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    You Are Here Home » Assyrian Recipes

    Published: Jan 4, 2018 Updated: Jan 2, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 11 Comments

    Homemade Pita Bread (made from scratch)

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    pita bread

    Did you know that pita is probably the easiest bread recipe to master? Well, maybe next to Lavash Bread. Yes, even the most novice of cooks shouldn't be intimidated by this Homemade Pita Bread recipe! Serve freshly baked pita bread with Hummus or Roasted Eggplant Dip.

    pita bread wrapped in a blue dish towel

    Truthfully, the only challenge is making sure the homemade pita bread puffs up to form a pocket. Luckily, even if it doesn’t puff up, it will taste just as amazing. Just fold it in half like you would with flatbread!

    However, lucky for you, I’m a perfectionist. Using my failures to your advantage, I’m here to make sure you achieve the perfect puff every time! Follow these few simple, yet necessary steps, and you will be baking pitas like a Middle Eastern grandma in no time!

    How to Make the Best Pita Bread

    Step 1: Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in honey and set aside for five minutes, or until the water is frothy.

    a cup with frothing yeast

    Step 2: Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yeast and water mixture, along with one tablespoon of olive oil.

    yeast frothing in a bowl of flour

    Step 3: Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. Knead by hand, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix until the dough is elastic and smooth, approximately five minutes.

    bought mixing in a mixer

    Step 4: Add dough to a bowl, coated with the remaining oil. Roll the dough to coat evenly with the oil. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm spot for two hours.

    smooth dough in a bowl covered with Saran Wrap

    Step 5: Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

    • dough ball on the counter
    • dough balls on a counter

    Step 6: Remove the top racks from the oven, leaving only the lowest rack. Place a pizza stone or a cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

    Step 7: Lightly flour work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out one portion of dough at a time into an 8” circle, leave the remaining portions covered.

    • dough ball with a colorful rolling pin behind it
    • flattened round dough with a colorful rolling pin behind it

    Step 8: Using a spatula, transfer the rolled-out dough onto the pizza stone or cast-iron skillet. Set timer to three minutes.

    Step 9: After three minutes have elapsed, turn the pita bread over with a spatula and cook for an additional minute.

    pita bread fresh out of the oven

    Step 10: Place the cooked pita bread into a paper bag and close the bag. Do the same with the remaining dough. The pita bread will stay soft if you cool it off in the paper bag.

    Another option is to wrap the warm pita bread in a clean dishtowel. Repeat with the remaining dough.

    stack of pita bread on a dishtowel

    Store cooled pita bread in a ziplock bag. To refresh pita bread, heat in a toaster or a pan before serving.

    Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

    Can You Use Wheat Flour to Make Pita Bread?

    Although I prefer using all-purpose flour in my pita bread recipe, sometimes I add whole wheat flour too. For example, try substituting ½ cup of wheat flour for ½ cup of white flour.

    Although I have never tried making 100% whole wheat pita bread, I have substituted as much as half of the white flour with wheat. The end result was still good, but not as good as white flour, in my opinion. Pita bread made with white flour is softer and more pliable.

    Should Pita bread be cooked on the Stove-top or in an Oven? 

    Recently, I have noticed a trend of cooking homemade pita bread in a cast-iron skillet on the stove, versus baking them in the oven.

    I have given this method a few tries and have found that the pita does not puff up most of the time. Sure, you might have an occasional puff, but I don’t like those odds. Leave the pan method for making flatbread and tortillas. Instead, cook the pita in the oven, for a perfect puff every time!

    How Long Should You Cook Pita Bread? 

    When baking pita bread, set your oven to 500°F. Cooking with a lower temperature for a longer period does not achieve the same great results.

    Using either a pizza stone or a cast-iron skillet is a must for this recipe. Whichever you decide to use, be sure to heat it in the 500° F oven for 15 minutes first. How long should you cook the pita? Let’s just say I have experimented enough for the both of us. I have found that cooking the bread for three minutes, then quickly flipping over for an additional minute helps to achieve the perfect pita pocket.

    • Enjoy pita bread by itself, with butter and jam, or with a cup of tea, olives, and some buried cheese.
    • Dip pita bread into your favorite stew or soup, or stuff with kofta to make Arayes.
    • Pita bread makes amazing sandwiches, including Israeli Sabich Sandwiches.
    Sabich Sandwich being held over a blue plate with fixings around it

    Related Posts

    • Manakish (Lebanese Za'atar Bread)
    • Lavash Bread (Yeastless Armenian Flatbread)
    • Israeli Sabich Sandwich Recipe
    • Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    pita bread

    Homemade Pita Bread

    Homemade pita bread that puffs up every time! 
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish, Snacks
    Cuisine: Assyrian, Greek, Middle Eastern
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Resting Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
    Total Time: 3 hours
    Servings: 8 pita pockets
    Calories: 255kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Ingredients

    • 2-¼ tsp. yeast (or 1 packet)
    • 1-½ cups warm water
    • 1 tsp. honey
    • 4 cups flour
    • 1-½ tsp. salt
    • 1-½ T. olive oil (divided)

