Pita Bread

Pita bread is an Arabic flatbread (Khubz) similar to naan bread. It has its origin in Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines and is now famous around the world.

Making pita at home is easier than one might think. We made our recipe very simple with only a few basic ingredients like all-purpose flour, water, olive oil, salt, sugar, and fresh or dry yeast.

Pita bread is versatile; you can have it with almost anything.

We recommend trying freshly baked warm pita with some of our Eastern Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern recipes, such as hummus, falafel, mutabal, baba ganoush, tzatziki sauce, and muhammara.

And if you have any leftovers, make pita chips and use them for a crunchy and delicious fattoush salad or fatteh hummus.

Check out our “serving suggestions” chapter below for many more ideas and recommendations.

Flour

Use all-purpose flour or Italian 00 pizza flour for the fluffiest and lightest pitas.

For a more wholesome pita recipe, substitute half whole wheat flour for half all-purpose flour and add a little more water as whole wheat flour needs more.

If you are curious and want to experiment with new flour combinations, try cutting all-purpose flour with spelt, rye, and semola flour.

Yeast

We recommend instant dry yeast or active dry yeast. However, you can easily substitute fresh yeast for dry.

You’ll need three times more fresh yeast compared to dry yeast.

In all cases, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and sugar first to activate it faster.

Water

Lukewarm water helps the yeast activate. Ensure the water is not hot (it will kill the yeast) or cold (it will take longer for the yeast to start).

Lukewarm means the water is comfortably warm if you touch it with your hands.

Olive oil

We add extra virgin olive oil to make the pita bread soft like a cloud. But, of course, you can omit the oil if you prefer a crunchier pita.

Sugar

Just a pinch to help the yeast do its job. Sugar is only necessary if you want to make this recipe in a short amount of time. If you have time for a longer proofing, you can keep the sugar out.

Salt

We recommend some sea salt or kosher salt. However, you can keep the salt out if you are on a low-sodium diet.

We make our dough by hand, but you can follow the same steps and use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.

Dough

To a small bowl, add lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast.

Stir until the yeast is dissolved in the water and set aside for 5 minutes to activate.

Tip: make sure your yeast hasn’t been sitting in your pantry for too long, or it might not work. If you’re not sure, I’d recommend buying a new yeast so you know it’ll work.

To a large mixing bowl, add flour and salt, then pour in the yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until roughly combined.

Now add the olive oil and mix for a few more seconds until the oil is absorbed.

Transfer the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands for 5 to 10 minutes or until you get a smooth dough ball.

If the dough is sticky, add a slight dusting of flour at a time and keep kneading until it doesn’t stick anymore.

Tip: You should get a smooth, soft, almost sticky, and springy dough.

Proofing

Put the dough ball back in the bowl and brush it with oil all around. Also, brush the sides of the bowl with oil.

Let proof in a warm place, covered with a damp kitchen cloth or plastic wrap, for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until it doubles in volume.

Tip: the best place to proof it is a slightly warm oven that you turn on for one minute and then off.

Shaping

Transfer it back onto the worktop, fold it on itself four times, then cut it into six equal pieces.

Shape each piece into small balls of about 80 grams (2.8 ounces) each.

Roll out the balls with a rolling pin. You can give them a round or oval shape.

Arrange them flat on a lightly floured work surface, cover them with a kitchen cloth, and let them proof again for 15 to 30 minutes.

Tip: They should be about 3 to 4 millimeters (1/6 to 1/8 inch) thin. If the dough balls are stretchy and hard to roll out, cover them with a cloth and let them rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Baking

Preheat a pizza stone or a baking sheet turned upside down in the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes at 480°F or 250°C. The oven and the pizza stone should be very hot.

Place the pita on the pizza stone, bake for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, then turn it around and bake for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Tip: you can use a lightly floured pizza peel to arrange the pita on the pizza stone.

Tip: if your oven doesn’t get this hot, set it to its max temperature and increase the cooking time slightly. Baking time varies depending on oven temperature and pizza stone type, but it shouldn’t be longer than a couple of minutes per side.

Pitas should puff up as they bake. Also, they shouldn’t be crunchy but rather soft and pillowy, so don’t keep them in the oven for too long.

Some color is fine, but it shouldn’t char or get too brown.

