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Cheese Stuffed Flatbread :How to make perfect cheese stuffed bread

Cheese stuffed flatbread or cheese pita bread is one of the most delicious flatbreads that we can make at home in a simple way.

We use simple ingredients, simple method and the resulting bread is extremely good!

This homemade cheese stuffed bread is super soft and tender.It has a chewy texture and is deliciously filled with cheese.

cheese stuffed bread

Why you will love this Cheese Stuffed Flatbread Recipe

  • The recipe is super simple.You can make this cheese stuffed bread in five simple steps!
  • You don’t need any special equipments to make this cheesy pita bread
  • In this cheese stuffed bread recipe,we will need only seven basic ingredients.Flour,water,butter,salt,sugar,yeast for the bread dough and then mozzarella cheese as filling.
  • Another thing that you will love about this cheese stuffed pita bread recipe is that you can make this bread in less than 2 hours.

Ingredients for making this cheese stuffed bread or cheese pita bread

For the bread dough

  • Flour :325 g or 2 1/2 cups(loosely packed)
  • Water (Lukewarm,ideally around 95 F) :200 ml or 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp
  • Soft Unsalted Butter :35 g or 2 1/2 tbsp
  • Sugar :25 g or 2 tbsp
  • Salt :6 g or 1 tsp
  • Yeast :3 g or 1 tsp (if using Active dry yeast ,use 1 1/4 tsp)

For the filling

  • Shredded Mozarella Cheese :250 g or 1.1 cup

How to make cheese stuffed bread

You can make this cheese pita bread or cheese stuffed flatbread in five simple steps.

  1. Prepare the dough
  2. Proof the dough
  3. Divide and shape the dough
  4. Final Rising
  5. Bake the cheese filled bread

1.Prepare the dough

In to a bowl, pour in some lukewarm water.Water which is not hot nor cold (ideally around 95 F).

Then add sugar,salt and yeast .Stir and dissolve the ingredients.

cheese pita bread ingredients

Add softened unsalted butter into this.

Now add the flour .Mix and combine them all together to form a shaggy mass of dough.

I used the rear end of a wooden spoon to mix them all together.

cheese stuffed bread

Now transfer the dough on to a clean work surface.We need to knead the dough.

Knead the Dough

  • Sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, but try to be sparing. It’s better to use too little flour than too much. 
  • If you get tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minutes before finishing kneading.

You can use a stand mixer to knead the dough for you or you can knead the dough with hands.

If you are using a stand mixer, straight away knead the dough for 8 mins with a dough hook attachment and proceed with the next step.

I love kneading the dough by hands as it helps me to understand the real feel of the dough.

Why kneading the dough is so important?

The reason kneading is an important part of bread making is to create structure and strength in the dough, leaving it silky and soft with a little cushiony feel. 

After the dough ingredients are mixed, the proteins are in a random pattern and knotted together. When the dough is kneaded, the proteins begin to line up in such a way that strands of gluten develop and create a structure that allows for the trapping of gases and the dough to rise.  

How to knead a bread dough by hands?

  • Begin kneading the dough, pushing it down and then outward, only using the heels of your hands.
  • Fold the dough in half toward you and press down. Then use the heels of your hands again to push down and outward, lengthening and stretching the strands of gluten and dough fibers
  • Continue to knead, folding and turning the dough, until it is smooth and supple. 

A good bread dough will be very sticky to handle in the beginning but in about five minutes of kneading,it won’t stick to your hands.We may get tempted to add more flour in the beginning but don’t do that 🙂

If your dough continues to be sticky but you feel like you have added enough flour, let the dough sit for 5 minutes, which allows the water to absorb the flour; this will make the dough easier to handle.

You will notice that the dough is becoming less sticky while you continue to knead, as the flour slowly absorbs the whole liquid and the gluten develops.

2.Proof the Dough

  • Place the dough into a bowl that is been lightly smeared with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it’s almost doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • If your place is cold, you can keep the bowl for rising ,inside the oven with “oven light turned on”.
  • After proofing,if you want to keep your dough to use later, you can refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about 3 days.
cheese stuffed flatbread

3.Divide the bread dough

  • Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into equal pieces.
  • I divided it into 8 equal pieces.
  • Take each portion and tuck in the edges towards the center and roll it into a smooth round ball.Cover them with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying.
cheese flatbread

Shape the cheese stuffed bread

  • Take the first one that we shaped.Roll it out into a small circle of approximately 5 inch diameter.
  • Fill the center with shredded mozarella cheese (about 2 tbsp).
  • Cover it with the dough and then pinch the ends to seal.
  • Using a floured rolling pin, roll it again into a circle 6 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn’t sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if its starting to stick.
  • If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
  • Cover the dough pieces and shaped pita breads with a damp kitchen towel to prevent any chance of drying.
cheese pita

4.Final Rising

Let the final shaped dough(dough disks) rest for 15-20 minutes or until they rise and puff slightly and gain their shape.

