tried to make naan bread?? That's my next kitchen mission this week (hopefully anyway) and would love to have your take sometime in the future to see what you might do differently than what I would or will do, depending on the time difference of our trials. I've liked, subscribed, and most assuredly signed up for notifications on your channel. Thanks Again for taking the time to kitchenate or kitchen educate for us all!

[@Figitarian]

Been eating a lot of pitas recently, bread has been in and out of stock at the local shop but they’ve always had pita. Will definitely be giving this one a go

[@raffibabochian2671]

I always buy pita... but I'm going to give this a try... thank again glen...

[@jmomopan2773]

Hay Guys!!! Tried these last night, amazing!!!!!

[@jameshannon7162]

Thank you for helping me make bread that rivals my wife's. ( No knead bread). This is next on the list.

[@evilganome]

I've been using the NYT recipe for pita, but I like to comparison shop. the only real difference is that they sub out a 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour in the recipe. Easy to make. I usually proof overnight in the fridge for a little added flavor, but they are fun to make in a science project kind of way. I didn't know about the stove top method, so I will try that next time out!

[@bobbywest6853]

The moisture in the dough turns to steam as the bread cooks, the interior is the last part to be exposed to the heat so it is the last part to bake solid to resist the expanding. This will also happen with raw tortillas (if you guys can buy those in Canada, here in Texas you can buy them at very grocery store) if you flip them a few times while they bake or pan fry. The main thing is having enough space between the outer layers of of the dough that the center doesn't get hot as fast as the exterior. I used to put a cookie sheet in to the oven, let it get hot, and then put the pita break in onto the hot pan -- it would usually only take 2-3 minutes to bake each side. I used to make pitas almost daily.

[@nellgwenn]

My mom just made Syrian bread yesterday. It's a bit different than Pita., although you can use it the same way. The major difference is there is no empty hole in the middle. What we do is slice it in half that either pull the bread apart to make the hole or even use a knife.

[@merryclicker]

Add cubed cheddar and about 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Or cold tuna or chicken salad! Now I'm hungry! I can't believe this was so easy...

[@Groagun]

That was so awesome! I'm going to try this one.

[@cheekysaver]

Nailed it... in the good way!

[@johnpersonsii5104]

Steam burns are no joke, I hope your hand didn't get too hurt. Videos like these are making the quarantine easier to bear, at least for me. Thanks for your hard work and for sharing it with all of us!

[@MeatyMike]

mmmmm pita bread one of my favorites

[@justarel]

Great video! John Kirkwood has a great video on making pita as well. Going to have to try making some sometime as I like to make falafel but end up just buying pita beforehand.

[@vincenzovieri3743]

always good to see ur videos.

[@EastSider48215]

This came just in time. I was planning to make pita today and this was very helpful. I also really like that you left in the part where you had to add the oil late. So common in real life!

[@peshgirl]

Come back and tell us how it went!

[@EastSider48215]

Stephanie Morgan: They turned out great. Puffed up like great big clams! I don’t have a pizza stone, so I baked them on my cast iron skillet one at a time. One recipe I have said I could bake them right on the repack in the oven, so I think I’ll try that next time.

[@nuddsshane]

I WILL do this!!

[@Mrdardas99]

that was lovely! Pitas are usually made in an oven with an open flame - this extra heat gives it the slight charring required, and it cooks REALLY fast. The other way to eat Shwarma is with a different bread called Laffa, of which there are several types around the middle east (with or without yeast. the one with is used for shwarma). basically it's a big disc shaped wrap but much thicker and doughy than Mexican style wraps so it keeps all the meat juices and tahinni and salads secured. In Shwarma shops they keep the Laffas stacked and wrapped in plastic bags so they keep moist. Now, you'll never eat a Laffa on its own, it has very neutral flavor and dries really quickly - it has to be wrapped around juicy meats. the other popular type of Laffa is also called a Druze Pita and is made super thin on a convex circular iron plate over coals. It's without yeast, and you need good technique to stretch it out correctly and handling it without it ripping - the old Druze ladies in charge of it use a big circular pillow. It's awesome seeing them stretch the dough in just a few seconds with very little effort, unlike showboating Pizza chefs :-) The Druze Pita is traditionally topped and wrap a mix of dried Zaatar with toasted sesame seeds, olive oil, Labane goat cheese and Tabule salad (like a mediterrenean Parsley based salsa which is like 80% chopped Parsley by volume so SUPER fresh herb taste). These are eaten DIRECTLY after cooking, still hot from the fire. otherwise it dries up very very fast. keep up the good work!

[@thecalicoheart7946]

I have just recently started making my own homemade pitta breads from the Chef John/Food Wishes recipe (I saw his before yours, but both of your recipes are very similar! 😁). I tried making mine in the oven and it was a big, fat failure, so I tried the stovetop method and I was so fascinated by the puffage, I had to film a time lapse on my phone!!! 🤓😂 I love your experiments, I learn so much! 😊 Thank you for sharing! 😁👍X

[@NotAwar]

If you look at when Glen flips the pitas you can see that as the steam comes out the pita expands a tiny bit. The pocket is made by the steam running out from each side of the dough creating bubbles which come together to make a larger bubble, then that becomes the pocket. I also believe the lack of crust formation is due to high heat and highly hydrated flower, that would also explain the color on the dough.

[@justinguitarcia]

Can confirm, these come out proper. Made a roasted garlic and red pepper hummus and some quick pickled red cabbage to go with them ( just the stuff I had), super tasty bread and also if you roll a little thicker makes a great flat bread

[@nicoleturgeon-courchesne2212]

Interesting. Another recipe to add to my bread file. I have made the greek style pita bread which, in my opinion, is more like naan bread. Thanks Glen and Jules. :)

[@Jacob-Vivimord]

Aha, I was wondering when we'd see that rotisserie again!

