When I started thinking about how to make pita bread I though it would be quite complicated. After all, I’m still a newbie when it comes to baking without using a bread machine.
You can use a bread machine for the dough part or you can make the dough from scratch using just your hands for kneading it.
Is there something better than pita bread?
Well, of course there is. Things like pasta, pizza, focaccia or even mini breads with olives & oregano, and so on. These are only a few. If you want to discover even more wonderful baked goods, check out my post on the best flatbread maker machines.
But, if I really have a craving for pita bread, at that time it seems the best thing. If you haven’t eaten a souvlaki until now, you should. Made at home. By you. It all starts with the pita breads.
Contents
How to Make Pita Bread: Recipe at a Glance
The recipe for how to make pita bread is quite easy. There’s no need for many ingredients or any special skills. Even if you’re just a beginner in baking, you can still make delicious pita breads at home. Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups white flour
- 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
How to Make Pita Bread: Directions
1. Start by adding all the ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer and select the dough cycle (you can also make the dough by hand).
The dough can be used as soon as you get it out of the bread machine pan. It has already risen and doubled in shape while sitting in the pan.
It takes about 90 minutes in total, from the time you add the ingredients in the pan and press Start until you hear the beeps signaling that the dough cycle is complete.
In the meantime, start preparing the ingredients for the souvlaki.
2. Spread flour on your working station and some on your hands and flatten the dough using your hands.
3. Cut the dough into small pieces and transform the pieces into rounded balls by using your hands.
4. Using a rolling pin, roll out the small rounded balls until they’re 1/4 inches thick.
5. Bake them in the oven or use a frying pan. The dough will start to puff, that’s when you know the pita breads are done.
In the oven, you should leave the dough for 2 minutes on the first side and then turn it over with spatula or thongs and leave it on for another minute.
If you’re using an oven, preheat it at 475 degrees F (250 degrees C).
I prefer using a frying pan, is much simpler even though in the oven you can bake more at the same time.
For the frying pan, I brush it with olive oil, you don’t want the dough to be dripping with oil.
I use medium-high heat and fry it on the first side for 3 minutes and then turn it on the other side and cook it for 2 minutes.
You can turn it again on the first side and cook it for 30 seconds and then remove it.
Discussion
Before actually learning how to make pita bread at home, I used to buy my pita breads.
Obviously, the perfect pita bread is the one baked in a wood fired oven. Just like it’s the case with pizza.
However, not everyone has access to a wood-fired oven, myself included.
The most important thing is that the result is delicious and bears no comparison to those store-purchased ones.
If you’re making the dough by hand:
- in a small bowl add the water (at room temperature) and then stir in the yeast
- leave them for 5 minutes until the yeast dissolves
- in a bigger bowl add the flour, sugar, salt, and olive oil and mix them together
- pour the yeast mixture
- start kneading until you get a sticky dough, shape it into a ball
When you let the dough rise in a warm place, don’t forget to cover it with a towel.
After the dough has doubled in shape, just follow the above instructions, there’s nothing to add to them.
The Dough for Pita Bread
As you’ve probably noticed, this is my standard dough recipe.
In order for you to make an idea, this dough is enough for making 3 big round pizzas, which means a lot of pita breads.
However, you can use as much as you want and then store what remains in the fridge. It will continue rising in the fridge.
Place it in a bowl and wrap it in foil. Otherwise, it will make a hard crust on top.
Or you can make two recipes by making just one dough. That’s exactly what I did.
With the remaining dough, for the first time, I made baguettes by hand. In fact I made some mini baguettes with poppy seeds and olive oil. My attempt wasn’t completely successful in the looks department but the flavor was definitely there.
To sum it up
That’s all you have to do in order to make homemade delicious pita bread by hand that’s miles away in flavor from the store purchased pita breads.
The difference will amaze you.
And while the dough is rising, you can take care of the other ingredients, whether you’re making shawarma, souvlaki, falafel or whatever dish you like.
Knowing how to make pita bread is fulfilling, don’t you think?
