Why are my pittas not puffing up?

Usually the oven or stone is not hot enough. Bring Charlie to 220 to 250°C (430 to 480°F), preheat the Pizza and Baking Stone for at least 15 minutes, and roll the dough to about 5mm thick.

How thick should I roll pitta dough?

About 5mm (1/4 inch). Too thin or too thick and the pittas will not form a good pocket. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, roll each into a ball, then roll out on a lightly floured surface.

How long does pitta bread take to bake in Charlie?

2 to 3 minutes on the hot stone, until each pitta puffs up and has charred spots on the base. Flip and give it a further minute if needed, then wrap in a tea towel to keep it soft.

How do I keep pittas soft while cooking in batches?

Wrap each cooked pitta in a clean tea towel as you work through the batches. This keeps them soft and warm, and you can brush them lightly with olive oil afterwards for extra flavour.

Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Bake

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Pitta Bread Baked Over Fire

Name: Pitta Bread Baked Over Fire
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 16 pittas
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 kg plain flour; 28 g dry yeast; 1.2 L warm water; 30 ml olive oil; 6 tsp salt; 4 tsp sugar

Watching pitta puff up in the heat is one of the pleasures of baking it yourself. These homemade pittas come out of Charlie soft inside with lightly crisp edges. Split them for grilled fillings, or tear them up and get stuck into the dips.

Tait MillerChef, Wild & Fire Cooking

Bake

Prep20 minutes plus resting

Cook20 minutes

Serves16 pittas

DifficultyMedium

Oven temperature220 to 250°C (430 to 480°F)

RackPizza and Baking Stone on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack, upper rack

CharcoalHalf a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal, built in the middle of the charcoal grate

Ingredients

2 kg plain flour
28 g dry yeast
1.2 L warm water
30 ml olive oil
6 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar

Equipment

Everything used in this recipe. Already have Charlie? Add the accessories in one go.

Charlie Charcoal Oven£4,958.33Choose your oven, Charlie Charcoal Oven
Charlie Oven Cooking Rack£233.33
Pizza and Baking Stone£50.00

Method

Setting up Charlie

Build half a football of lumpwood charcoal in the middle of the charcoal grate.
Place a Pizza and Baking Stone on the top rack to heat up while the oven comes to temperature.
Preheat the Charlie Oven to 220 to 250°C (430 to 480°F).

Build half a football of lumpwood charcoal in the middle of the charcoal grate. Light the charcoal and allow the oven to reach 220 to 250°C (430 to 480°F). Place the Pizza and Baking Stone on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack in the top position and let it preheat for at least 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, dry yeast, salt and sugar. Add the warm water and olive oil, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then use a rolling pin to roll out into rounds about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick on a lightly floured surface.
Place the pitta rounds onto the hot Pizza and Baking Stone, working in batches. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the pitta puffs up and develops charred spots on the base. Flip and cook for a further minute if needed. Remove and wrap in a clean tea towel to keep soft while you cook the remaining pittas.

Tips

Make sure the Pizza and Baking Stone is fully preheated for at least 15 minutes before cooking. A hot stone is key to getting the pittas to puff up.
Do not roll the dough too thin or too thick. Aim for about 5mm (1/4 inch) for good pocket formation.
Keep cooked pittas wrapped in a clean tea towel as you work through the batches. This keeps them soft and warm.
If your pittas are not puffing up, check that your oven temperature is high enough and that the baking stone is fully heated through.
You can brush the pittas lightly with olive oil after cooking for extra flavour and a soft finish.

More recipes

The cook

Tait Miller

Chef, Wild & Fire Cooking

Chef Tait Miller specialises in wild, open-fire cooking, drawing on foraged ingredients and around 16 years in the industry. London-based, he's known for his outdoor cooking and foraging work, and led Charlie Oven's Greek Summer Feast Masterclass.

More recipes by Tait Miller

Frequently asked questions

Why are my pittas not puffing up?

Usually the oven or stone is not hot enough. Bring Charlie to 220 to 250°C (430 to 480°F), preheat the Pizza and Baking Stone for at least 15 minutes, and roll the dough to about 5mm thick.
How thick should I roll pitta dough?

About 5mm (1/4 inch). Too thin or too thick and the pittas will not form a good pocket. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, roll each into a ball, then roll out on a lightly floured surface.
How long does pitta bread take to bake in Charlie?

2 to 3 minutes on the hot stone, until each pitta puffs up and has charred spots on the base. Flip and give it a further minute if needed, then wrap in a tea towel to keep it soft.
How do I keep pittas soft while cooking in batches?

Wrap each cooked pitta in a clean tea towel as you work through the batches. This keeps them soft and warm, and you can brush them lightly with olive oil afterwards for extra flavour.