Easy Potato Flake Sourdough Pita Pocket
Potato flake sourdough pita pocket is an easy and fun bread to make. This recipe yields soft, delicious, fluffy pitas with perfect pockets ready to be filled with your favorite ingredients.
Use your potato flake sourdough starter to naturally rise this bread and allow it to ferment so that the grains are easier on the gut!
Equipment
- Baking stone or cast iron griddle
- Rolling Pin
- Dough scraper/cutter
- Stand mixer (optional but much easier to knead this way)
- measuring cups and spoons
- Long metal spatula (super helpful for placing the pitas in the oven)
- Plastic wrap (for covering the rising dough, it's not recommended to use a tea towel because the top of the dough can dry out)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup starter active or discard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour I scoop and shake to level my flours
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Begin by adding all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix the ingredients until a dough ball forms.
- Knead the dough on the lowest speed for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth but not sticky. If the mixture looks dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. It's important to achieve the right consistency for the dough to ensure the best texture for the pita pockets.
- Next, coat the inside of a large bowl with a little olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm place.
- Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in volume, which typically takes about 8-10 hours.
- The next day, (or evening, depending on what time of day you mixed up the dough) when the dough is ready, place your pizza stone or cast iron griddle in the oven and preheat to 500°F.
- The baking stone needs to be very hot, so let it preheat for at least 30-45 minutes. Make sure to place it on the highest shelf setting that will still allow you to lay the pita dough on without burning yourself. This high heat is crucial for achieving the perfect puff in your pita pockets.
- Now that your dough has risen and your oven is preheating, it's time to shape the pitas. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a nice round ball.
- Allow them to do a short "second rise" under a damp tea towel for about 30 minutes-1 hour, or just until puffy and soft. The damp tea towel prevents the dough from drying out.
- After this rest time, press each dough ball flat.
- If the dough is sticking too much, prepared a lightly floured surface. Using your rolling pin, roll each piece into a 6-inch round disc or 1/4 inch thick. Getting the thickness right is important; if the dough is too thick or too thin, it won’t puff up properly during baking.
- Carefully place two pieces at a time onto the preheated baking stone using a long metal spatula. Using a long metal spatula can help you place the pitas on the hot surface without burning yourself.
- Bake for 3-4 minutes. The high heat will cause the pitas to puff up, creating that classic pocket.
- Flip them over after they have puffed up and allow them to cook on the opposite side for about 1 minute, just to get a little color on that side.
- Remove from the oven, and repeat this process with the rest of the dough balls!