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If you’ve wondered how to make homemade pita bread, this is it! Follow this super simple Pita Bread Recipe and you’ll have toasty warm, perfectly puffed pitas to stuff with your favorite sandwich ingredients, spread with Baba Ganoush, White Bean Hummus, or Tzatziki sauce or roll into a gyro (with homemade gyro meat) or Lamb Shawarma.
I admit that I’m a lazy baker. When it comes to baking I like recipes that come together quickly and are reliable and repeatable, i.e., have ingredient weights. And if there is a step to skip without lowering quality I’ll try to find it. For this recipe, I found two steps to skip: proofing the yeast (not necessary with active dry yeast – see this explanation from King Arthur Flour) and the room temperature rise, choosing instead to let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. By letting my stand mixer do the mixing and kneading, I had the dough assembled and in the refrigerator in 10 minutes flat.
Reading through a number of pita bread recipes (like this one and this one) and reader comments, the most common complaint was about pitas not puffing properly, leaving the baker with delicious warm flatbread but no pocket to fill. Fortunately there were also solutions to ensure a perfect pita: a piping hot baking stone / baking sheet in the oven or skillet on the stovetop and a quick spritz of water before cooking (great tip from Deb of Smitten Kitchen).
These pita breads are a mix of all-purpose and whole grain flour. You may have noticed that most of the baked goods I share use some or all whole grain flour. It’s not just about being nutritious, I like the extra flavor and texture. But feel free to play with the flour ratio to suit your tastes.
Other Bread Recipes You Should Try
- Skillet Cornbread (My tried and true recipe! Made in a cast iron skillet for all those crispy edges.)
- Mexican Cornbread (A riff on my favorite skillet cornbread, kicked up with jalapeños, green onions, and cheddar cheese!)
- Oatmeal Banana Bread (Made with honey and whole grain flour this is always a crowd pleaser!)
Pita Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 272 g
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour 108 g
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low until all dry ingredients are moistened and comes together in to a shaggy dough. Increase speed to medium and knead for 8 minutes until dough is smooth. Remove dough from hook and shape into a ball. Rub ball on all sides with olive oil and return to mixing bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Bring dough to room temperature before shaping.
- When ready to bake, place baking stone or heavy baking sheet in cold oven and pre-heat to 475°F.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disc and, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll into an 8-inch diameter circle. (As you work with one, keep remaining pieces covered with a clean towel or plastic wrap.)
- Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you’ll bake 2 to 4 pitas at a time. Spritz pitas lightly with water and transfer directly to baking stone or sheet. Bake 2 minutes, until puffed and lightly brown. Flip and bake 1 minute more. Remove and allow oven to come to full temperature before baking the next batch. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Serve hot or store in an airtight bag for a few days or freeze baked pitas to use within a month or two. Reheat in oven or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Notes
- Please note that total time does not include dough rising time.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer or prefer to mix by hand, stir ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and transfer to lightly floured work surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and follow remaining instructions.
- You can also cook these in a skillet, one at a time, over medium-high heat on the stovetop – be sure that the skillet gets fully reheated between pitas.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have not yet tried this recipe, I was wondering if you have a provision for high altitude baking? We are at 5000′.
Hi Sharon! I’m sorry I don’t. Perhaps you’ll find this guide from King Arthur Flour helpful?
This was my third attempt and recipes, and by far the easiest and BEST outcome!
That’s wonderful to hear, Christopher! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
Made pita bread this morning and it was excellent! Thank you for this recipe! Very easy to make. My husband loved them and I will probably be making this recipe often.
That’s wonderful to hear, Bonnie! Thank you for coming back to let me know!