    Instructions

    • Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in honey and set aside for five minutes, or until the water is frothy.
    • Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yeast and water mixture, along with one tablespoon of olive oil.
    • Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. Knead by hand, or use a mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix until the dough is elastic and smooth, approximately five minutes.
    • Add dough to a bowl, coated with the remaining oil. Roll the dough to coat evenly with the oil. Cover with a towel and allow to rest in a warm spot for two hours.
    • Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
    • Remove the top racks from the oven, leaving only the lowest rack. Place a pizza stone or a cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
    • Lightly flour your work surface. Roll out one portion of dough at a time into an 8” circle, leave the remaining portions covered.
    • Using a spatula, transfer the rolled out dough onto the pizza stone or cast-iron skillet. Set timer to three minutes.
    • After three minutes have elapsed, turn the pita bread over with a spatula and cook for an additional minute.
    • Place the cooked pita bread into a paper bag and close the bag. Do the same with the remaining dough. The pita bread will stay soft if you cool it off in the paper bag.
    • Another option is to wrap the warm pita bread in a clean dishtowel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
    • Place cooled pita bread in a ziplock bag. Heat in a toaster or a pan before serving.

    Notes

    • Enjoy pita bread by itself, with butter and jam or with a cup of tea, olives, and some buried cheese.
    • Dip pita bread into your favorite stew or soup, or stuff with kofta to make Arayes.
    • Follow these few simple, yet necessary steps, and you will be baking pitas like a Middle Eastern grandma in no time!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 445mg | Fiber: 2g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!
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    Comments

    1. Emily says

      October 01, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      Several years ago I made pita bread for the first time. It turned out perfectly. It was easy. I ate it all. I was so happy! It was Spring and since I wasn’t going to crank up the oven, I put my collection of printed recipes away. A few years later I decided to make pita bread again so I got out my weird stack of recipes. I looked through them but couldn’t find the recipe I originally used. I tried another. And then another. And then another. I tried to find that original recipe so many times (in the house, in my office, Google) but I could only recall a few things; a well (for the yeast), 500 degree oven, lowest rack, inverted baking sheet if I didn’t have a stone. I didn’t remember a lot of kneading or different flours. I tried about 15 recipes (and variations of those recipes). Most of them went into the trash. They were pretty and poofed, but they were not what I wanted. I’m all about flavor. I wanted that yeasty sweetness balanced perfectly with salt, perfect amount of chewiness.

      This year, my quest continued (year #3). I started with the most basic, highly rated recipe I could find (a variation of Rose Leavy? Bread bible author). It was close but still not right. I made 3 variations. Still not right. Then I decided to look for a no knead recipe… and I found this one. There’s a well, 500 degree oven, lowest rack — was this it?? Was this the recipe I’d used years ago?

      I made my first batch yesterday, did a pretty fast rise because I was tight on time.

      After roughly 3 years, I produced the first batch of pita bread that will be fully consumed. I have a half recipe rising (I’m trying it with instant yeast - I hope it turns out okay).

      I can attest this is the best recipe online. I’ve tried so many. It’s easy. It tastes great. It poofs. The dough is manageable. It’s a PERFECT recipe and I’m so glad I found it (again). Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        October 01, 2021 at 5:16 pm

        Hi Emily, This has to be the LONGEST comment I've ever received, haha. Luckily, it had a nice ending! I'm so glad you love my pita bread recipe. I hadn't made some in a while and so I baked some earlier in the week. I ate most of them. 😬 Can I get you to leave a star rating too? 😘

        Reply
    2. Laura M. Stahl says

      February 20, 2021 at 2:05 am

      5 stars
      I never thought that pita bread was so easy to make. I was very pleased with the pita bread recipe. It is so simple to make. I use pita bread with many dishes. It is delicious and simple to make.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        February 20, 2021 at 7:13 am

        Hi Laura,
        I'm glad you were happy with the results. I love pita bread too, but try not to make it too often because my husband doesn't eat much bread and I can't stop eating it. 😉

        Reply
    3. susan says

      November 27, 2020 at 9:51 am

      I see that you put the cast iron pan in the hot oven...but should you put oil in it everytime you make a pita ? thx

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        November 27, 2020 at 11:14 am

        Hi Susan, that's not really necessary, only if you see that the pita bread sticks to the pan, but I've never had that problem.

        Reply
    4. Heidi says

      April 04, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      So good and easy! I even forgot to add the olive oil before I mixed the dough and ended up added it then mixing some more. LOL It was so fun and satisfying watching it poof! Your friend Andrea B. Gave me your blog/recipe. Excited to try other recipes now. Be well and stay safe.

      Reply
      • HildaSterner says

        April 04, 2020 at 3:00 pm

        Hi Heidi, I'm so glad you enjoyed making your first batch of Pita Bread! I really appreciate that you took the time to come back and review the recipe too. Stay safe as well and say hi to Andrea for me! 😘

        Reply
    5. Andrea and Sophie says

      November 28, 2018 at 11:17 am

      If I had know that making fresh pita bread was so easy...I would have been making this years ago! The taste is SUPERIOR to even a good storebought brand. And warm pita?! I died...

      Reply
    6. HildaSterner says

      January 05, 2018 at 7:19 pm

      Haha, I'll get right on that!

      Reply
    7. anastaciast says

      January 05, 2018 at 9:15 am

      This looks like fun. I am looking forward to the pitas you will be sending to me. That's the best part of the recipe. 🙂

      Reply

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