This final rising of this cheese stuffed flatbread will help to make the cheesy bread more light and airy.

We need to keep the shaped cheese stuffed flatbreads in a large baking tray and keep them separated so that they will not stick to each other.

5.Bake the cheese stuffed bread

We can bake the cheese pita breads either in the oven or on the stove top

How to bake cheese stuffed flatbread in the oven?

  • Bake cheese stuffed pita bread in the Oven: Before shaping the pitas, heat the oven to 450°. If you have a baking stone, put it in the lower rack of oven to heat. If you don’t have a baking stone, place an oven safe large baking sheet on the lower rack to heat (five minutes prior to baking).
  • 3-4 pita breads can be fitted ,if you use half-sheet pans. Since we are going to bake one baking sheet at a time, we will need to roll and place the other pita discs on a baking paper/sheet .Cover the dough discs so that they don’t dry out.
  • Once the oven reaches 450 Fahrenheit, place the baking sheet on the lowest rack and wait for another 5 minutes.(if you are using a baking stone,then we need to place it in the lowest rack of oven when we start preheating the oven).So we are ready to bake when our baking tray or the baking stone is hot.
  • When ready to bake, gently lift a pita disc, with your fingers or a large spatula, and flip it onto the hot baking stone (if your stone is large enough you can bake more than one at a time). 
  • Flip the dough so that the side that was resting on the counter is now facing up. You want the the side that has been exposed to air (the dry side) to be down on the baking stone and the side that is more doughy and moist to be facing up – this helps the pita puff up. If you bake one or two and they aren’t puffing, spritz the top of the pita round with a light mist of water before baking. 

Baking Temperature and Duration

  • Bake at 450 F for 3-4 minutes. The bread should all puff up in the initial 3-4 minutes of baking. If not, bake for another minute. If at 5 minutes the bread still doesn’t puff up, your oven is probably not hot enough and you may want to increase the temperature to 500 Fahrenheit for the next batch.
  • When the pitas are all puffed up, transfer the baking sheet to the middle rack or a higher rack (a little more closer to the heating coils) and bake for another 1-2 minutes, or until the bread turns golden brown.If we don’t take the pitas to the upper rack,then the pita’s won’t get browned and the longer they stay in the bottom rack,the pitas get harder.
  • Remove the baked cheese stuffed bread and wrap with a kitchen towel to keep them soft. Repeat the baking steps with the rest of the dough.
cheese stuffed flatbread recipe

This cheese stuffed Pita breads are best when eaten immediately after cooking.

How to bake cheese stuffed flatbread on the stove top?

  • Warm a cast iron  skillet over low-medium heat until a few bead of water sizzle immediately on contact. Drizzle a little oil in the pan and wipe off the excess.
  • Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 1 minute, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita should start to puff up during this time; if it doesn’t or if only small pockets form, try pressing the surface of the pita gently . Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.

So now home made cheese pita bread is ready:)

cheese pita bread recipe

How do cheese stuffed flatbread puff up when baked?

It’s all about structure, moisture, and heat. When a thin disk of pita dough is placed on a hot surface in the oven, two things start to happen.

First, the intense heat starts to dry and set the dough on the top and bottom. At the same time, it begins to turn moisture in the center of the pita to a blast of steam.

When enough steam is generated, it builds pressure, pushing the pita out from the center and inflating it. Because the exterior has already started to set, though, it’s strong enough to resist rupturing, keeping that steam bubble trapped within.

So moisture inside the dough is the key!

cheesy bread

You might also like this cheesy garlic bread recipe from scratch!

cheesy garlic bread recipe

Tips to make best cheese stuffed bread 

  • Knead the pita bread dough,until it is very soft and smooth.The more softer the dough,the more softer our pita bread will be.
  • Be careful about not adding excess flour while kneading the dough
  • The oven/skillet should be properly preheated.

Enjoy the best cheese stuffed flatbreads at home 🙂

How to make the best cheese stuffed bread at home :Step by step Video

cheese stuffed flatbread

Cheese Stuffed Flatbread / Cheese Pita bread

Cheese stuffed flatbread or cheese pita bread is one of the most delicious flatbreads that we can make at home in a simple way.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Proofing time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Servings 8 Cheese stuffed flatbreads

Ingredients
  

For the bread dough

  • 325 g Flour 2 1/2 cups (loosely packed)
  • 200 ml Water (Lukewarm,ideally around 95 F) or 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp
  • 35 g Butter (Soft unsalted) or 2 1/2 tbsp
  • 25 g Sugar or 2 tbsp
  • 6 g Salt or 1 tsp
  • 3 g Yeast 1 tsp (if using Active dry yeast ,use 1 1/4 tsp)

