Pita that puffs, on a steel plate
Pita puffs because the base hits something hot enough to turn the water in the dough into steam all at once. The steam has nowhere to go but up, and it lifts the top away from the bottom. A baking tray never gets there. A preheated steel plate does, which is why pita is one of the most satisfying things to bake on one: you watch it inflate through the oven door in under a minute.
The dough
This makes eight pitas about 18cm across.
- 500g plain or bread flour
- 320g warm water
- 15g olive oil
- 8g salt
- 5g sugar
- 5g instant yeast
Mixing and resting
Mix everything except the salt, rest ten minutes, then add the salt and knead until smooth, about eight minutes. Cover and leave until doubled, about an hour.
Divide into eight, shape into tight balls, cover and rest twenty minutes so the dough relaxes enough to roll without shrinking back.
Preheat, roll, bake
Plate on the upper third rack, oven at maximum, 45 minutes after it reaches temperature.
Roll each ball into a round about 4 to 5mm thick. Keep the thickness even: a thin patch tears and lets the steam out, and that pita stays flat.
Slide two or three onto the plate at a time. They puff in about a minute; give them two to three minutes in total, until pale with a few freckles. Take them out before they brown or they turn crisp instead of soft.
Keeping them soft
Stack them straight into a clean tea towel and wrap them up. The trapped steam keeps them soft. Left uncovered on a rack, they dry out within minutes.
Roll evenly to 4 to 5mm, bake hot and short, and wrap them in a towel the moment they come out.