I roll out the pita on a Pam-sprayed counter top instead of using flour. Rolling goes faster because the dough doesn’t shrink back, the pitas are more tender since no flour is on the surface of the dough, and you don’t need to grease the baking sheet. (Learned this from a cooking show about pizza dough!!)

If you make pita regularly, try this tip! Cut 7 inch pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil and put each rolled out pita on a piece of foil to rise. The pitas are really easy to maneuver and you only need one baking sheet that you can just leave hot in the oven (I use a pizza peel to move the pitas on and off my baking stone). You can wipe off the foil and save for the next baking time. (I’ve been using the same sheets of foil for a long time.)

After cooling slightly, I put the pitas in a large zip lock bag and close the bag most of the way. The pita will stay fresh and soft on the counter for 2 days; just warm in the oven before serving. I tend to make the pita first thing in the morning then don’t have to deal with them while getting the rest of the dinner together.

By the way, instant yeast and bread machine yeast are exactly the same thing– also sometimes called rapid rise. I buy huge containers of instant yeast at Sam’s or Costco, take out enough to fill my yeast jar in the fridge, then freeze the big package. It is good for several years when stored this way.