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How to Make Pita Bread
3.9 from 386 votes

How to Make Pita Bread

This recipe explains how to make pita bread using simple ingredients like warm water, yeast, olive oil, salt, and all-purpose flour. The dough is kneaded until soft and elastic, then divided and rolled into rounds before cooking in a hot skillet. Cooking on the stovetop helps achieve the characteristic puff and pocket in the bread. Controlling thickness and pan temperature is key to creating the airy interior that distinguishes pita bread.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
rising
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
Servings: 8 pitas
Calories: 186 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water warm at about 100F or warm but not hot to the touch
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil plus more for coating the dough and oiling the pan
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

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  1. Put the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a regular bowl if doing by hand) and sprinkle in the yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Blend in the oil and salt, and then mix in the flour. Once the flour is incorporated, knead for 5 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic.
  3. Coat the dough lightly with oil and place in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic and then a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm spot for an hour, it will double in bulk.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Cut it in half, and then cut each half in half, and then cut each one in half a final time, so you have 8 total.
  5. I like to take each piece and form a round ball, that way it is easier to roll out evenly. Keep the rest of the dough covered as you work with each piece.
  6. Roll out one of the pieces of the dough into approximately a 6 inch round.
  7. Heat a skillet or cast iron pan on medium high until it is hot. My gas range goes from 1 (low) to 7 (high) and I kept the heat at mark 5. Lightly oil the pan for the first piece of dough, but after that you should be fine without adding anything additional.
  8. Lay the round of dough on the hot pan and cook for about 30 seconds, until you start to see bubbles, or lumps, appear. Flip it over and cook for one minute. Then flip it again, and cook for a final minute.
  9. Remove the bread and immediately wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. The steam will keep it soft. While one pita is cooking you can be rolling out the next piece of dough.
  10. Repeat with the rest of the dough, and keep all the pitas stacked inside the towel until they have cooled. Then you can store them in plastic baggies.
  11. Your pitas will last several days, or you can freeze them for longer storage.

Notes

  • Roll dough pieces on the thinner side to encourage the pita to puff up and form pockets.
  • Preheat your skillet thoroughly before cooking to aid rising and puffing of the bread.
  • Pan cooking allows better control over temperature compared to oven baking for pita bread.
  • Keep unworked dough covered to prevent it from drying out while handling each piece.

Nutrition Information

Calories 186kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 582mg (24%) Potassium 50mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Calcium 7mg (1%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 pitas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 186

% Daily Value*

Calories 186kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 582mg 24%
Potassium 50mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.