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 pocket recipe! Serve freshly baked pita bread with hummus, roasted eggplant dip, arook, or with your falafel bowl.
Truthfully, the only challenge is making sure the homemade pita bread puffs up to form a pita 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!
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This is not only a super easy recipe but making pita pockets is actually fun!
- Pita pockets can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and refreshed in a skillet or over a flame.
- The pita bread pocket can be stuffed with cheese, beef, lamb, chicken shawarma, falafel, or use it to make a gyro pita!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients And Substitutions
- Flour: This pita bread recipe requires all-purpose flour but you can experiment with bread flour or substitute half of the white flour for whole wheat flour.
- Oil: Instead of olive oil, feel free to use avocado oil or vegetable oil.
- Honey: If you don't have honey, substitute with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
🥙 How to Make Pita Pockets
STEP 1: Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in honey and set aside for five minutes, or until the water is frothy.
STEP 2: Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yeast and water mixture, along with one tablespoon of olive oil.
STEP 3: Mix with a wooden spoon, knead by hand, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix until the dough is elastic and smooth.
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.
STEP 5: Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
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, and leave the remaining portions covered.
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.
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.
Store cooled pita bread in a ziplock bag. To refresh pita bread, heat in a toaster or a pan before serving.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
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.
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!
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 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.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- 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 it with kofta, feta, tomatoes, and onions. Another option is to make arayes (meat-stuffed pita pockets).
- Pita bread makes amazing sandwiches, including Israeli Sabich Sandwiches.
🥐 Related Posts
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Pita Pocket Recipe
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoon yeast (or 1 packet)
- 1½ cups warm water (100-110°)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 4 cups flour
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ tablespoon 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.
- Mix with a wooden spoon, knead by hand, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix until the dough is elastic and smooth.
- 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 it with kofta, feta, tomatoes, and onions. Another option is to make arayes (meat-stuffed pita pockets).
- Pita bread makes amazing sandwiches, including Israeli Sabich Sandwiches.
Hilda Sterner says
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? 😘