PITA BREAD

Homemade Pita Bread: Soft, Warm, and Perfectly Simple

There’s something incredibly satisfying about making pita bread at home. The soft, pillowy texture and the delightful puff when it bakes make it the perfect accompaniment to almost any meal. Whether you’re dipping it into tzatziki, wrapping it around grilled meats, or just enjoying it with olive oil, homemade pita bread brings an undeniable joy that store-bought versions can’t match.

What makes homemade pita bread so special is its simplicity. With just a few basic ingredients—flour, yeast, water, extra virgin olive oil, and salt—you can create a batch of delicious, warm pita that will make your kitchen smell like heaven.

6 pieces of a Pita bread stacked on a plate

We’re spoiled for choice in our supermarkets with the variety of Pita Bread options available. But like with all recipes, nothing beats homemade, especially homemade bread! The ingredients are clean, minimal, and free from added preservatives.

You can make this Pita bread recipe by hand or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment if you prefer not to knead. Both methods are fail proof! Personally, I enjoy kneading by hand. You can feel the dough change as your hands work and warm up the proteins, making it almost elastic (which gives all bread better structure).

All you need are a few simple ingredients to make this recipe:
- Dry yeast
- Water
- Plain flour (always start with less and add more as you go!)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt

This recipe yields 6-8 pita breads, depending on the size you prefer. Six are large enough to make a gyro, while eight are great for small pita breads that can be enjoyed on the side of any meal.

Close up of pita bread stacked on a plate

Flour Quantities
Like with all recipes, from cookies to breads, it's always best to start with less flour than needed then add more as you go. My Yiayia always says, "όσο χρειάζεται" (as much as it takes). Simply because our grandmothers work based on touch and feel, not precise measurements. As stated in my method and in the quantities, more flour is needed to have on hand to slowly add to as you knead the dough, until it becomes soft and no longer sticky.

Dry Yeast
If the dry yeast does not bubble or slightly foam in the first part of the method, start over. I find yeast that has been opened for too long, does not work. The small sachets are great, or use a freshly opened can of dry yeast.

PITA BREAD

Mary Politis
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 225 ml warm water
  • 2 tsp dry yeast
  • 380 g plain flour plus 100g extra
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Add warm water and dry yeast to a large bowl. Allow to sit until it develops a foamy surface.
  • Add in the olive oil, 380 grams of plain flour, and salt. Use your hands to incorporate and create a dough in the bowl. Once a dough has formed, remove from bowl and knead on a floured work surface for approximately 6 minutes. If the dough is sticky, add flour from the extra 100 grams that is set aside gradually whilst you knead (you may not use all of the flour). When ready, the dough should be soft, smooth, and no longer sticking to your hands.
  • Clean the bowl used to make the dough and lightly oil it. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with a tea towel, and allow it to proof for 1 hour, doubling in size.
  • Once the dough has risen, remove from bowl and place onto work surface gently kneading for 20 seconds to create a neat ball again. Cut the dough into 7 or 8 equal pieces. Use your hands to shape into little balls once more. Cover with a tea towel for 10 minutes.
  • Brush a small amount of olive oil onto your pan and set to medium high heat. Roll out a ball of dough, turning it after each pass of the rolling pin to achieve an evenly round Pita bread shape. The rolled out Pita should be just under 1/2 a centimeter thickness.
  • Carefully place the rolled out dough onto the hot oiled pan and allow to cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on the first side or until bubbles start forming on top. Flip then continue to cook for another 1-2 minues. Continue this process, adding another brush of oil to the pan after each Pita bread has cooked.
  • Place hot Pita bread on a plate and wrap in a towel. Enjoy fresh or see notes for storage.

Notes

If you intend on freezing a batch of Pita bread, allow to completely cool before placing in an airtight ziplock bag. No need to thaw before eating, just reheat in the oven for a few minutes at 150 C fan forced.
Fresh Pita bread can last refrigerated in your fridge for up to 3 days.
Keyword bread, flat bread, Greek bread, Greek Food, pita bread
Posted in Meze, Vegan/Lenten.

2 Comments

    • Hi Tina, I don’t own a bread maker so I don’t think I can answer this question. It sounds possible though! Let me know if you give it a go, I am very curious now! 🙂 Mary x

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