Soft, tender and fluffy Sourdough Pita Bread for all the sandwich stuffings like these Greek Pita Sandwiches, and a vehicle for scooping up flavorful dips and spreads like Artichoke Hummus. Use your doubled in size Sourdough Starter to whip up this sourdough pita recipe. This recipe is vegetarian and vegan friendly.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: “I’ve tried making sourdough pita bread about 3 times using a variety of recipes. None of them could compare to the texture and flavor of your recipe.” ~ Marisa
Homemade Sourdough Pita Bread
If you make homemade Sourdough Recipes, you’re going to love this Sourdough Pita Bread recipe. Homemade pita bread is flavorful, tender, soft and fun to make; It’s my best sourdough pita recipe! Watching it puff up in the oven means homemade pita isn’t too far away (and it’s so satisfying!).
This Recipe Is
- easy to make
- freezer friendly
- versatile enough for sandwiches, rich soups, pita pizza or slicing into wedges for dipping
There are many ways to enjoy homemade pita bread, and it tastes amazing! Read on to learn more.
About the Key Ingredients
- Sourdough Bread Starter – previously feed, doubled in size and bubbly. This is the natural leaving agent for sourdough pita!
- Bread Flour – for a chewy, sturdy yet tender crumb, I use unbleached, organic if possible, bread flour. It creates a stretchy tender dough that’s a dream to work with!
- Whole Wheat Flour – you can use whole wheat bread flour or regular whole wheat. Look for stone ground, I like Bob’s Red Mill. It adds an earthy flavor and contributes to pita’s chewy texture.
If you have leftover sourdough starter, use it in my Olive Oil Sourdough Discard Crackers.
At a Glance: How to Make Sourdough Pita Bread
You’ll start with a 100% hydration, doubled in size Sourdough Starter. Just like making sourdough bread, plan ahead so the dough has plenty of time to rise.
- First, in a medium mixing bowl, add your fluffy and active sourdough starter.
- Second, stir in warm water, maple syrup and oil.
- Third, add the bread flour, whole wheat and salt.
- Fourth, mix the dough by hand until no dry patches remain.
- Next, bulk ferment at room temperature overnight for about 12-16 hours.
- Last, shape the dough, proof for just 15 minutes, then use a rolling pin to roll out each individual pita and bake!
To bake the sourdough pita, you’ll use the back of a baking sheet or pizza stone / baking stone. Use parchment paper cut to fit individual pita dough to make transferring the pita rounds to the baking surface easier. You’ll bake for just 5-6 minutes, then wrap the hot pita in a kitchen towel.
Things to Stuff, Slather, Dip or Serve with Sourdough Pita Bread
Sourdough Pita Bread Good to Know
How it Puffs
Pita is baked at a high temperature, in this case, in the oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. When the dough hits the hot baking surface, the water quickly becomes steam, causing the pita to puff up. When removed from the oven, the void or “pocket” remains.
Country of Origination
Pita has its roots in the Middle East, dating back 14,500 years! According to Wikipedia, Pita originates from the Natufian people in Jordan.
Pita Bread as a Pizza Base
Preheat your oven and a pizza stone or upside-down baking pan to 500 – 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Top your pita with your favorite pizza toppings. Slide it onto a piece of parchment paper, then use the parchment as a handle to slide it onto the preheated baking pan/stone. Bake for about five to six minutes, then it’s ready!
Sourdough Pita Making Schedule
- In the Morning: Feed your starter and allow it to double in size.
- In the Evening: Mix the dough and bulk ferment at room temp.
- The Next Morning: shape, rest and bake.
Pita Making Tools
You’ll need a few basic bread baking tools. Here are some of my favorite tools (these are affiliate links):
- Digital Scale – accurately weighs your ingredients for optimal outcome.
- Baking Stone – evenly transfers heat to your pita dough in the oven and also, it’s an ideal base for making sourdough pizza crust too!
- Rolling Pin – used to roll the pita dough evenly and thin.
- Aluminum Sheet Pan – an ideal baking medium if you don’t have a baking stone on hand. I find it works just as effectively as a baking stone! Turn it upside down for easy pita dough transfer.
- Parchment Paper – a perfect vehicle for transferring the rolled out pita dough into the oven and onto your baking surface.
- Bench Scraper – scrapes all the bits of flour and dough off your work surface to keep it clean and tidy.
