Sourdough Pita Bread

Mix the Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour, salt, sugar, warm water, and sourdough starter on medium speed for 5 minutes. The dough will be shaggy.
While mixing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue mixing for another 10-15 minutes or until the dough clings to the dough hook, clears the sides of the bowls, and is strong enough to pull some with your hands without it tearing.
340 g All-purpose flour, 8 g Granulated Sugar, 9 g Kosher Salt, 180 g Warm Water, 25 g Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 120 g Sourdough Starter
Bulk Fermentation:
Cover the bowl and place it in a warm location for bulk fermentation. At 78ºF, bulk fermentation takes about 5 ½ hours (longer if cooler).
Complete a couple sets of stretch & folds every 30 minutes for the first hour to continue to strengthen the dough.
Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough is doubled, domed in the bowl, and smooth.
[Overnight proof: at this point, you can place the dough in the refrigerator to proof overnight to bake the next day]
Shape:
Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, lightly dust with flour, and set aside.
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use the bench scraper to divide into 8 equal-sized portions (about 84g each).
To shape into rounds, pat the dough into a circle, pinch the edges toward the center as if you're making a dumpling, flip over, and use the palm of your hand to create tension and shape into a perfect sphere like making dinner rolls. Only lightly flour your hand and the surface as needed.
Final Proof:
Place the rounds a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and proof for 1 ½-2 hours until they've almost doubled in size and are poofy.
Roll Out and Bake:
Preheat the oven with your bread steel in it at 450ºF (232ºC) and prepare a bread peel or cutting board with a piece of parchment for easy transfer to the oven.
On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough rounds into thin 8-inch rounds.
Transfer however many pitas can bake at a time on your surface to the bread peel (I do four at a time), and quickly slide them into the preheated bread steel.
Bake for 4-5 minutes until the sourdough pita breads puff up and the tops have a few brown spots. Remove from the oven with tongs or the peel, place on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining pita breads.

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes