How to Make Fresh Homemade Pita Bread
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Making fresh pita at home couldn’t be easier, which was a shocking discovery. This easy recipe for homemade pita bread uses instant yeast and requires no kneading or complicated shaping. The pita rounds balloon into perfect pockets in 2 minutes in the oven. Hooray!
Store-bought pita leaves much to be desired. Upon surveying a few friends on the subject of pita, the word that came up repeatedly was “cardboard.”
This descriptor, I think, is mostly fair. Pita hasn’t caught up to naan and tortillas, which even at semi-mass produced levels* can taste quite good.
But how nice for us? We have another project to add to our bread-baking bucket lists.
But to call pita making a “project” is actually unfair. Making pita couldn’t be easier, which was shocking to discover. Before embarking on this journey a few weeks ago, I expected to learn a complicated folding or shaping technique, a trick to make the dough balloon into that beautiful, open pocket, perfect for stuffing with falafel or chicken souvlaki or grilled vegetables with tzatziki and hummus.
Making pita, I learned, requires neither kneading nor complicated shaping. It’s one of the easiest bread recipes you could make in fact, right up there with no-knead focaccia and homemade pizza dough. The recipe below is essentially a half recipe of my mother’s peasant bread recipe with the water reduced slightly to make the dough easier to ball up and roll out.
How to Make Pita: An Overview
- Whisk together flour, salt, and instant yeast.
- Add lukewarm water and olive oil.
- Stir to combine with a spatula; then mix briefly with your hands, just until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds.
- Let rise 1.5 hours.
- Portion into balls and let rest 30 minutes.
- Roll each ball into a 6-inch round. Let rest again for 15 minutes; then bake for 2 minutes in a hot oven.
So what’s the secret to creating that beautiful, open pocket? Two things:
- Gentle handling of the dough during the rolling process — you don’t want to deflate all of the air bubbles created while the dough was rising. And letting the dough rest for another 15 minutes after you roll it — this allows the dough to recover a bit from the rolling and to puff slightly back up again before baking.
- A hot surface. As you may know, I am a huge fan of the Baking Steel for pizza, and I love it for pita for the same reason: it quickly transfers heat to the dough, making it instantly spring:
If you don’t have a Baking Steel or pizza stone, you have a few options. First, heat your oven to 475ºF. Then:
- Place a cast iron skillet in the oven, and let it heat for at least 5 minutes; then bake each round one at a time for 2-3 minutes total.
- Place a sheet pan in the oven, and let it heat for at least 5 minutes; then bake three rounds at a time for 2-3 minutes total.
Preheated skillet method:
Preheated sheet pan method:
I did test a non-preheated sheet pan, and the result was uneven: one pita puffed, one did not:
Anticipating some questions…
Can I use whole wheat flour here?
Sure, but before you do, ask yourself what is your goal? If you truly care about nutritional value, whole wheat flour (commercial whole wheat flour at least) might not be the answer.
There is a fair amount of evidence that suggests commercial whole wheat flour is not in fact more nutritious than white flour, and you can read more about that here.
If you can get your hands on some freshly milled, stone-milled flour, that type of flour will offer nutritional value as well as flavor, aroma, and color. If you chose to add some whole wheat flour, I would use no more than 50% (1 cup or 128g). You may also need to adjust the water level if you use some whole wheat flour — reference the video and add more water slowly until the dough looks similar to the dough in the video.
How can I make these ahead of time?
The baked pita will stay fresh for about 3 days stored in an airtight container or bag. Reheat before serving. You can also freeze the pita for up to three months.
Finally, as with nearly all leavened breads, use the refrigerator as needed during the rising period. You can:
- …stick the bowl of just-mixed dough in the fridge and let it rise for as long as a day.
- …deflate the risen dough (after 1.5 hours or so), and stick it in the fridge for as long as a day.
- …stick the portioned balls in the fridge for several hours or for as long as a day.
* Regarding store-bought naan and tortillas: I love the Stonefire Naan brand, and Caramelo Flour Tortillas are exceptional.
Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients. As always: use a digital scale for best results; if you don’t own one, I can’t recommend investing in one enough — it will change your baking forever.
Whisk together flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add water and olive oil.
Mix with a spatula until you have a shaggy dough — mixture will feel dry.
Use your hands to briefly knead the mass into a dough ball. Drizzle with olive oil. Turn to coat. Cover bowl with a cloth bowl cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1.5 hours or until …
… slightly puffed.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead briefly, then use a bench scraper to divide the mass into 6 roughly equal portions. If you’re using a scale, each portion should weigh about 73 grams.
Shape each portion into a ball; then let rest for 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax, and as with these buttery soft pretzels, the brief rest will make them easier to roll out into rounds.
Flatten each ball with your hands; then working with one round at a time, roll into a 6-inch round.
Transfer each round to a sheet of parchment paper. Let rest for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a Baking Steel or pizza stone to 550ºF. (Note: If using a stone, reference the manufacturer’s manual regarding heat tolerance.)
Bake three rounds at a time for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Transfer freshly baked pita to a towel-lined bowl. Wrap to cover until ready to eat.
How to Make Fresh Homemade Pita Bread
- Total Time: 3 hours 4 minutes
- Yield: 6
Description
Making fresh pita at home couldn’t be easier, which was a shocking discovery. This easy recipe for homemade pita bread uses instant yeast and requires no kneading or complicated shaping. The pita rounds balloon into perfect pockets in 2 minutes in the oven. Hooray!
Notes:
To create a warm place to rise: Preheat your oven for 1 minute; then shut it off.
Parchment paper sheets: If you buy the parchment paper that comes in sheets, such as the If You Care brand, you can fold the sheet lengthwise, then into thirds widthwise and cut along the creases to create 6 equal pieces.
If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use active-dry yeast. Simply sprinkle it over the lukewarm water, and let it stand for 15 minutes; then proceed with the recipe.
See other notes in the post for using your refrigerator during the rising process and for alternate methods of cooking if you don’t have a Baking Steel or pizza stone.
Ingredients
2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (4 g) instant yeast, see notes above
165 g (scant 3/4 cup) lukewarm water
1 tablespoon (14 g) olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Instructions
- Mix the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water and oil. Stir with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms — the mixture will appear dry and unevenly mixed. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly in the bowl just until the flour is absorbed and you have a sticky ball, about 30 seconds. Drizzle a little olive oil over top, turn the dough to coat, cover bowl with a tea towel, and transfer to a warm place (see notes above) to rise for 1.5 hours.
- Heat oven with a Baking Steel or stone inside at 550ºF. Cut a sheet of parchment paper into 6 small pieces about 6-inches square, see notes above.
- Portion the dough: Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead briefly to form a ball. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 6 equal portions — each ball should roughly weigh 73 g. Using flour as needed to prevent sticking, ball up each portion, using the pinky edges of your fingers to create tension (see video for guidance). Let rest 30 minutes.
- Roll out each ball: Flatten one ball, and, using flour as needed, gently roll out with a rolling pin until you have a 6-inch round — the key is to not roll too aggressively in order to prevent the air pockets from being forced out. If a round is resisting, set it aside, begin rolling out another one, and return to the stubborn one at the end. Transfer each 6-inch round to a sheet of parchment paper. Let rest 15 minutes.
- Bake the pita: When oven has preheated, use a pizza peel to shimmy one round at a time, parchment paper and all, onto the preheated Baking Steel. I like to cook 3 at a time. Set timer for 2 minutes. If the pita is lightly golden, it’s done. Remove pita, transfer to a tea towel-lined bowl, and close the towel. Repeat with the remaining 3 rounds of pita.
- Store pita at room temperature in an airtight bag or container for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat before serving.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Yeast
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
506 Comments on “How to Make Fresh Homemade Pita Bread”
I can’t believe how easy these were to make, we won’t be buying pitas from the store anymore!
Wonderful to hear this, Taylor!
These were AMAZING. Loved, loved, loved.
(and love your facelift!)
