Homemade Pita Bread is so easy to make! Perfectly pillowy and just the right amount of chewy, these pita loaves will become your sandwich bread of choice.
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Easy Homemade Pita Bread
My new favorite way to meet my daily carb quota? That would be Homemade Pita Bread. It’s so easy to make, and it’s an absolute delight when slathered with some Homemade Tzatziki Sauce! It can also be served alongside Easy Chicken Souvlaki or stuffed with Homemade Falafel!
The best part about this bread, besides the happiness that ensues when you eat it, is that it only needs 6 ingredients. Just 6! So don’t worry about going to the store, because you’ve probably got everything you need already sitting on your pantry shelves.
Before we go on, though, let’s talk about why you will end up wanting to make these pita loaves every week! They’re so chewy and tender, but they’ve also got a little crispiness to the exterior, thanks to the skillet. That’s right – this is skillet Greek pita bread, so there’s no need for an oven!
Last selling point: If you’ve ever wondered what a cloud tastes like, you need only make this puffy pita bread recipe. 😉
Is Pita Bread Healthy?
Pita bread is a pretty healthy option if you’re looking for low-calorie bread. There isn’t much fat in a loaf of pita bread either.
You might want to keep in mind, though, that the sodium content is a little higher here than in other breads. Also, if you fill the pita pocket with something else, that could add to the calorie count. Other than that, pita is a mostly healthy snack!
Recipe Ingredients
Like I mentioned above, the ingredient list for homemade pita bread is not very long! You won’t be taking up much counter space when you make this meal. Here are the 6 essential components:
- Sugar: I just use regular granulated sugar – I don’t recommend sugar substitutions for this recipe.
- Yeast: You’ll need dry active yeast so that the dough can rise.
- Water: Your water should be warm so that the yeast activates, but not hot.
- Salt: For added flavor.
- Olive Oil: For flavor – other cooking oils may work, but I like to stick to extra virgin olive oil.
- Flour: I generally use all-purpose flour, but you could try this recipe with whole wheat flour or a mix of the two.
How to Make Pita Bread
While the ingredient list for pita loaves is pretty short, the process for making the actual bread is a little longer. But it’s not that difficult, so don’t let the length scare you away! You’ll be through these step-by-step instructions in no time:
Activate the Yeast: Whisk together the sugar and yeast in a large bowl, then stir in the warm water. Let the yeast activate for about 5 minutes, or until frothy.
Add the Rest of the Ingredients: Add the salt and olive oil, and then using a wooden spoon, add 2 ½ cups of flour. Continue stirring and add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides.
Knead the Dough: Dust a counter with some of the remaining flour. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead it for 15 minutes. If you have a stand mixer with a kneading attachment then you’ll only need to knead for 10 minutes. Tuck in the edges of the dough then coat the same bowl with olive oil that you used before. Add the dough and roll it around in the bowl to coat it in the olive oil.
Let the Dough Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it rise for about an hour, until it has doubled in size.
Separate the Dough into Sections: Remove the dough from the bowl and cut it into 10 equal pieces that weigh about 2 ounces each. Tuck in the edges of each of the pieces to form balls then cover them with a towel and let them rest for 20 minutes.
Roll Out the Sections: Roll one of the dough balls out into a ¼ inch thick disk that’s about 6 inches across. (These do not have to be perfect, just form the best circle or oval that you can.) Let the uncooked pita rest for five minutes as you heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat the pan in some olive oil then place one of the uncooked pitas in the pan.
Cook the Pita: Cook for 20 to 30 seconds or until you see 4-5 bubbles start to form, then flip the pita over and cook for another 20 seconds then flip it again and cook for 1 minute and allow the bread to puff up.
Flip it again and let it puff up more, then remove it from the pan and cover with a towel to trap the steam and keep the pitas soft. (Not all of the pitas will puff up, but they should all form large bubbles.)
Repeat the process with the remaining uncooked pitas, then serve!
Tips for Success
Not too bad, right? And just look at the golden-brown crisp on the exterior of the pita – yum!
Here are a couple of tips that will help you get the best results with your pita bread every time:
- Can I Use a Stand Mixer? Sure. When you’re combining all of the ingredients, use a stand mixer if you would like to. I prefer to knead this bread with my hands because I think the texture is best when I do it that way, but it’s up to you.
- Let the Dough Rise in a Warm Area: You don’t want it to be surrounded by heat, but the dough should be kept in relative warmth if you want it to truly double in size. Avoid cool temperatures too – this could slow the activity of the yeast.
- Use Minimal Flour When Kneading and Shaping: Add a dusting of flour if the dough gets too sticky to handle, but don’t overdo it or the dough will become hard. The dough should be tacky, but not too sticky to knead.
Serving Suggestions
Pita bread can be served with practically anything – it’s very versatile. So, though I like eating it as-is, here are a couple of different ideas about what goes with pita bread:
- Tzatziki Sauce: The perfect appetizer! Tear off hunks of pita bread, and dip them in this creamy Tzatziki Sauce!
- Falafel: One of the best things to stuff your pita bread with is falafel. Serve it as an easy Greek dinner, and it’s bound to please.
- Gyros: An abundance of homemade pita bread is a great excuse to whip up some delicious Chicken Gyros!
- Souvlaki: Chicken Souvlaki, as mentioned above, is complemented beautifully by pillowy pita bread – this also makes for a fantastic summer meal!
