Challah Pita

Preparation

Make the challah pita

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the sugar to dissolve, then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, the vegetable oil, honey, and eggs, then whisk on medium speed until incorporated.

Switch to the dough hook. Add 5½ cups flour and the salt to the mixture in the bowl and, beginning on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes. (Your dough will be tacky but shouldn’t be sticky. If it’s sticky, mix in additional flour, a few tablespoons at a time, until tacky.) Transfer to a lightly floured work surface with floured hands and continue to knead by hand, dusting with flour as needed, until a very smooth ball forms, another 3 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, if you make this dough entirely by hand, it will require about 10 minutes of kneading on a clean work surface after incorporating the flour.) Grease a medium bowl and your hands with vegetable oil and add the dough ball, turning gently to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.

Once doubled, turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Using a kitchen scale, divide into 14 (100-gram) balls. Using your hand like a claw, roll each ball on your work surface to smooth. Place under a towel while you repeat with each ball of dough. Once done, return to the first ball and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 5-inch round. Repeat with all the balls of dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let proof for 30 minutes until puffy.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450°F with the HexClad pizza steel.

Working in batches, add 4 to 5 pitas to the pizza steel and cook, flipping once, for about 2 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to a sheet pan or platter and cover with a kitchen towel immediately while you cook the remaining pita.

Make the schmear

In a bowl, whisk the cream cheese, seltzer, honey, and a heavy pinch of salt and pepper until light and fluffy. Transfer to a bowl and top with honeycomb and flaky salt, then serve with the pita.