For the filling

  • 250 g Mozarella Cheese (Shredded) or 1.1 cup

Instructions
 

Prepare the dough

  • In to a bowl, pour in some lukewarm water.Water which is not hot nor cold (ideally around 95 F).
    Then add sugar,salt and yeast .Stir and dissolve the ingredients.
    cheese pita bread ingredients
  • Add softened unsalted butter into this.
    Now add the flour .Mix and combine them all together to form a shaggy mass of dough.
    cheese stuffed bread
  • Now transfer the dough on to a clean work surface and knead the dough until you get a smooth and soft dough.
    A good bread dough will be very sticky to handle in the beginning but in about five minutes of kneading,it won’t stick to your hands.We may get tempted to add more flour in the beginning but don’t do that 🙂

Proof the dough

  • Place the dough into a bowl that is been lightly smeared with oil.
    Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it’s almost doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
    cheese stuffed flatbread

Divide and shape the dough

  • Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
  • Divide the dough into equal pieces.I divided it into 8 equal pieces.
    cheese flatbread
  • Take each portion and tuck in the edges towards the center and roll it into a smooth round ball.
  • Cover them with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying.
  • Take the first round ball that we shaped.Roll it out into a small circle of approximately 5 inch diameter.
  • Fill the center with shredded mozarella cheese (about 2 tbsp).
    cheese pita
  • Cover it with the dough and then pinch the ends to seal.
  • Using a floured rolling pin, roll it again into a circle 6 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick.
    Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn’t sticking to your counter.
    Sprinkle with a little extra flour if its starting to stick.If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling.
  • Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
    Cover the dough pieces and shaped pita breads with a damp kitchen towel to prevent any chance of drying.

Final Rising

  • Let the final shaped dough(dough disks) rest for 15-20 minutes or until they rise and puff slightly and gain their shape.
    This final rising of this cheese stuffed flatbread will help to make the cheesy bread more light and airy.
    We need to keep the shaped cheese stuffed flatbreads in a large baking tray and keep them separated so that they will not stick to each other.

Bake the cheese filled bread

  • How to bake cheese stuffed flatbread in the oven?
    Before shaping the pitas, heat the oven to 450°. If you have a baking stone, put it in the lower rack of oven to heat. If you don’t have a baking stone, place an oven safe large baking sheet on the lower rack to heat (five minutes prior to baking).
    3-4 pita breads can be fitted ,if you use half-sheet pans. Since we are going to bake one baking sheet at a time, we will need to roll and place the other pita discs on a baking paper/sheet .
    Once the oven reaches 450 Fahrenheit,gently lift a pita disc, with your fingers or a large spatula, and flip it onto the hot baking stone (if your stone is large enough you can bake more than one at a time).
     Flip the dough so that the side that was resting on the counter is now facing up. You want the the side that has been exposed to air (the dry side) to be down on the baking stone and the side that is more doughy and moist to be facing up – this helps the pita puff up.
    If you bake one or two and they aren’t puffing, spritz the top of the pita round with a light mist of water before baking. 
    Baking Temperature and Duration
    Bake at 450 F for 3-4 minutes. The bread should all puff up in the initial 3-4 minutes of baking. If not, bake for another minute. If at 5 minutes the bread still doesn’t puff up, your oven is probably not hot enough and you may want to increase the temperature to 500 Fahrenheit for the next batch.
    When the pitas are all puffed up, transfer the baking sheet to the middle rack or a higher rack (a little more closer to the heating coils) and bake for another 1-2 minutes, or until the bread turns golden brown.If we don’t take the pitas to the upper rack,then the pita’s won’t get browned and the longer they stay in the bottom rack,the pitas get harder.
    Remove the baked cheese stuffed bread and wrap with a kitchen towel to keep them soft. Repeat the baking steps with the rest of the dough discs.
  • How to bake cheese stuffed flatbread on the stove top?
    Warm a cast iron  skillet over low-medium heat until a few bead of water sizzle immediately on contact.
    Drizzle a little oil in the pan and wipe off the excess.Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 1 minute, until you see bubbles starting to form.
    Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside.
    Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita should start to puff up during this time; if it doesn’t or if only small pockets form, try pressing the surface of the pita gently .
    Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.
    cheesy bread
  • Enjoy this Cheese Stuffed Flatbread while they are fresh and warm 🙂
    cheese stuffed flatbread

Video

Keyword cheese filled flatbread, cheese pita bread, cheese stuffed bread, cheese stuffed bread recipe, cheese stuffed flatbread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Recipe Rating




Stephen

Monday 13th of June 2022

Dear Bincy,

It is no exaggeration to say your recipes have transformed my enjoyment of bread.

I love your recipes and especially your videos.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.

Stephen

(PS. I have also had success following you Pita recipe bit cooking the dough on low in a slow cooker)

Bincy Chris

Sunday 7th of August 2022

Hi Stephen,I am so happy to hear you enjoy our bread recipes.So pleased to know the videos are helpful.Thank you so much for taking your time to write back me and for sharing your feedback with us.

Rita Msl

Sunday 12th of June 2022

another winner - thanks heaps Bincy

Bincy Chris

Sunday 12th of June 2022

My pleasure.Hi Rita,I am so glad you liked the recipe.