- I recommend a digital oven thermometer. Knowing the accurate temperature of your oven allows you to make temperature adjustments when needed.
Traci’s Tips
- I include whole wheat flour in this recipe because it offers an earthy, rustic flavor and added nutrition. It can be replaced with bread flour if desired. I use stone ground whole wheat flour for best flavor.
- Weigh your ingredients for best outcome.
- Make sure your oven is fully preheated so that the pita will puff up as it should. An external oven thermometer is helpful in knowing the proper oven temperature and so, you can adjust when needed. I recommend a digital or dial oven thermometer to know the true temperature of your oven.
Soft and Puffy Sourdough Pita Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) Sourdough Starter, 100% hydration, active and doubled in size
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (200 grams) Warm Water, 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celsius)
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup, or honey
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 cups (300 grams) Bread Flour, unbleached
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) Whole Wheat Flour, stone ground
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter, water, maple syrup, and olive oil. Whisk until there are no chunks of starter floating around. To the wet ingredients, add the bread flour, whole wheat flour and salt.
- First, mix with a fork, the dough will become shaggy. Then mix by hand, mixing, folding and pushing the dough until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry bits are present. It will seem dry at first, but the more you work the dough, the more hydrated it will become. Do this for about 3-4 minutes. The dough will stick to your fingers as you go.
- Use the fork to scrape off the dough on your fingers as much as you can. Cover bowl with a damp tea towel. Set a timer for for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Now is a good time to feed/refresh your starter.
- Fold the Dough: After the dough has rested, fold the dough. To do this, grab a portion of the dough while it remains in the bowl, stretch it up and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center of the dough. You'll notice the dough is less stiff and more workable at this point. Repeat, until you've worked your way around the dough. This is the first fold, and you can stop here and begin bulk fermentation, but If time permits, and optimally, you'll want to repeat this fold at least one more time, two if you can, as it improves the final dough's structure. Allow for about 30-45 minutes each between folds.
- Bulk (fermentation) Rise: After the last fold, cover the bowl with two damp towels and allow to rise overnight at room temperature. This will take about 10-12 hours at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius), but in a cooler kitchen the dough can take up to 12-16 hours to rise – this is the norm in my chilly kitchen. The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, is jiggly when the bowl is shaken, and has about doubled in size.
- Shape the Dough: In the morning, and with damp fingertips, coax the dough into a floured work-surface. Divide the dough into 4 pieces (210 grams each). Working quickly, with a piece of dough on the work surface, pull the edges of each piece to the center to shape the dough, and pinch making a rough dough ball. Place the dough ball on the floured work surface pinched side down. Rest the dough for five minutes. Scrape the flour away from your work surface and sprits a touch of water. This will increase friction between the dough and surface if needed (otherwise the dough will slide around rather than grip the surface to form a tight ball). Gently cup your hand behind the dough ball and pull it towards you to increase surface tension. Once a ball is formed, proof the dough.
- Proof the Dough (second rise): Transfer the balls to a lightly floured surface, and cover with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 15 minutes (a quick proof). They'll become just slightly puffy.Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 Celsius). Arrange the oven racks in the upper and bottom third of the oven. Place an upside down sheet pan(s) and/or pizza stone on each rack for preheating.
- Roll Out the Dough Balls: On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough balls into a uniform disk to between 1/8 – 1/4 inch (.3 – .6 centimeters) thick and 7 – 7 1/2 inches (17 – 19 centimeters) wide, turning the dough like pie dough to keep a circular shape, sprinkling with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. If the dough becomes difficult to roll, set it aside to rest for about five minutes, and roll another ball. Transfer the pita dough to a small piece of parchment paper. Cover with a damp tea towel unless transferring directly to the oven. Finish rolling out the remaining dough balls.
- Bake the Pita Bread: *Note*: You can bake two pita at a time (two is easier to manage without cooling the oven down too much). I bake two at a time on one sheet pan (preferably), one at a time on a stone. Once the oven is preheated, transfer the pita to a peel or upside down sheet pan. Open the oven door, and using the parchment as a handle, slide the pita onto the preheated pan or stone.Bake for 5 minutes and 20 seconds or until the pita is puffed up and only lightly golden on the bottom around the edges. It won't brown on top. No need to flip the pitas while they're baking.
- Remove from the oven and loosely wrap the pitas in a tea towel(s). Do not deflate the pitas while still hot as the steam coming out of the pita will burn skin. Rest 10 minutes, then gently deflate once cooled.Slice the pitas in half and enjoy stuffed, or slice into wedges for dipping in all the things (see blog post for ideas!).