How to Store
This pita bread can be stored (once it has cooled completely) in a Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. It’s super handy to just have them there on the counter, ready to grab at a moment’s notice for sandwiches and more!
Can I Freeze This?
Yep! You can definitely freeze homemade pita bread. Once the bread has cooled, take a Ziploc bag and store the loaves between layers of parchment paper for easy removal. They will keep this way for 2-3 months!
Homemade Pita Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
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Instructions
- Whisk together the sugar and yeast in a large bowl, then stir in the warm water. Let the yeast activate for about 5 minutes, or until frothy.
- Add the salt and olive oil, and then using a wooden spoon, add 2 ½ cups of flour.
- Continue stirring and add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides.
- Dust a counter with some of the remaining flour. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead it for 15 minutes. If you have a stand mixer with a kneading attachment then you’ll only need to knead for 10 minutes. Add a dust of flour as it gets too sticky to handle, but don’t overdo it or the dough will become hard. The dough should be tacky but not too sticky to knead.
- Tuck in the edges of the dough then coat the same bowl with olive oil that you used before. Add the dough and roll it around in the bowl to coat it in the olive oil.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it rise for about an hour, until it has doubled in size.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and cut it into 10 equal pieces that weigh about 2 ounces each.Tuck in the edges of each of the pieces to form balls then cover them with a towel and let them rest for 20 minutes.
- Roll one of the dough balls out into a ¼ inch thick disk that’s about 6 inches across. (These do not have to be perfect, just form the best circle or oval that you can.)
- Let the uncooked pita rest for five minutes as you heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat the pan in some olive oil then place one of the uncooked pitas in the pan.
- Cook for 20 to 30 seconds or until you see 4-5 bubbles start to form, then flip the pita over and cook for another 20 seconds then flip it again and cook for 1 minute and allow the bread to puff up.
- Flip it again and let it puff up more then remove it from the pan and cover with a towel to trap the steam and keep them soft. (Not all of the pitas will puff up, but they should all form large bubbles.)
- Repeat the process with the remaining uncooked pitas, then serve!
Notes
This pita bread can be stored (once it has cooled completely) in a Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. It’s super handy to just have them there on the counter, ready to grab at a moment’s notice for sandwiches and more! CAN I FREEZE THIS?
Yep! You can definitely freeze homemade pita bread. Once the bread has cooled, take a Ziploc bag and store the loaves between layers of parchment paper for easy removal. They will keep this way for 2-3 months!
Nutrition
More Bread Recipes to Try
Big on bread? Then browse through some more of these easy bread recipes!
- Easy Homemade Bread Recipe
- Brown Sugar Banana Bread
- Goat Cheese Garlic Bread
- Best Pumpkin Bread
- Easy Cinnamon Bread
- Buttery Beer Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
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The yield states 6-7 pitas but the instructions say divide into 10 pieces. Could you give an idea of the size differences if I were to divide into 6 vs 10 balls of dough? I have been searching for a pita recipe like the ones used at OPA restaurants. I know they are a “fast food” type restaurant so they may not be particularly authentic but I love how fluffy and chewy their pitas are compared to the drier pocket type pitas available in grocery stores.
Hi Shelley! Thank you for catching that, it should state 10 pitas and has been updated now to show the correct yield! I would do the 2 oz balls as directed, but you can make them larger if you prefer, they will work either way. These are definitely more moist than what you would get at the store! Hope this helps!
Hi Jessica, Thank you for your reply. I printed out the recipe as it was, then realized I needed to make a little more so I scaled it up to 10 and printed. Then I thought 5 cups of flour may make too much so I scaled it back down to maybe 8? I can’t remember, but it changed to 3 tablespoons of sugar and 4.5 cups of flour. I actually ended up making 12 pitas with that recipe. They were a decent size for us to stuff with your chicken slouvaki recipe. I also used your recipes for Greek seasoning, Greek salad dressing and Greek salad for a Greek themed birthday dinner for my son. Everything was great. The pita dough was beautiful to work with.
So glad to hear it worked out and you enjoyed it all! 🙂
I loved the taste however I was hoping you can help me trouble shoot why only one proofed up and created the pocket! The rest of them stayed flat.
Hi Kailea! Hmm, that is very strange! Where they cooked all at the same time? Or did some of the dough sit for a while? I assume it was all cooked at the same time, but I am not sure why only one would puff up. I wish I had a better answer!
Omg yummm. My 3 and 6 year old helped make them and also loved them! Thank you.
Delicious taste and easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!!
Just made this recipe and ummmmmm it’s amazing!!!! So so easy to make, I will be making another batch tomorrow 🙂
I replace the water with milk simply because I prefer it that way but absolutely love these. They’re amazing and it’s so simple
Can it be left to rise in the first step for longer than 1 hr? Thanks!
Hi Trish! It can be left a little longer, but dough that is left too long to rise will eventually be over-proofed, can potentially collapse and mess with the final texture. So 20-30 minutes more would probably be the longest it could go.
Thanks so much! I’m pretty new to making breads, so this is super helpful 🙂
Great recipe. So easy. They worked well for the vegan gyros I made with them. They were light and fluffy. Highly recommend this recipe.
Could the mix, knead, and rise be done in a breadmachine??
Hi Donna! I have not tried it in a bread machine (and don’t have one), but please let us all know how it works out if you try it!