Making Homemade Pita Bread is cheap and easy! After experiencing warm, soft, and plush pita right off of the skillet, you'll never want to go back to the storebought kind ever again.
I love gyros! Jacob introduced me to gyros (my uncultured self definitely thought they were pronounced "ji-rohs" for the longest time. I guess it's a good thing I've become more cultured since then) when we were dating and I've been hooked ever since!
I've tried dozens of gyro recipes over the years, but one of my favorites is this recipe. There's just something about the fresh veggies, flavorful meatballs, homemade tzaziki sauce, and soft pita bread that makes me so happy! Although, I'll admit that I've never really been a fan of the store-bought pita bread. I always feel like it has way too many weird ingredients and it never tastes fresh. So I've decided to make matters into my own hands and figure out how to make my own pita bread.
If you're feeling intimidated by bread making, you don't have to be with this recipe! I'm pretty sure pita bread is fool-proof. As long as your yeast is still good and you let the bread rest for long enough, you'll be able to make perfect, life-changing pita bread. I can guarantee that once you learn how to make your pita bread, you'll never want store-bought pita ever again. I know I've definitely turned into a pita bread snob, especially after visiting the Middle East last year!
FAQs
This is one of those questions that I always wondered, as the two types of bread look so similar. The main difference is that naan bread tends to be more fluffy and bubbly, whereas pita has pockets that are perfect for sandwiches. Unlike pita bread, naan bread has yogurt, milk, eggs or butter in it to give it a softer texture. Pita bread has much fewer ingredients, just flour, salt, water, and yeast.
Homemade pita bread is obviously best when served warm, but it can be stored for up to 5-7 days in an airtight container or frozen for longer. When you want to serve the bread, just warm it up in the microwave for a couple of seconds.
Unfortunately, sometimes a pocket won't form in your pita bread. This can be due to not using high enough heat or not letting the dough rest for long enough. Whatever the case, if this happens your pita bread will still be equally delicious, just call it flatbread and enjoy it just the same!
If you like this recipe, you'll also want to try my other bread recipes.
- Greek Easter Bread
- Japanese Milk Bread
- Hot Cross Buns with Cream Cheese Icing
- Quick and Easy Soda Bread
- Light and Fluffy Brioche Bread
- Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia
- Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels
📋 Recipe
Homemade Pita Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- parsley optional
- garlic powder optional
- olive oil for serving, optional
Instructions
- Mix the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Attach the dough hook. Add in the flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. The bread can also be kneaded by hand on a floured surface for 5-7 minutes or until smooth.
- Lightly oil the bowl before covering with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Once risen, turn the dough onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, rolling each piece into an 8-inch circle. Add extra flour if the dough starts to stick to the counter. If the dough starts to spring back after rolling, allow dough to rest for up to 30 minutes before cooking.
- Place a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in the skillet. Add a pita to the skillet and cook for 1 minute or until you see bubbles start to form. Flip and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes until the underside starts to brown. Continue this method of cooking each of the pitas.
- Serve fresh pita with a dash of garlic powder, sprinkle of parsley, and drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Pita bread can be stored in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
PSam says
Made that for dinner last night and they were SO GOOD! Will never buy pita again. I made a garlic butter to spread over top and I will probably split dough into 16 pieces next time to make some mini pitas to see how that turns out. Thank you for this simple yet delicious recipe!
Ashley says
There's nothing better than homemade pita. I'm so glad you liked this recipe! 🙂