Store-Bought Pizza Dough Is The Shortcut For Homemade Pita Bread

Have you thought about making pita bread at home? While it may sound like quite the task, a time-saving shortcut to soft, warm pita from your own skillet is right at the next grocery store, or perhaps even in your pantry. It's simply store-bought pizza dough. How does it work? Pizza dough is very similar to pita bread dough in that they both essentially contain the same basic ingredients: flour, water, yeast (or a similar leavening agent), salt, and a little oil. And if you don't have access to pizza dough in a pinch, Greek yogurt and self-rising flour are the two-ingredient pizza dough shortcut you might be missing out on.

To make your homemade pita bread, form a large dough ball and divide it into two, four, or even eight equal pieces (the size of a small apple). You want to tumble each piece into a smaller ball and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This will give the dough some time to relax, making it easier to work with.

Next, on a floured surface, grab your rolling pin and roll each piece of dough out to about ¼ inch thick. Grab a cast iron skillet if you have one, and be sure to get it hot. Place the flattened dough into the skillet, turn it over every 20 to 30 seconds, and watch it puff. That puff is how you get the amazing pocket that pita bread is known for.

Using store-bought pizza dough to make homemade pita bread is relatively quick and painless. The end goal is to get this golden, lightly charred outside, with a soft and airy inside. As you finish each one, cover the finished breads with a clean towel or some aluminum foil. If you leave them uncovered, they will dry out, which is what we want to avoid here. Once you have cooked your desired amount, slice open the pita breads (be careful not to tear the pockets), and fill them with whatever you like. Some classic pita filling ideas are hummus, grilled chicken, veggies, or even leftovers like meatballs or roasted veggies. And for an upgraded grilled cheese sandwich, swap out traditional sandwich bread for pita bread.

All you will be sacrificing for this recipe is more time to kill, because thankfully, you will not sacrifice quality. The traditional pita-dough-making recipe involves techniques like mixing, kneading, resting, rising, and resting again. All of this may sound daunting to the untrained cook. Store-bought pizza dough spares you all these steps, plus the added guarantee of fresh, homemade-style pita in less than 30 minutes.