Oh yay! Sally, so nice to hear this. And thanks re facelift! So glad you approve 😍😍😍
Fantastic recipe. Made this almost effortlessly yesterday evening and it was a delight watching them puff up in the oven. We had them for lunch today with some butter chicken and coleslaw salad. Thanks a lot 🙂
Wonderful to hear this, Vaani!
OMG!! De LISH OUS!! Easy, and amazing. Made them early on a hot day….And they stayed PUFFED all day! Soft, tender, and DOABLE!! Love the idea of putting the top portion inside…No Drips, No Runs, No Messes! Thank you!
Wonderful to hear this, Ann! Thanks so much for writing!! 🥙🥙🥙🥙🥙
I halved the recipe just to try it out , and it was super easy but mine took about 5 min to get even slightly brown and I preheated my oven and my Emile Henry baking tray at 500 degrees They still were not nearly as browned as your photo but I was afraid I would overcook them
Hi Lydia! Wonderful to hear this. Honestly, when I’ve been making them recently, I cook them for 2 minutes and they don’t even get remotely brown, and it’s fine … I don’t think browning is necessary here. These photos are documenting a few batches that I cooked a bit longer and that probably had excess flour on them, which browned. I wouldn’t worry too much about color here… they’re nearly fully cooked in 2-3 minutes and that’s all that matters. Hope that helps!
We are on second batch in 2 days lol. These are amazing!!!!!! Absolutely love them!
Wonderful to hear this, Barbara!
My first time making bread and they turned out! Super delicious also. Two of them didnt quite puff up, and i think that was because of a bit too much kneading and rolling. The rest were great though. I really need a baking stone though! Thank you for the great recipe!!
Wonderful to hear this, John! A Baking Steel or stone makes a world of difference. Thanks for writing!
I’m going to make these tomorrow night to serve with falafel. Where in the oven should I have the steel? I usually leave mine on the bottom rack, but I see that yours is placed higher. Does it matter?
Thanks!
It shouldn’t matter, Cate! Anywhere you have it at the moment will be fine. You’re not really looking for browning here … you just need a hot surface to make them puff.
Hi there – I made the dough then forgot about it in the fridge!! It was three days ago. Is it still okay to go ahead and make them?! Have made these several times before and they’re delish
Worth a shot! You can’t hurt yourself … as in, it isn’t spoiled, but you might not get the same loft if the yeast has died.
Mmmmmm. I made these twice. I’ve realized that I need to work in three batches of two because any pita toward the front of the oven wont spring up fully. Only in parts. Which is still infinitely better than anything store bought. Thanks for this Ali!
So great to hear this Dana! xo
My oven only goes to 500. Will this still work? desperate . Making tomorrow.
Absolutely! 500 is plenty hot!
Ahhhh! I love you for this!!! It’s been in my to fo list to learn pita, and here we are! Another what I am sure is a magical and easy recipe from you!
Wonderful to hear this, Camille!
First time making homemade pita. Fantastic! Super easy . Made to go with your homemade falafel.
Wonderful to hear this, Pina!
Question. Could I use my sourdough starter with this recipe? If so, how much and how much water? I can’t seem to find yeast anywhere right now. Luckily I have have my starter Jane!
Thank you- Deborah
Hi Deborah! I would start with 25-50 g starter. I haven’t tried … I’ve been meaning to. Good luck!
I’ve made these twice now, replacing 50g flour and 50g water with 100g sourdough discard and they’ve turned out perfectly! Just need to double the recipe next time since we devour them so quickly 😁
So nice to hear this, Abby! Wonderful to hear about your sourdough discard method, too. Thanks for sharing!!
What a revelation! It is actually easier than going to the store to buy pre-made pita (which are rubbery and hard and nothing like these, you are right!). I make half a batch as it is just for my husband and I (we have to share the 3rd!), and like other reviewers the pitas don’t brown like in the pictures but look fine and taste amazing. Thank you Alexandra for another fabulous recipe!
Wonderful to hear this, Marie-France! Truly, mine are not browning anymore either … I think those early photos I was cooking them longer and there was excess flour on them. Now, I do two minutes, and they emerge mostly white. Thanks so much for writing!
