What makes pita puff

It was made solely to be immediately made into pita chips I was going through a major Stacy's phase. I don't remember how the bread itself turned out, but I do remember that the chips were mediocre at best. The second time I made pita bread was last month. I used a recipe from Molly Yeh that is printed in her yogurt-themed Short Stack. My goal as a baker and as a human is to be constantly improving and expanding my skill set. I'm pretty good at making the same things over and over and telling myself I'm "practicing".

So when I received the yogurt short stack cookbook in a cooking-themed subscription box I get CrateChef , if you were wondering. I'd recommend it! Molly mentions in the book that they freeze well and I'm always on the hunt for foods I can make on Sunday and reheat throughout the week. Plus, the recipe looked quite simple. Perfect, right? Though they browned up quite prettily in the oven, my pitas did not puff up one dang bit.

And the puffiness is kind of the calling card of the pita. It was a huge bummer for me because the process seemed to be going really well- the dough felt like it was supposed to and I followed the recipe to the letter of the law. See now this is why I only bake things that I know will turn out well! If at first you don't succeed, and all that, right? As it turned out, the dense "pitas" were still pretty tasty, especially sliced in half, toasted, and slathered with butter.

We ate some for dinner that evening with a Sudanese bean dip and it was a great meal. The yogurt in the pitas gave them a wonderful tanginess. Who knew failure could taste so good? It's like when there's a fly buzzing around your head- you know it's harmless and you should just ignore it and concentrate on whatever you're doing. But that small noise is just irritating enough that you give up and spend the next five minutes slapping things until you finally get the fly.

That's me when a recipe doesn't turn out right. It buzzes around my head and I have to bake it again, the sooner the better. Before getting out my rolling pin again, I spent some time googling to figure out how I could make sure my next batch baked up correctly. And guess what? It worked! My third try made a week after the failed batch puffed up beautifully. In fact, I got so much joy out of seeing those puffy pitas that I was grateful the previous batch was dense. It forced me to learn a lot more about the science behind the puffiness of pita bread and also made me dance around the kitchen literally with pure joy when that first pita puffed up.

If you've run into the same problem when baking pitas or have been scared to even try! THEORY 1: Oven not hot enough This is a common problem for many baked goods and one that I especially struggle with as my oven seems to run anywhere from degrees cold, depending on the day.

The recipe called for a degree oven and I was feeling optimistic so I only preheated the oven to I didn't check what my oven thermometer was reading until I was ready to bake the pitas. It was only at degrees. I baked them anyways. The next time I baked, I cranked my oven heat as high as it would go and preheated well in advance. My research tells me high heat is extremely important for pitas, so if you have a standard oven, I'd recommend preheating at the maximum temperature.

Okay, strike two. The reasoning is pretty simple- it's in the science of the puff. When the pita is placed in a very hot oven, the heat coming at it from every angle begins to cook the outside of the dough. At the same time, moisture builds up in the middle of the dough, eventually causing a big puff of steam.

Since the top and bottom have already become solidified, the steam is contained within the bread, causing the signature puff. If the disk of dough is too thick, the intense oven heat won't reach the center of the dough and thus cause the steamy puff until the outside of the dough is already baked so solid that it's too rigid to puff up.

THEORY 3: Didn't let pitas proof after rolling out My recipe didn't tell me to do this, but every other recipe or forum I've consulted has included this step. So I'll be doing it from now on! All you have to do is let the rolled-out disk rest for about ish minutes before baking, until they're slightly puffy.

I cover them with a tea towel to ensure they don't loose too much moisture during this resting period. Combine this with the fact that my oven was not hot enough see theory no. I have no doubt that a cookie sheet works perfectly well when you control for other variables, but if you're also nervous about your oven's variable temp or you just want to give your pitas an edge, bake them on a baking stone or at least a preheated cookie sheet.

As I mention in theory no. Just curious what type of griddle are you using to on the stove top? Hi Jimmy.. Pleased to see that you liked the recipe.

Thank you. I am using Iron Griddle here commonly used to make Indian style Crepes. Hi, I did try making pita bread with your recipe and they were beautiful and puffed up. I had tried making them before with other recipes and they were a disaster. Loved the taste, texture and the way they ballooned up. Used atta and AP flor plus yeast, Proofed as mentioned, rolled as thin as mentioned Tried cooking some on Tawa and some in the oven It did not turn out like yours.

Not happy about it. Sorry to know about that SS.. There are many factors that could have gone wrong. It is all about the hydration of the dough. Your email address will not be published. Jump to Recipe Jump to Video. Liked this recipe? Let us know by giving it a star rating. Course Main Course. Cuisine Mediterranean. Prep Time 15 minutes. Cook Time 5 minutes. Proofing Time 3 hours 20 minutes. Total Time 20 minutes. Servings 10 pitas. Author Sushma Iyer.

Instructions Combine all-purpose flour, wheat flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Add the yeast to warm water and stir to dissolve completely. Pour this in the mixing bowl along with olive oil and then combine everything into a sticky mass. Transfer to your worktop dust with additional flour and knead for mins until you get a soft and tacky dough.

Refer the detailed instructions from the above paragraphs. Lightly oil the same mixing bowl. Transfer the dough into it, coat it with olive oil from all sides to refrain it from drying and then allow it for first proofing -2 hours.

After 2 hours lightly deflate the gas and divide the dough into 10 equal parts. Tuck the sides in of it and give it a round shape. Press in the centre and cover with a tea towel. Repeat the process until you shape all of them into roundels. Take the first dough that you shaped and roll it thinly and evenly to 6 inches in diameter. Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover with a tea towel.

Once you have rolled out all the roundels allow it for second proofing - 30 mins. Preheat the oven to degree Celsius with the baking stone inside. Tried this recipe for the first time today, and the pitas did puff and were yummy.

I had problems with the dough fighting me though, so the pitas were on the small side. What can I do to fix that? In the recipe it says to move the pita to the top of the oven for two minutes. If you do use a stone, do you put them on a pan for the last two minutes? Good question, Barbara! We're a bit worried that the pan wouldn't be hot enough, so if you're using a stone, you may have better luck just flipping them over so that the other side can brown for a few minutes instead.

Happy baking! If it's easier to put them on a pan, go for it, Barbara. But if you can just carefully move them onto the bare oven rack, that works fine. Good luck! Unlock great flavor by understanding the four key varieties.

His four-step bakeability test ensures you get the highest quality flour every time. View our privacy policy. Blog Recipes Getting the pop in your pita Make pillowy pita Author. Recipe in this post. Mix to form a cohesive dough Put the dough in a lightly greased container, cover it Working with 2 to 4 balls at a time, flatten each into a disk.

Tagged: bread pita. Filed Under: Recipes. The Author. View all posts by PJ Hamel. Comments Like you, and others, I got a slightly puffy piece of chewy bread. If the dough is springing back when you roll it out, let it rest for a bit and try again. Hi PJ! I really love this blog. Sauces Butter. Thanksgiving Holidays Main Dish. Updated 2 days ago 23 comments. November, edition Updated 1 hour ago comments. Quick Links.