Add warm water to a small bowl and gently stir in 2 teaspoons of dry yeast over the top. Set aside for 5 minutes until the yeast is fully dissolved and tiny bubbles form on the top. (See notes).

Combine 2 ½ cups of flour and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt in a large bowl. For best results, warm the bowl to room temperature.

Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a spoon until the flour is moist. You should have shaggy dough. Mix in a bit of flour if it's too sticky to handle.

Set aside another cup of flour so it’s handy, then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and start kneading it. Add flour until you have an elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. Knead for at least 5-7 minutes to release the gluten in the flour.

Place a piece of plastic wrap in a clean mixing bowl, then add the dough ball and loosely warp the plastic over the top. You can also add a kitchen towel for extra warmth. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has almost doubled in size (1-2 hours).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 C). Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and separate it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes.

Warm your baking sheet if necessary, and then start rolling. Use a rolling pin to make discs about ¼ inch thick, using your hands to help shape them if necessary. Place each pita bread on a baking sheet, keeping them separated. Bake them in batches, if necessary, but don't roll until you have a clean baking sheet. Otherwise, the pitas will contract.

Bake in the center of the oven for 3-4 minutes. You may see little brown spots start to appear, which is perfectly normal. They should puff up quickly and don't need to be flipped.

If you bake the pitas in batches and wait until the first batch is done before you start rolling again so the pitas will hold their shape.