Homemade Pita Bread

Pita bread (also known as Arabic bread and Syrian bread) is a yeast-leavened flatbread common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. It can be made with or without an interior pocket. Regardless of which route you take, the possibilities are endless—pita stuff falafel, sabich (a sandwich with fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus, tahini, and Iraesli salad), shawarma sandwiches, or souvlaki sandwiches (usually made with pocketless pita).

Our recipe is intended to make a pita bread with pockets. Originally, I cooked the pita bread on the stovetop in a hot cast iron pan and was delighted with the results. But after reviewing feedback and learning that many people were struggling with this cooking method, I retested the process and decided to bake the pita instead. You'll still need an extremely hot pan (or pizza stone), which you'll preheat in a 500° oven. Watching the dough puffin the pan is extremely satisfying to say the very least. And the soft, pillowy results will make the whole process worth it.

How To Make Pita Bread

INGREDIENTS

• Water: Your water should warm, around 110° F, to properly bloom your yeast.
• Dry Yeast: If you’re a baker, you’ll be very familiar with working with active dry yeast. If you’re not, or want to see our tips for how to make sure your yeast is still good, check out our article on everything you need to know about yeast.
• Granulated Sugar: This will not only provide that tiny bit of sweetness, but will help the yeast give our pita that soft and airy texture.
• All-Purpose Flour: No need to get fancy here—unbleached all-purpose flour will make delicious pita bread. Make sure you have some extra to flour your work spaces.
• Olive Oil: Use your favorite olive oil brand, or checkout our list of the best olive oil brands for inspo.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

One of the best things about this recipe? You don’t need a mixer for any step! First, we’re going to bloom our yeast by adding it to warm water (around 110° F) along with our sugar.

Then you can add in the flour. Mix until it is well incorporated and smooth, then let it sit for around 15 minutes. Your mixture should look nice and foamy. Then, you can add in the rest of your ingredients, and mix until you get a shaggy dough that is evenly combined.

Once your dough is well combined, it’s time to get to kneading. You can do this on a nicely floured surface, or work directly in the same bowl, adding a little bit of flour at a time as you see fit. Fair warning: This is a great arm workout. You’ll need the dough until it’s nice and smooth and a bit tacky. If it’s too wet, add a little bit of flour at a time, but do this sparingly—you don’t want your dough to be too dry. If at any point you get too tired, cover your bowl and give yourself a break for 10 minutes. Once you let it rest, the gluten will continue to ret, so your job will be even easier the next time you come back. Once you’re done kneading, the dough should be nice and soft. Cover it in a bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, then let it rest for an hour (or until it doubles in size). Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this could take a little more or less than an hour.

After your dough has doubled in size, turn on your oven to a blasting 500° F, and place your pizza stone or cast iron skillet inside the oven to preheat it. Then, add flour to a cutting board or clean counter. Punch out your dough, then add it to your floured work space, dividing it into 8 equal pieces. If you want to get perfectly round pieces, roll them out on your board with your hand over it to make it into a nice boule. Cover with a towel, and let rest 10 minutes so the gluten can relax a bit before we move onto the rolling process.

Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough to ¼”-thick circle about 6” wide. The thinner you roll it, the thinner and crispier it will be; the thicker you roll it, the fluffier it will be. If your dough starts to stick, add more flour to your rolling pin.

Working as quickly as possible, place your pita on top of your preheated skillet, then cook for 3-5 minutes, until the pita has ballooned, and it has turned a nice golden-brown color in spots. Then pull it out quickly, and go in with your next pita. To keep the finished stack warm, cover with a kitchen towel and continue on. If you don’t have access to an oven, you can do it on the stovetop as well. This will result in softer, lush pita with less pockets that might have more uneven spots. I found it much more foolproof to tackle in the oven.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Storage

Pita bread is best enjoyed fresh, and because it's so easy to make, it's worth making it right when you want it. That being said, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.