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stacked sourdough discard pita bread

Sourdough Discard Pita Bread Recipe

Yield: 8 pita breads
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 17 minutes
This Sourdough Discard Pita Bread is an easy way to turn extra sourdough discard into soft, fluffy homemade pitas with perfect pockets every time. They're quick to make, freezer-friendly, and so much better than anything from the grocery store.
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 180 grams warm water 3/4 cup
  • 120 grams sourdough discard, room temperature 1/2 cup
  • 30 grams olive oil 2 Tablespoons
  • 10 grams honey 1 teaspoon
  • 290 grams All-purpose flour 2 cups + 1 Tablespoon
  • 35 grams Whole Wheat flour 1/4 cup
  • 7 grams instant yeast 2 teaspoons
  • 6 grams salt 1 teaspoon

Instructions

  1. In a bowl of a stand mixer add the warm water (90 degrees F), sourdough discard, olive oil and honey. Using a Danish dough whisk, mix until a milky liquid. My water was 110 degrees F.
    You can also knead this dough by hand, just increase the knead time by about 5-7 minutes.
    30 grams olive oil, 120 grams sourdough discard, room temperature, 180 grams warm water, 10 grams honey
  2. Next, add the flours, instant yeast and salt. With a dough hook, mix on low for 2 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are combined. Then increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be pulling away from the bowl and tacky to the touch, not sticking to your hands.
    7 grams instant yeast, 35 grams Whole Wheat flour, 290 grams All-purpose flour, 6 grams salt
  3. Place the dough in a lightly greased straight-edge bowl, cover and leave to double in size. This took about 45 minutes in my 70 degree F kitchen.
    I love this straight-edge bowl because it allows me to clearly see when the dough has doubled in size.
  4. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the top of the dough to remove all the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a clean work surface.
  5. With a bench scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (about 83 grams each).
  6. Pull the corners of the dough towards the center, flip, and then roll each piece of dough into a round, tight ball. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  7. Cover the doughballs with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 15 minutes. This allows the gluten to rest, making it easier to roll.
  8. While the pita dough completes its second rise, place a pizza stone on the middle rack and preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. The pizza stone will need to preheat for at least 20 minutes before baking the sourdough pita bread.
    Don’t have a pizza stone? Find stovetop directions in the notes below!
  9. Once the dough has rested, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll out each dough ball to be about 6-7 inches wide and less than ¼ inch thick. Be careful not to roll any dough out too thin or create any holes. This can cause the dough to crisp up while baking or prevent the dough from puffing up. Continue to flour your work surface so the dough doesn’t stick.
  10. Two at a time, place the sourdough pita on the preheated pizza stone and cook for 2-2 ½ minutes. It should puff up and lightly brown on the edges.
  11. Carefully remove and place the cooked sourdough pita in a clean tea towel to prevent them from drying out, then repeat the same cooking process with the remaining pita dough.
  12. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Stovetop Directions

Preheat cast iron skillet over medium/high heat and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay pita on the hot skillet for 30 seconds. Once you see bubbling, flip the pitta and cook for 1 minute – it will puff, then flip and cook another minute.

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Flour: I used a combination of all-purpose bread flour and whole wheat flour. I love the nutty flavor that the whole wheat flour brings to the sourdough pita bread, but you can make this recipe with just all-purpose flour.
  • Oil: Olive oil adds a delicious flavor while also making this fluffy sourdough pita bread extra tender. You can substitute with any neutral oil, like avocado oil.
  • Honey: Helps the pita brown nicely in the oven or skillet. You can swap it with the same amount of sugar (by grams) if needed.
  • Sourdough Discard: I used fresh, room temperature sourdough discard. Older discard will give the pita bread a much more tangy flavor. If using discard straight from the fridge, know that it’ll slow down the rise time. You can swap in the same amount of active sourdough starter (grams). 
  • Salt: I add in a little fine sea salt for flavor and minerals. 
  • Instant yeast: I used commercial yeast for this recipe because it can be added directly to the dry ingredients and helps the dough rise quickly. Active dry yeast will also work, but it needs to be bloomed in the warm water and honey first before adding the remaining ingredients since it takes longer to activate and rise the dough.

Tips for Success

  • Be sure not to roll out the dough too thinly or create holes in the dough. This can prevent the sourdough pita bread from puffing up while baking and becoming crunchy instead of soft and tender.
  • I love freezing these and having them on hand for a quick lunch! Stuff them with all of your favorite meats, cheeses and veggies and you are set. 
  • You can prep this dough ahead of time. Let the dough double in size, then punch the dough to remove the air bubbles. Cover it and place it in the fridge until the next day. The 2nd rise will take a little longer since the dough will be cold from the fridge. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1pita bread | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 0.4IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 2mg
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