Homemade Pita Bread

by Michelle
August 25, 2020

Learn how to make homemade pita bread with this simple recipe; I promise it’s easier than you think! So much better than store-bought, you can use your pita for sandwiches, gyros, dipping into hummus, making homemade pita chips… the possibilities are endless. I can’t wait for you to make these!

Growing up, my grandma always kept a stash of pita bread in her kitchen. She would sometimes stuff it with cucumber salad or tomato salad (always fresh from the garden!), but I most often remember her splitting them open, toasting them and slathering pb& j on them.

As an adult, I discovered true, traditional pita at Middle Eastern restaurants and fell head over heels in love. They were nothing like the store-bought stuff I ate growing up, and I couldn’t get enough of it, especially if I could dip it into authentic hummus.

Once I began tackling bread baking at home, pita was high on my list of recipes to try. I was surprised (and elated!) to discover just how easy making pita bread at home could be. You’ll never want to get store-bought again!

History and origin

Pita is a general term for a family of yeast-leavened flatbreads that are common in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The type that we are making today, with an interior pocket, is known by the generic term “pita” in most places in the U.S. and is also known as Arabic bread or Syrian bread. There are also pocketless pita versions, such as the Greek pita, which is traditionally used as the wrap for gyros.

Pita bread goes wayyyy back to prehistoric times in the Middle East; we’re talking nearly 15,000 years ago! There is evidence from the Stone Age that flatbreads were made using wild grains. There isn’t any record of the puffed, pocketed pita until more recent times, so it’s more of a “modern” take on flatbreads.

Pita vs naan

They look similar, but they are actually quite different! Here’s the breakdown:

Pita Bread

Originated in the Middle East
Simple list of ingredients – flour, salt, water, yeast and sometimes a small amount of sweetener or fat
Has a drier texture
Pocketed
Can be made in a modern oven

Naan

Originated in India
Ingredients usually include yogurt and milk, and sometimes eggs or butter
Softer texture
Pocketless, eaten flat as one piece
Made in a tandoor (clay oven) or in a skillet (though this version is less desirable)

How to make it

It may look and sound intimidating, but it’s actually quite a simple process, let’s talk through it…

Mix and Knead Dough – Just as all yeast-based recipes, the first step is to mix the dough and knead it until slightly tacky and supple.
1st Rise – Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and set aside until it has doubled in size (about 90 minutes).
Shape Into Balls – Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll into balls.
Rest – Cover the balls of dough and let rest for 20 minutes so they relax and are easier to shape.
Shape – Using a rolling pin or your hands, roll/stretch the dough into a 6-inch circle.
2nd Rise – Once all of the dough has been shaped into discs, cover them until nearly doubled in thickness, 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake – Place the discs on a baking stone or cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake until completely puffy, about 3 minutes.

Oven vs stovetop

While an oven is the easiest way to cook pita bread since you can make them all at once, you can also make it on the stovetop if you want/need to.

Simply place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the pitas, one at a time, flipping it over after about 10 seconds. Once the bread is completely puffed and has some brown patches, it is done.

Troubleshooting tips

If you’re experiencing issues with pitas not puffing (ack, no pocket!), being difficult to roll out, or browning issues, read below for my key tips on making perfect pitas:

Keep the dough tacky – You don’t want to add too much flour or the pita will be quite dry; this shouldn’t be an issue if kneading with a stand mixer; if you are kneading by hand, I recommend using a silicone scraper for hand-kneading softer doughs to avoid adding too much flour.
Roll the dough THIN – You want to make sure the dough is NO MORE than ¼-inch thick (⅛-inch is even better!). If the dough is too thick, it won’t be able to puff up.
Rest the dough if necessary – If the dough shrinks back or resists when you’re shaping the circles, cover it with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 5 or 10 minutes and then try again.
The 2nd rise is key! – The second rise doesn’t take very long (30 to 45 minutes), but you need to allow the dough to rise again for the pitas to cook correctly.
Hot oven + preheated baking surface – Use an oven thermometer of necessary to make sure your oven is fully preheated to 450 degrees F and place either a baking stone (the BEST surface!) or cookie sheet into the oven to heat up, as well. The pitas need that burst of very hot air to do their puffing and the preheated surfaces will help get those brown spots.
Wrap them up – Once the pitas are done baking, wrap them up in a kitchen towel while still warm. This helps them reabsorb some of the steam and keeps them softer longer.

What to eat with pita bread

Stuff it with falafels, cucumber salad, chicken salad, egg salad, or your favorite sandwich fixings.
Wrap up homemade gyros. While the traditional Greek pitas have no pocket, these will work in a pinch!
Dip it into classic hummus or roasted red pepper hummus.
Cut it up and make homemade pita chips. Season however you’d like!
Toast it and slather with peanut butter and jelly – my grandma’s favorite way to eat it :)

If you make this recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️