Easy No-Knead Pita Bread is simple to make, soft, and forms a perfect pocket for stuffing when it’s baked. Stuff it with some chicken salad or toast it and cut it into triangles for dipping into Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.
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Key Takeaways:
- Simple and Minimal Tools: No-knead pita bread requires no stand mixer or bread machine, just a bowl, spoon, and your hands for folding.
- SIS (Simple is Smart) Method: The envelope fold technique makes bread-making accessible and eliminates kneading.
- Hydration and Rest: Letting the dough rest between folds allows the flour to hydrate and gluten to develop naturally.
- High-Temperature Baking: Preheat your oven to 450°F and use an oven steel or baking sheet for optimal puffing.
- Versatile Pitas: Perfect for stuffing with fillings like chicken salad or slicing into wedges for dipping.
- Alternative Recipes: The envelope fold technique can be applied to other bread recipes for a no-knead approach.
SIS (Simple is Smart) Recipe for No-Knead Pita Bread.
SIS way to make bread is with envelope folds. No kneading, (just folds), no stand mixer, and no bread machine. All you need is a bowl and a spoon. Let’s make this No-Knead Pita Bread the SIS way.
SIS Envelope Fold Technique



How to for SIS Envelope Folds.
Add all of the ingredients for the bread to a mixing bowl. Make sure you weigh or carefully measure the flour using the sprinkle and level method. Stir in the liquid ingredients until you have a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl and let the flour hydrate for 5 minutes before doing the first SIS envelope fold.
SIS Envelope fold: Add a little olive or vegetable oil to your work surface, and flatten the dough into a rough circle on top of the oil. Fold each side of the dough towards the middle to form an “envelope” Then fold the bottom up and top down. You have now completed the first envelope fold. You bread should look like the back of an envelope. Flip the dough over, cover, and rest for 20 minutes.
At the end of 20 minutes, do a second set of folds identical to the first. Cover and let rest another 20 minutes before doing the final set of folds.
After the 3rd and final set, put the dough back in the bowl, cover and let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. The dough is now ready to make into No-Knead Pita Pockets. I
If you enjoyed this envelope fold technique for making bread I’ve put together three recipes that use this technique instead of kneading.
Don’t forget to preheat your oven to 450-degrees F. during the last 30 minutes of letting the bread rise. Put an oven steel or metal baking sheet in the oven before preheating. You will cook/bake the no-knead pita bread on the steel. You can also bake one pita at a time in a large cast iron skillet placed in the oven.



Shaping and Baking No-Knead Pita Breads:
Divide the Dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 6-8 inch circle. If the dough starts to spring back before the circle is big enough, let it rest for a few minutes and then continue rolling.
Bake each circle on the hot oven steel—Bake 2-3 minutes on the first side. The pita will puff up, forming a pocket. Flip over and bake 1-2 minutes on the second side. Once baked, cover with a towel until the no-knead pita bread is cooled and deflated.

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FAQ:
Q: What is the SIS (Simple is Smart) envelope fold technique?
A: It’s a no-knead method where you fold the dough like an envelope (sides in, bottom up, top down) three times at 20-minute intervals, letting it rest between folds.
Q: Can I use a baking sheet instead of an oven steel?
A: Yes, a metal baking sheet preheated in the oven works as an alternative to an oven steel.
Q: What if my dough keeps springing back while rolling it out?
A: Let the dough rest for a few minutes to relax the gluten, then roll it again.
Q: How do I store leftover pita bread?
A: Once cooled, store the pita bread in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
Q: Can I make the pita bread without an oven?
A: Yes, you can bake each pita in a preheated cast iron skillet inside the oven or on the stovetop for similar results.
Q: What’s the best way to serve pita bread?
A: Pita bread can be stuffed with fillings like chicken salad, or toasted and cut into triangles for dips like hummus or tzatziki.
Easy No-Knead Pita Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour(360g) can use 1½cups all-purpose and 1½cups whole wheat
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp Instant yeast
- 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cool water(236g)
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon, let rest 5 minutes
- Stir again and then put a little olive oil on your work surface. Do 3 envelope folds at 20-minute intervals, as demonstrated in the video.
- After the 3rd envelope fold, cover and let rise for one hour, or until double in volume
- During the last half hour of rising time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put oven steel in the oven prior to preheating.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces.
- Roll each piece into an 8-inch circle and bake on the hot steel in the oven. The pita will puff up in the oven. Bake the pita for 3 minutes on the first side. Flip over and bake another 1½ minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cover with a clean towel until the pita has cooled and deflated.