Easy Homemade Lebanese Pita Bread Recipe (Shawarma)
Nothing beats the taste of warm, puffy, freshly baked Lebanese pita bread. This recipe is so easy, you'll wonder why you ever settled for store-bought pita.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 201kcal
Equipment
- 1 pizza steel or pizza stone
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Wooden Spoon, or utensil to stir the dough
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Electric Stand Mixer optional
- 1 plastic bench scraper optional
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup warm water (100-110°F) 285 milliliters
- 1 Tablespoon instant dry yeast 10 grams
- ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar 2 grams, optional
- 1 cup whole wheat flour 150 grams
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour 250 grams, plus more for dusting
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil 23 milliliters, plus more for greasing
- 1 teaspoon salt 7 grams
Instructions
Knead the dough
- Pour the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar (optional) into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Stir. To check whether the yeast is fresh, let the mixture stand, uncovered, in a warm place. If the yeast is fresh, it will activate and be bubbly within 15 minutes. Add the whole wheat, all-purpose flour, salt and olive oil to the activated yeast mixture. Using a dough hook attachment, mix on low speed in a stand mixer until the dough comes together - about 3 minutes. Raise the speed to medium and mix. The dough is done when it is smooth and elastic but still sticky and separates cleanly from the side of the mixing bowl - about 3-5 minutes. Note: the dough can also be mixed in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon and then kneaded by hand.
First proof - about 1 ½ hours
- Using a dough scraper or your hands, scrape away the dough from the sides of the mixing bowl to form a smooth ball. The seam side should be underneath the ball.Drizzle a little olive oil on top and cover the entire surface of the dough ball including the bottom with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or silicone cover and place it in a warm spot. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size - about 1- 1 ½ hours.
Preheat the oven
- Place a pizza stone on the middle rack. If you don't have a pizza stone or pizza steel, use an inverted cast iron skillet. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Once the oven reaches 500°F allow it to continue to heat for 30 minutes.
Second proof - 15 minutes
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 even pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Tuck in any seams underneath the ball. Place on a baking tray with enough space for the dough to double. Brush all exposed sides with a little olive oil. Cover with a wet towel, and rest for 15 minutes.* If making the dough in advance, place the dough balls in a plastic container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Allow to rest for 30 minutes prior to proceeding to the next step.
Shape the dough
- Cut some parchment into 8 7 inch x 7 inch squares. To stop the parchment from curling, crumple each piece of parchment and smooth out so it stays flat.Place a dough ball onto the parchment square. Using a flour-dusted rolling pin, toll each dough ball into a 7 inch diameter circle. Each dough circle should be about a ¼ inch thick and will just fit the parchment square. Cover the dough circle with a wet towel. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. The dough circles can be stacked since there will be a piece of parchment in between. Make sure that the dough balls and circles are covered at all times to prevent them from out.
Bake the pita
- Oven: Place 1-2 dough circles on the pizza stone. Bake until puffed - about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Note: The pita will not puff up if the oven temperature drops. If this happens, just stop baking and let the oven reheat for about 2-4 minutes.Stovetop: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brush with olive oil. Add a rolled-out pita. Once bubbles begin to form, (about 30-40 seconds) flip the pita. The pita should fully puff up in about a minute. Flip once more and cook for even browning - about 2 minutes. Cool the pita on a wire rack and cover with a towel.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the dough does not dry out - It is important to brush the dough balls with oil and cover the dough at all times . This prevents the dough from drying out - the water in the dough creates the steam necessary for the pita to puff up and get its signature pocket.
- Moisture is the secret to the giant pocket - The kneaded dough should be smooth but still a little sticky - the ideal kneaded pita bread dough is a little sticky before the first proof.
- Pita will not puff up if the oven temperature falls - If the pitas stop puffing up, close the oven door for about 2-4 minutes so that the oven can heat up before baking more pitas.