Airy, pillowy soft pita is a staple bread all across the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean. It’s the perfect vessel to scoop up the delicious Middle Eastern, Mediterranean dips and sauces, perfect accompaniment to kebabs and delicious for sandwiches, gyros anyone! Surprisingly pita bread is reasonably easy to make and fun. If I can make it anyone can! seriously. The best part is you’ll need just some basic pantry items. So get ready, gather the ingredients and no time you’ll have homemade freshly baked pitas, when pulled apart would release a cloud of steam. Doesn’t get fresher than that!
Serving Suggestions
- Eggplant Walnut Dip
- Shish Tawook
- Roasted Butternut Chipotle Dip
- Persian Eggplant Dip
- Mediterranean Mezze
- Hummus 4 Ways
- Babaganoush
- Salmon Kebabs
INGREDIENTS FOR PITA BREAD
- Flour: All-purpose flour and/or whole-wheat flour are best for pitas. I used portions of both for light airy, soft texture with a little nutty, heartier flavor. Simply use a.p flour if you prefer plain white pitas.
- Yeast: We’ll need yeast to make the dough rise and support aeration for a light and fluffy texture. Instant dry yeast needs warm water, best temp range (100°F to 120°F) to get started. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast, and cold water won’t activate it.
- Sugar: Sugar helps to activate the yeast.
- Salt: to bring out and balance the flavors of all the other ingredients.
- Olive oil: Adding olive oil prevents the bread from drying out by maintaining the moisture in addition to adding flavor.
- Water: Warm water is needed for activating the yeast and helping it grow. (see tips in Yeast
)
TIPS TO MAKE HOMEMADE PITA BREAD
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl stir to mix evenly. Slowly add flour one cup at a time until a loose sticky dough is formed. Once formed, knead until the dough comes together and is smooth.
- Allow dough to rise in a warm, draft free place till the dough has doubled in size. 1-2 hours.
- Divide the dough into 10-12 round balls. While forming the balls with your hands, tuck n roll until you have a smooth dough ball.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a small round circle. Transfer the rolled out pita onto small squares of parchment paper floured lightly. Flip the rolled out pita onto the preheated baking sheet.
- As tempting as it is to make larger pitas, make small ones, aim for 4-6 inch max diameter. They’ll puff up correctly and won’t dry out.
- Roll out as evenly and circularly as possible, because it helps to disperse air bubbles and finally puffs up evenly. This is very important if you want pitas for stuffing into sandwiches.
- For an even smooth edged pita watch the seams. Make sure to fold-n-tuck the dough ball and the seam should face down when rolled out. This locks some air that helps the pita to puff up. This is not essential but will make the pita look pretty too.
- Bake on the bottom rack of your oven until lightly golden brown and puffed.
- Tear open one of your freshly baked pita and watch a cloud of warm steam release!
Homemade Pita
Equipment
- 1 large baking sheet or 2 regular
- Pae=rchment paper
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all purpose bread flour** see notes
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour** see notes
- 1¼-1½ cups warm water
- 1 tbsp sugar, any kind I used coconut sugar because thats all I had
- 2¼ tsp instant dryyeast check the expiration date
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- 1-2 tbsp e.v olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with hook attachment, dissolve sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle in yeast and let stand until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add half the flour, olive oil and salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining flour and stir until a loose sticky dough is formed. Oil you hands and knead for 5-7 minutes or in the stand mixer until the dough comes together into a smooth ball.
- Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and set is aside to rise in a warm, draft free spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 1-1½ hour.
- Punch dough down and divide the dough into 10-12 mini balls. Using your hands to tuck the sides and roll into a smooth, round even ball, cover the pieces with a damp kitchen towel. Allow them rest for 10 minutes.
- Use a rolling pin, roll out one dough ball at a time. The rolled out pita should be circular with even thickness all over. (This is important to ensure that the pita puffs up into one large puff). Transfer the rolled out pita onto small squares of parchment paper floured lightly. Cover them with the kitchen towel. (placing the rolled out pita on small parchment paper pieces helps to flip them out on the preheated baking sheet easily.).
- Preheat oven 550°F or to the highest temperature of your oven. Make sure your baking sheet/s preheats with the oven. While the oven is heating, Let the pita rounds to rest.
- Transfer the rolled out pita onto the heated baking sheet.
- Bake on the bottom rack of your oven until lightly golden brown and puffed, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Wrap them in a clean kitchen towel as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve as needed.
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