Cheese Stuffed Pita Bread with Roasted Peppers

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These Cheese Stuffed Pita Bread with Roasted Peppers are one of the greatest things I’ve created this year. They’re extremely fun to make and an incredible alternative to a grilled cheese sandwich. They’re crispy on the outside and incredibly melted on the inside. Stuffed pitas are easy to eat with your hands and are a great meal for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even as a snack.

Cheese Stuffed Pita Bread

Making bread is a fun adventure in general. I first made white pita bread and whole wheat pita bread a couple of years ago. It’s really fun to watch the dough puff up in the oven like a balloon! The cheese-stuffed pita bread is slightly different from those, though. The dough around the cheese needs to be a bit thicker around the cheese to prevent it from popping. They’re like pita pockets, really. In this version of cheese pita bread, I stuffed it with cheese and also roasted peppers. The roasted peppers add a lovely flavour and colour to the filling.

Ingredients

These Cheese Stuffed Pita Recipe with Roasted Peppers aren’t only easy to make, but they also require simple ingredients. 

• All-purpose flour: You don’t need bread flour for this recipe, all-purpose flour is perfect. 
• Lukewarm water: Water will bring the dough together. It needs to be lukewarm to help the yeast wake up and create the gas that will add air to the dough.
• Sugar: The dough for these Cheese Stuffed Pita has a bit of sugar. It’s not one hundred percent necessary but it does add a nice level of flavour to the dough.
• Instant yeast: I like to use instant yeast instead of fresh yeast because it’s more practical for home recipes. They last longer and you can easily keep it in an air-tight container in the fridge. 
• Olive oil: We use olive oil in the recipe for the dough for added flavour and we also use it to cook the dough.
• Salt: Of course, we need salt in the dough and the filling as well to add flavour.
• Roasted red peppers: These are optional but I love the flavour that they add. I use the ones that come in a can or jar and mash them quickly with the back of a fork.
• Granulated or shredded mozzarella: This is my cheese of choice for the filling but you can certainly use a generous portion of different cheeses.
• Cream cheese at room temperature: Cream cheese is definitely not the main character here. Its function is to bind the mozzarella and peppers together which makes it easier to fill the pita recipe.

Making the dough

If you’ve made bread before, this Cheese Stuffed Pita dough is going to be extremely straightforward. You basically need to mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then knead. You can do this by hand for 15 minutes or use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on medium speed for 10 minutes. This will make the dough really homogeneous and shiny. Once ready, place it in a clean bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it have its first rise in a warm spot. 

Shaping the Cheese Stuffed Pita Bread with Roasted Peppers

Once the dough has had its first proof, it’s time to shape it. You will weigh the total dough and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Flatten each piece of dough and place about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling at the centre. Fold the edges of the dough towards the inside and sort of pinch the dough at the centre. Flip the portion and roll it on the surface to close the pinch. Make sure you’re not working on a floured work surface because that doesn’t have any friction and you won’t be able to close the pinch. Place all the pieces of dough on a baking tray, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for a second time. 

The cooking process

When you’re ready to cook your Cheese Stuffed Pita Bread with Roasted Peppers, preheat a frying pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and place 2-3 pieces of dough on the hot pan. Flatten the pitas slightly with the back of a spatula. Cook for 4 minutes per side and remove. You will do this with all the pitas we made. You can also make them in a panini press. Because the bread receives heat from the bottom and top, you only need 4 minutes in total instead of 4 minutes per side.

Tips for storing and reheating

The recipe for Cheese Stuffed Pita Bread with Roasted Peppers makes 10 individual pitas. Many times you won’t need them all at the same time so let’s talk freezing and reheating. If you’re looking to freeze them, you can do it before the second rise or once cooked. You can place them in an airtight container or in freezer-safe bags. If you’re freezing them raw, remove them from the freezer and let them proof in a warm spot for 2 hours or until they double in size. Then you can cook them as normal. If you store them cooked (frozen or refrigerated) you can reheat them directly in a toaster or air fryer. The melted cheese won’t go back to fully melted but it will be very good and the exterior will go back to being crispy.