Thank you so much. This is a true game changer, absolutely delightful. I know what I will be doing in my retirement. Making sour dough focaccia and pita for myself and neighbours.
I love the simplicity of your dough and how amazing the results are.
Awwww … I love this so much, Deana!
Hi
I have fresh yeast. How many grams should I use please?
Thanks K
Hi Kaye! Use 12 g fresh yeast. The conversion is roughly 3x instant to get the amount of fresh.
Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try them!
K
This was my first time making pita and your recipe was so easy, and it was exciting to watch it puff in the oven on the stone. I enjoy your cookbook tremendously, and it seems that every time I open your website, a recipe appears that I had been thinking of making, like this pita bread!
So wonderful to hear this, Kim! Thank you for the kind words. Means a lot 😍
Love it- easy and delicious. My oven didn’t get hot enough so I ended up cooking them in a cast iron pan per another recipe.
Definitely will make again.
Wonderful to hear this, Tamara! Glad the cast iron skillet worked!
Alex – this recipe was pure magic!!! I’ve never attempted to make pita bread before but the process you outlined worked like a charm! Perfectly fluffy, light, and deliciously dough-y, all at the same time and just so fresh. Will never be able to go back to anything store bought ☺️ Just for note – I used 185 gr AP flour and the remainder in WW pastry flour, baked on my baking steel. Worked well! Curious how it might work with AP or WW einkorn flour – any thoughts?
Hi Valerie! So nice to hear this! I love the idea of adding a bit of whole wheat flour here. Regarding your question, I would just experiment … I know einkorn flour is slow to absorb water (I think??) so you may just have to experiment a bit with the proportions. Report back if you make any discoveries!
Love this recipe! I used 1/4 cup of stone-milled w/w, cooked for 3mins and it was perfect!
This is a new staple in our house!
Thank you so much!
Oh yay! Wonderful to hear this, Sherry!
Hi Ali,
Do you have an alternative for gluten free pita bread?
Hi Cee! Unfortunately I do not 🙁
Hi Alexandra, we are so excited to try this recipe for our dinner tonight. I need at least 12… will doubling all the ingredients work or would I need to make some adjustments? Thank you!
Doubling is perfect! Are you using a scale? Regardless if you are measuring by weight or volume, doubling is great. A scale just makes it especially foolproof.
Great! Tender, not at all dry. My new go to.
Easier than you would think. Give tgem a try
Yay! 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮
Well, yeah. Straightforward; didn’t have a baking sheet or stone, but cookie sheets got it done. Everybody loved it. And yes, no comparison to anything I have found at the supermarket.
Wonderful to hear this, Geoff! Thanks for writing!
So easy and so delicious!
Wonderful to hear this, Diane! Hope you are well. xo
I love Pita bread recipe and yours was so good! My whole family loved them and have already asked me to make them again. Your directions were so easy to follow..Thanks so much!
Wonderful to hear this!
Love this recipe! Easy, fun, delicious.
Wonderful to hear this, Janice!
Wow! These turned out amazing! Definitely saving the recipe to make more in the future!
Wonderful to hear this, Ana!
I’d been making the NYT pita recipe for a while with mixed results. I decided to give this one a try and BAM! Perfect pockets in my pitas every single time. I’ve made them probably 8 or 9 times now. They are a great anchor for my family’s “snack dinner.” Veggies, cheese, hummus, hard boiled eggs, falafel…any or all of these things tuck nicely into the pockets.
Wonderful to hear this, Janet! Love your “snack dinner” idea … my kids would LOVE this. Thanks for writing!
Hi, can I let the dough rise in the fridge overnight? These are probably so delish!
Hi Ko,
Yes! There are tips on doing this in the actual blog post itself, but in sum, you can…:
… stick the bowl of just-mixed dough in the fridge and let it rise for as long as a day.
… deflate the risen dough (after 1.5 hours or so), and stick it in the fridge for as long as a day.
… stick the portioned balls in the fridge for several hours or for as long as a day.
Sooooo good and easy! I overworked the dough a little so not all my pitas puffed but it was still delicious. I’ve become obsessed!
Oh yay! Wonderful to hear this, Ko!
HELLO!
Q: Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes!