Sourdough Falafel Stuffed Pita Rounds

Name: Sourdough Falafel Stuffed Pita Rounds
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: ¾ cup (180 ml) active sourdough starter, at room temperature, fed and bubbly, no more than 8 hours since last feeding; 2¼ cups (280 g) bread flour; ¾ cup (180 ml) lukewarm water (90°F/32°C); 1½ teaspoons (9 g) fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1½ cups (280 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained, soaked overnight, drained, patted very dry; ½ medium (85 g) yellow onion, roughly chopped, roughly chopped; 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced; ¾ cup (25 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, packed, roughly chopped; ½ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro, packed, roughly chopped; 1½ teaspoons (3 g) ground cumin; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground coriander; 2 tablespoons (18 g) sesame seeds (white or toasted); ¼ teaspoon (½ g) cayenne pepper; 3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour; ¾ teaspoon (3 g) baking powder; 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt; 2½ cups (600 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or light olive oil) for frying; ¾ cup (180 ml) plain Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tahini; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 clove garlic clove, minced, minced; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; 1 medium (200 g) cucumber, diced, diced into ¼-inch pieces; 2 medium (300 g) ripe tomato, diced, diced into ¼-inch pieces; ¼ medium (40 g) red onion, thinly sliced, thinly sliced; 8 leaves (80 g) crisp lettuce leaves (romaine or butter) (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Warm, pillowy sourdough pitas—leavened with active starter for tang and lift—stuffed with crispy herb-flecked falafel, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a cooling yogurt sauce. The sourdough adds depth to the pita while the falafel brings nutty sesame flavor and satisfying crunch. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 2 hr
Total: 3 hr
Makes: 4 pita rounds, 4 sandwiches

Save to My Kitchen Jump to recipe

Ingredients

4 servings

For the pitas
¾ cup (180 ml) active sourdough starter, at room temperature, fed and bubbly, no more than 8 hours since last feeding
2¼ cups (280 g) bread flour
¾ cup (180 ml) lukewarm water (90°F/32°C)
1½ teaspoons (9 g) fine sea salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
For the falafel
1½ cups (280 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained, soaked overnight, drained, patted very dry
½ medium (85 g) yellow onion, roughly chopped, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup (25 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, packed, roughly chopped
½ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro, packed, roughly chopped
1½ teaspoons (3 g) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground coriander
2 tablespoons (18 g) sesame seeds (white or toasted)
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt
2½ cups (600 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or light olive oil) for frying
For serving
¾ cup (180 ml) plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tahini
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic clove, minced, minced
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine sea salt
1 medium (200 g) cucumber, diced, diced into ¼-inch pieces
2 medium (300 g) ripe tomato, diced, diced into ¼-inch pieces
¼ medium (40 g) red onion, thinly sliced, thinly sliced
8 leaves (80 g) crisp lettuce leaves (romaine or butter) (optional)

Equipment (12)

Large mixing bowl
Dough scraper or bench knife
Instant-read thermometer
11×17-inch (28×43 cm) baking sheet
Parchment paper
Kitchen towel
Food processor
Shallow bowl
Large heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet
Candy/deep-fry thermometer
Paper towels
Slotted spoon

Steps

Before you start

Have sourdough starter at room temperature and fed (bubbly) 4–6 hours before baking.
Soak dried chickpeas overnight or use canned chickpeas (drained and patted dry).
Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) 30 minutes before baking pitas.
Have all falafel ingredients ready and chilled before frying.

1
Mix and knead sourdough pita dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the active sourdough starter (180 ml), lukewarm water (180 ml), bread flour (280 g), salt (9 g), and olive oil (15 ml) until a shaggy dough forms.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes (autolyse).
- Knead by hand or with a stand mixer on medium speed for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
- It should pass the windowpane test (stretch a small piece without tearing).
- The dough will be slightly softer than sandwich bread dough but hold its shape.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Dough is smooth, elastic, springs back slowly when poked.
Tip: Don't overknead; the sourdough culture needs time to work. A slightly tacky dough is ideal for pillowy pitas.
2
Bulk ferment dough
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a kitchen towel.
- Let it rise at room temperature (68–72°F/20–22°C) for 2 hours.
- The dough should increase by 50–75% in volume and feel airy when gently poked.
- If your kitchen is cool, ferment for up to 2.5 hours.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Dough increases 50–75%, jiggles slightly when bowl is shaken.
Tip: Timing depends on room temperature and starter activity. Warmer rooms speed fermentation; cooler ones slow it.
3
Prepare falafel mixture
- While the dough rises, make the falafel.
- Add the drained chickpeas (280 g), chopped onion (85 g), minced garlic (4 cloves), parsley (25 g), cilantro (15 g), cumin (3 g), coriander (2 g), sesame seeds (18 g), and cayenne (0.5 g) to a food processor.
- Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with chickpea pieces visible—do not over-process into a paste.
- Transfer to a bowl and fold in the flour (24 g), baking powder (3 g), and salt (6 g) until evenly distributed.
- The mixture should hold together loosely when squeezed but remain grainy.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours) to firm up and help frying.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Mixture is evenly combined, holds loosely when squeezed, grains of chickpea visible.
Tip: Dry chickpeas (soaked, not canned) create a fluffier falafel. Over-processing turns it into paste and yields dense, heavy falafel.
4
Shape and rest pita dough
- Turn the fermented dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- Divide into 4 equal pieces (about 160 g each).
- Shape each piece into a tight ball by pulling the edges toward the center and rotating it on the work surface.
- Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart.
- Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- The dough should puff slightly but not double in size—this is a short rest before baking.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Dough balls puff slightly, are soft to a light poke.
Tip: Don't over-proof the pitas at this stage; they need residual rise in the oven to puff into hollow rounds.
5
Bake pita roundsOven 475°F / 245°C
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) with a rack in the lower third.
- Place the resting pita dough balls in the oven and bake for 8–10 minutes until they puff up and turn golden brown on top.
- The pitas should balloon and split slightly.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack or clean kitchen towel for 5 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, you can gently press down the puffy tops to soften them or leave them pillowy.
- Stack under a clean towel to keep warm and soft.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Pitas are golden, puffed, hollow inside when gently pressed; internal temp 200°F (93°C).
Tip: Don't open the oven during the first 7 minutes—the steam inside helps them puff. A lower oven rack ensures even heat.
6
Fry falafelOven 350°F / 175°C
- Heat the neutral oil (600 ml) in a large heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet to 350°F (175°C), using a candy thermometer to monitor.
- The oil should be about 2 inches deep.
- While the oil heats, remove the chilled falafel mixture from the refrigerator.
- Using wet hands or a small ice cream scoop, form the mixture into 12–16 balls (about 1.5 inches each), placing them on a parchment-lined plate as you go.
- Gently slide 4–5 falafel balls at a time into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd.
- Fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until they are deep golden brown all over.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Repeat with the remaining balls.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Falafel are deep golden brown, crispy on outside, tender inside (internal temp 160°F/71°C at center).
Tip: Oil temperature is critical—too cool and they absorb oil and become greasy; too hot and they brown before cooking through. Use a thermometer.
7
Make yogurt-tahini sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt (180 ml), tahini (30 ml), fresh lemon juice (30 ml), minced garlic (1 clove), and salt (1.5 g) until smooth and creamy.
- Add a splash of water (1–2 tablespoons) if the sauce is too thick.
- Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice as desired.
- The sauce should be pourable but thick enough to cling to falafel.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sauce is smooth, creamy, and uniform in color.
Tip: Make the sauce just before serving so it stays cool and creamy. If made ahead, it may thicken; thin with a little water when ready to use.
8
Assemble pitasOven 325°F / 165°C
- Warm the pita rounds if they've cooled (wrap them in foil and place in a 325°F/163°C oven for 2 minutes).
- Carefully cut each pita in half, opening the pocket gently.
- Spread a generous spoonful of yogurt-tahini sauce inside each pocket.
- Add 3–4 falafel balls per pita half, then layer with diced cucumber (50 g per pita), diced tomato (75 g per pita), sliced red onion (10 g per pita), and lettuce leaves if using.
- Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side for dipping.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Pitas are warm and soft; fillings are assembled and fresh.
Tip: Assemble just before eating so the pita stays warm and crisp and vegetables stay fresh. Warm pitas soften and separate from crispy falafel better than cold ones.
9
Serve
- Serve the stuffed pitas warm, with extra yogurt-tahini sauce, extra lemon wedges, and hot sauce if desired.
- Enjoy immediately.

Good to know

Tips

Active starter matters: use bubbly, recently fed starter (within 8 hours of last feeding) for reliable pita puff. Sluggish starter will cause slow rise and flat pitas.
Dry chickpeas yield fluffier, less dense falafel than canned. If using canned, drain, pat dry thoroughly, and pulse gently to avoid over-blending.
Frying temperature is critical: an instant-read or candy thermometer ensures proper oil heat. Under 340°F yields greasy, under-cooked falafel; over 360°F burns the outside before the inside cooks.
Assemble pitas just before serving to keep them warm, crispy, and fresh. Pre-filled pitas get soggy and tough.

Make ahead

Pita dough can be bulk-fermented, shaped, and refrigerated overnight (covered tightly) for up to 18 hours. Bake straight from cold (add 2–3 minutes to baking time). Falafel mixture can be made and chilled up to 24 hours ahead. Falafel can be fried up to 4 hours in advance and reheated (wrapped in foil) in a 325°F/163°C oven for 5 minutes. Yogurt-tahini sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; thin with water before serving if it thickens. Vegetables can be prepped and refrigerated in separate containers up to 8 hours ahead.

Storage & reheating

Pitas (unfilled): room temperature, wrapped in foil or paper, up to 1 day; refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days (reheat wrapped in foil at 325°F/163°C for 2 minutes). Freeze up to 3 months; thaw and reheat as above. Falafel (cooked): room temperature in an airtight container up to 2 days; refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months. Reheat covered at 325°F/163°C for 5 minutes. Yogurt-tahini sauce: refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days (may thicken; thin with water before serving). Do not freeze. Store assembled pitas do not store well; assemble just before serving.

Substitutions

dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained → One 15-oz (425 g) can chickpeas, drained and patted very dry. Canned chickpeas are softer and may yield slightly denser falafel; pulse just 6–8 times and be careful not to over-blend.
bread flour → All-purpose flour. The pitas will be slightly less chewy, but results are still very good. Use the same weight.
plain Greek yogurt → Sour cream or labneh (Lebanese yogurt). Sour cream is thinner and more tangy; labneh is thicker and creamier. Adjust water as needed.
sesame seeds (white or toasted) → Omit or use crushed toasted hazelnuts (same amount). Hazelnuts add earthiness instead of the sesame's nuttiness. Chickpeas are naturally compatible with either.