Arrange the baked pitas on a plate wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft.

Homemade pita bread is versatile; you can serve it with anything. Here are only some of our favorite ways of serving it.

Dukkah and Za’atar

Tear off a piece of freshly baked pita, dip it in good quality extra virgin olive oil, then dip it in Za’atar or Dukkah and enjoy it with olives, salty Mediterranean cheese, crunchy cucumbers, and juicy tomatoes.

This is probably the simplest and most traditional way of eating homemade pita and one of the most delicious and sensorial.

Dukkah and Za’atar are two Middle Eastern spice mixes packed with flavor and aromas. They are lovely with warm pita bread.

Here’s our Dukkah recipe.

In a mezze platter

A mezze platter is an appetizer platter made with different Mediterranean and Middle Eastern small dishes.

You can enjoy mezze platters as a full dinner with family and friends. First, cut the pita into pieces for dipping or stuffing. Here are some of our favorite recipes to include in a beautiful mezze:

• Falafel (chickpeas, chickpea flour, cumin, parsley, garlic, etc.)
• Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, fresh herbs, etc.)
• Tabbouleh (tomato, bulgur, parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon, mint leaves, scallion, etc.)
• Hummus (chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, water, parsley, etc.)
• Muhammara (roasted peppers, tomatoes, pomegranate molasses, walnuts, etc.)
• Lentil hummus (lentil, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, etc.)
• Eggplant dip (garlic, eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, etc.)
• Mutabal (eggplant, yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, etc.)
• Grilled eggplant (eggplant, olive oil, salt, etc.)
• Grilled eggplants (or roasted eggplants)
• Olives and feta cheese or non-dairy feta.

With soups, stews, and curries

• Chickpea stew (sweet potato, chickpeas, canned tomatoes, cumin, garlic, etc.)
• Bean stew (pinto beans, canned tomatoes, celery, carrot, onion, rosemary, etc.)
• Lentil vegetable soup (lentils, spinach, potato, broth, canned tomatoes, cumin, etc.)
• Lentil curry (coconut milk, lentils, turmeric, curry, coriander, onion, garlic, etc.)
• Spinach stew (onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, spinach, chickpeas, etc.)
• Chickpea curry (cumin, turmeric, coriander, chickpeas, etc.)

Use leftovers to make pita chips

One or two days old pita is excellent for making crunchy pita chips that you can use in salads and other dishes called “Fatteh.”

This is a traditional way of using stale pita bread in eastern Mediterranean and southern Levantine countries, and the resulting dishes are insanely delicious.

Cut the pita into small bite-size pieces, toss it in olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices, then toast it in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes or until crunchy.

Some of our favorite dishes with crunchy pita chips are:

• Fattoush (pita bread, romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish, parsley, etc.)
• Fatteh (hummus, chickpeas, olive oil, crunchy pita, tahini yogurt sauce, etc.)
• Cauliflower salad (roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, parsley, tahini, tomatoes, etc.)
• Tahini salad (tahini, romaine lettuce, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, etc.)

Make a pita sandwich

Thanks to their hollow puffed-up center, pitas are excellent to cut open and stuff with your favorite fillings.

Try one with a generous amount of homemade hummus on the bottom, some tabbouleh, homemade falafel, pickled red beets, and a generous drizzle of tahini sauce.

Cast iron skillet

You can cook pita on the stovetop on a well-seasoned and hot cast iron skillet. It’ll take a couple of minutes per side.

Of course, the pita won’t puff up as much as it does in the oven, and it’ll look more like naan bread, but it will still be delicious.

Make a pita up to 12 hours ahead, then reheat it in the oven or air fryer to bring out its softness.

Room temperature: keep leftover pita at room temperature, wrapped in a kitchen cloth for up to 24 hours, or in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.

Freezer: let pita bread cool down entirely, then transfer them into a freezer-friendly bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

Thaw & Reheat: thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours, then warm up in the oven or air fryer.

• Focaccia bread (instant dry yeast, flour, sugar, water, salt, etc.)
• Italian flatbread (flour, water, salt, olive oil, etc.)
• Bruschetta (bread, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil, olive oil, etc.)
• Flatbread pizza (parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, flour, instant dry yeast, sugar, etc.)

For many more bread ideas, check out our bread category page.