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

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

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

Charlie Charcoal Oven£4,958.33 View, Charlie Charcoal Oven
Stag British Premium Ash Charcoal£80.42 View, Stag British Premium Ash Charcoal
Charlie Oven Cooking Rack£233.33 View, Charlie Oven Cooking Rack
Pizza and Baking Stone£50.00 View, Pizza and Baking Stone

Method

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.

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.