[@peachmelba1000]

We're all gonna have bbqs this summer.

[@8stringmonkey]

My guess on the puffiness is steam trapped inside. I have an idea for another quarantine bread, you may have done it already, but beer bread, since many people have beer in fridge, may be a good substitute for the yeast shortage.

[@TheSuzberry]

8stringmonkey - no beer bread in my house. I’m drinking mine. Maybe later.

[@awesomesauce7535]

Cool! They look like giant oyster crackers to me 🙂

[@Tntdruid]

You should add some grahamflour, they taste so good whit that 👍 What i use: * 15 g. Fresh Yeast * 3dl. Water. * 1 tsk. Salt * 300 g. Wheat Flour * 150 g. Grahamflour

[@Tntdruid]

No el en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_flour

[@MatthewSherriff85]

Thanks, very informative. I'm now curious if I could use a different recipe and still make the same thing just by rolling them out

[@jvallas]

I’ve seen a few commenters here say they use pizza dough or bread dough sometimes, and it works fine (including stating a pizza shop uses its pizza dough to make pitas for the employees’ lunches). I think the big factors are to roll it fairly thin and make sure the oven and pan are pretty much as hot as can be.

[@limberlad]

I was just looking up a recipe for tortillas when I found this

[@andrewnichol1658]

Glen AWESOME Your inspirational

[@callioscope]

Loved the video. Been making bread of all sorts, but find it hard when a recipe just says yeast without telling me if it’s active or instant. Love that you gave amounts of both. Thank you. Not all recipes require testing the yeast, so is it just a crap shoot? Also, how do you like that silicone lid? Never saw them until yesterday when I watched a BA video. Do they work well?

[@rikcoach1]

It works without the oil. The oil adds some chewiness and elasticity to the final product but just flour salt yeast and water is just fine. I prefer to cook it on a hot pan on the stove. It doesn’t puff as well but you get nice char marks on the surface which adds superior flavor in my opinion.

[@dalainebloom4505]

I love to watch You. You and Your Beautiful Wife are AWESOME!!! You make Me feel like Even I could bake. LOL!!! I am going to try anyways. 😊👍🏼

[@CodeFoxAus]

Oh yeah!

[@elizabethadams3744]

Can the same cooking method be done on a screaming hot cast-iron pan on the stovetop? Thx for all of your videos! Yours is my favorite channel right now!

[@Boyetto-san]

It's actually very natural for yeast fermented dough to behave this way if baked after rolling thin. By rolling, you smush down what otherwise would become the crumb structure of the bread. When it's rapidly heated, the two sides of the bread rapidly set and form two distinct layers. The water in the dough evaporates and the yeast continues to produce gas in the heat as it dies off, and those gasses further expand in the heat. Because of all this, instead of developing an airy crumb, it just develops one big air pocket around the two set outer surfaces like a balloon.

[@jwsvandr]

I use a large ceramic tile for baking bread. Would work for pita a treat

[@franriding6473]

Nice job. I've seen them cooked in a frying pan on the stove.

[@chineseviking]

Need to find a bench scraper like that! So handy being reversible

[@sittingstill3578]

You don’t even need to let it do a rise before throwing them in the oven. I use the recipe from Bernard Clayton’s Complete Book of Bread and it’s mix ingredients, knead, portion and bake. Recently I tried a pre-ferment on half the flour. The pita wasn’t as chewy but it had more depth and was easier to digest. Just mix half the flour with half the water into a slurry. Let rest a few hours before combining with the rest of the ingredients. I am considering using that together with a poolish (which is like a pre-ferment but with a touch of yeast). I imagine that a little more time could make some phenomenal pita.

[@warmsteamingpile]

Never made pita but I want to try your recipe. Thanks for the videos. Really helps my sanity. Stay safe and healthy!

[@ollieb9875]

Seasons don't fear the pita, nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, be like they are 🎵 🤣 cheers. Be well!

[@OmniCausticInfidel]

thnk you mr glen

[@justinguitarcia]

Perfect timing. Was just looking at a couple cans of chickpeas in the pantry and was about to make hummus

[@TheSuzberry]

He just posted a hummus recipe, too.

[@droredri8595]

I would add a little bit of sugar to help with browning. Also from my experience rolling them a bit thicker will result in a more sturdy pita and more spongy which lasts longer and more delicious

[@mrscary3105]

OMG Glen made pillows! :)

[@dreyhawk]

My flour is Very different from yours! lol. That's because I have to use gluten free flour blends. So some adaptation will be necessary but your finished product looks so good I just really want to try it.

[@chrishermsmeyer3570]

Just went 6 to noon. That pita burn is sooooo worth it.

[@atouchofa.d.d.5852]

Probably saved me burns with the PSA!

[@btbingo]

In the 1950s I watched old women bake pita on a sheet of steel cut out of a 50 gallon barrell. The metal was placed over fire. Worked just fine

[@stefaanvandewinkel7609]

Magic 😂😂

[@cat3rgrl917]

thank you

[@janes.1701]

Looks good! Yeast is nearly impossible to find right now...what happens if you omit yeast? Its a flat bread...? Thanks....enjoy your videos very much!

[@liddybird3608]

The difference can also be humidity in the atmosphere of your house. It does make a difference, especially in the extreme cases of making bread in the desert versus in a very humid part of the country like the American south or the eastern seaboard during the summer.

[@wendelynyoung8609]

Hey, I wonder can we use our bigga/levian we made from our no knead dough

[@bulbhorn]

Wendelyn Young I want to know this as well. Thank you.