- To Store: Sourdough is best consumed on the same day it's baked, but pita will last for 2-3 days stored at room temperature in a sealed plastic bag.Baked pita freezes beautifully. First, allow the pita to cool completely, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature, and rewarm in a 350F oven, wrapped in foil (to keep their softness) for about 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications or helping other commentors.
I made this today and it was great! Pita was soo fluffy
Best news ever, Brittany! Thank you for your note and giving the pita a go!
This is an extremely amazing recipe! The dough was so beautiful I gave this out to many friends and everyone raved about it. I will be using your recipe for many years to come, THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
Best news ever, Tambra! Thank you for your note and sending a smile!
These turned out awesome for me. I was amazed to see them puff up so perfectly in the oven! My bulk fermentation was much shorter. I can’t leave any dough overnight in the summer, lol. My second proof and oven time were both longer. Simply amazing with Greek chicken, salad, and tzaziki.
Hii Rebecca! Thank you for your note and giving the pita a go!
Love these, I use my dutch oven overtruned bottom and cast iron griddle to bake these fun to watch them puff up oven magoc
YUMMMMMMMY!
I’ve tried a few but this one is tops. Follow it precisely. For the final roll out phase I did most of it using gravity and fingers like a pizza dough. BUT I found that rolling it for most of this phase made for a quicker POP and puff. Don’t be affords to let it rest a few minutes in between final roll/shape as noted.
Best news ever, Ellen! Thank you for sending a smile, and trying a new pita recipe! Day made!
Turns out so good every time. 🤩 🤩
I normally make 8 instead of 4.
Love, love, LOVE this, Emma! Thank you for your note!
Delicious, All puffed up beautifully. My dough was rising fast, so I put it in the refrigerator (covered w plastic) overnight, This week I’m going to make slightly smaller ones (140g), 6, instead of 4.
Hi Linda! Thank you for your note and overnight tip. Six small pitas sounds perfect!
I did the same thing cover and popped it in the fridge over night took out in the AM to room temp for about an hour and was ready to go :)
Quite literally amazing! 😍
Love hearing your results, CSH! Thank you for your note and giving the pita a go!
This pita bread is amazing! I’ve made it twice and both times it turns out fantastic, very soft and almost always puffing up perfectly in the oven. The last time I made it I even added a bit more whole wheat than the recipe called for and it still turned out just as good. I also love your seeded multigrain sourdough, I make about four loaves every couple of months and freeze them for the best toast! What I would really love to see in this blog is a good sourdough naan recipe. When I realized you don’t have one, I tried a few recipes from other websites, even the one from Maurizio Leo’s book, The Perfect Loaf, but none of them really wowed me, although they turned out good. I love naan and I used to make it using yeast, but I would like to step away from yeast now that I bake sourdough. This pita is just as good as naan, but when I make it in the summertime my whole house ends up at 85 degrees due to the constant opening of a very hot oven.
Best news ever, Emily! Thank you for your note and sharing with us. You can’t go wrong with more whole wheat! I had been working on a naan recipe… but shelved it due to multiple lackluster results. Thank you for nudging me back to it! I love naan too, so a sourdough version needs to happen!
I made this recipe with a few adjustments and it turned out perfect! Notes:
1. I only ever feed my starter enough for 100g, so to compensate, I added 50g to the bread flour (350g total) and 50g to the water (250g total).
2. I started in the morning, and had some errands to run, so I only mixed the dough and hand-kneaded it for ~5 minutes before covering and leaving on the counter without any extra folds.
3. It’s summer here in Atlanta and I keep my kitchen at 75°F, so even though I used less starter, when I came back just 7 hours after the original mix/knead, the dough was proofed and jiggly.
4. I had dinner plans when the dough was proofed, so I opted to put the dough in the fridge without shaping to retard, and it was there for 17 hours until I baked the next morning.
5. Shaped and quick-proofed for 15 minutes as directed.
6. Used a baking stone for baking at 500°F, and found parchment paper made it easy to transfer to the stone. Put the rolled out round on the paper, placed on the stone, and slid out the paper. 5 minutes was about the right baking time. Pitas poofed up beautifully.
Hi Samuel! Hooray for poofy pita! Thank you for coming back and sharing your process with us and that retard timing! I bet the flavor was incredible!