Soft and Fluffy Homemade Pita Bread
Making homemade pita is easier than it sounds, and this recipe is better than anything you’ll find at the store! Soft and fluffy, these pitas are perfect for gyros, dips, and wraps of any kind!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some bad pitas in my time, all tough, dry, and flavorless. I set out to make a worthy pita that’s both pillowy soft and perfect for gyros and wraps, and this recipe is the result! The secret is the two cooking methods; for a soft, chewy pita that’s more naan-like, grill the dough in a cast iron skillet. For the trademark pita pocket, bake them in the oven!
Though these might not be your traditional or authentic pitas, the flavor is unmatched and they’ve quickly become a family favorite!
Ingredients in Pita
- Bread flour. This has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which gives bread its strong gluten structure and distinctive chew. Though I’ve never tested it myself, I would think you can substitute bread flour with all-purpose flour in this recipe, although the texture will suffer and become more cake-y than bread-like.
- All-purpose flour. A mix of all-purpose flour and bread flour will give us the right amount of chew in our dough and will help keep it soft.
- Instant yeast. I prefer using instant yeast rather than active dry yeast, since there’s no need to bloom it and it works quickly. There’s no reason you can’t substitute dry yeast, but keep in mind that your rising time may increase.
- Granulated sugar. Helps feed the yeast and let the dough rise.
- Water. Hydrates the dough.
- Greek yogurt. Makes for a softer and more tender bread.
- Olive oil. Adds flavor and moisture.
- Salt. Enhances the flavor of the bread.
How to Use Homemade Pita
There are endless possibilities for homemade pita bread, but these are my favorites!
- Serve with dips like hummus and tzatziki.
- Use it for wraps and gyros.
- Serve as a side to soups and stews.
- Make a pita pizza.
- Serve with a salad.
- Make pita chips!
Pita FAQ
- How do I know when my dough is done proofing? Bakers test bread dough for readiness with the “poke test.” If you push a finger about one inch into your bread dough and let go, you should notice if the dough springs back at all. If it springs back immediately and leaves no indentation, it’s underproofed and needs to rest longer. If it springs back slowly and leaves an indent, it’s proofed well and is ready to use. If it doesn’t move at all, it’s most likely overproofed, and there’s no real way to fix it!
- How do I shape the pita dough? I did my best to describe the process of shaping the pita dough balls in the recipe, but I’ve found a video online here that demonstrates the process if you’re a visual learner!
- Why did my pitas burn? Especially with a cast-iron skillet, it’s easy for a pan to get overheated and burn the bread. If you notice this happening, try turning down the heat or cooling off the pan with a bit of water.
- How do I get pita pockets? It depends on what cooking method you use! Grilling the pita on the stove will result in a chewier and softer bread, whereas using the oven will make the bread open up to give you a pita pocket.
- Do I have to cook the pitas in olive oil? Yes! Not cooking pita in olive oil will result in bread with a less open structure, like naan. Still delicious, but if you’re looking for an airier interior, you need to be cooking the pitas in a generous glug of olive oil. If you look at the picture below, you can see the difference between the pita cooked with no olive oil (the top) and the pita cooked with olive oil (the bottom).
Happy bread making! Leave any questions in the comment sections and I’ll be happy to answer them!
Soft and Fluffy Homemade Pita Bread
Making homemade pita is easier than it sounds, and this recipe is better than anything you'll find at the store! Soft and fluffy, these pitas are perfect for gyros, dips, and wraps of any kind!
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Servings: 8 -10 pitas
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups bread flour
- 1 ¾ to 2 cups all purpose flour plus more for kneading
- 1 pack 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup olive oil plus more for cooking
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, yeast, and sugar until evenly combined. Make a well in the center and add the water, Greek yogurt, olive oil, and salt. Mix the ingredients until a dough forms, then turn it out onto a clean work surface.
- Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until extremely soft and supple. Alternatively, you may use a stand mixer on low fitted with the dough hook attachment (keep in mind that the kneading time may shrink). If the dough becomes too sticky while kneading, add more all-purpose flour as needed (you may need to add up to ½ cup). The dough is finished kneading if it is tacky* and springs back when poked.
- Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl and let the bread proof for 60-90 minutes, until doubled in size (this may happen slower or faster, depending on how warm your kitchen is). Test if it is ready by poking it; if the dough springs back and leaves a slight indentation, it's ready to be shaped. If it springs back with no indentation, it needs longer. If it doesn't spring back at all, it's overproofed.
- Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a work surface (not floured), and divide it into 8-10 pieces, depending on how large you want your pitas.
- Pinch the edges of the pitas together to form a teardrop shape. Place each ball seam-side down onto the counter. Loosely cup your hand over a piece of dough and move it in rapid circles against the surface of the table, until a neat ball is formed.**
Cooking on the stove
- Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large cast-iron skillet so that the pan is coated and turn the stove onto medium-high.
- While the pan heats, roll one of the pitas into a very thin circle around 8-9 inches wide (it will shrink slightly and puff up as it cooks). Once the skillet is very hot, quickly transfer the rolled-out dough into the pan. As it begins to bubble, brush the top of the pita with olive oil.
- Cook the pita until puffed and browned on the bottom, around 2 minutes. Flip the dough over and cook until browned on the other side, 1-2 minutes more (be sure to regulate your heat so it doesn't burn). In the meantime, roll out another pita, add more olive oil to the pan, and repeat the process. If the pitas brown too quickly, you may need to turn the heat down or cool off the skillet in between batches.
Cooking in the oven
- Preheat an oven to 475℉ and place a pizza stone or cast iron skillet on the middle rack to preheat.
- In the meantime, roll one of the pitas into a thin circle around 8-9 inches wide on a sheet of parchment paper (it will shrink slightly and puff up as it cooks).
- Once the oven and pizza stone is very hot, quickly transfer the rolled-out dough directly onto the pan. Close the oven and cook for around 3 minutes, until the pita is fully puffed with large bubbles. Carefully open the oven and flip the pita over, cooking an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove the pita and repeat with the remaining dough.
- Serve the pitas warm or store them at room temperature for 1-2 days. If freezing, wrap the pitas well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil; they will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
*meaning, the dough may stick to your fingers but leave no residue.
**see the link here for a visual guide.
