Pita bread is a soft Arabic bread and is baked in a very hot oven. Today I will teach you how to make pita bread that puffs every time; it’s a fail-proof recipe with a video to prove it! You don’t need an oven for this recipe.
What is pita bread?
Pita bread is sandwich bread. Usually, it is filled with falafel or shawarma. It made from bread flour, and you can find whole-wheat pita bread too, but since it is a little on the dry side, people tend to like consuming the one made of all-purpose flour or bread flour.
What are the ingredients?
The ingredients are simple:
Flour: You can use all-purpose or bread flour for a softer bread or mix all-purpose with whole wheat flour for a better option.
Water.
Salt.
Sugar.
Yeast: I have used active dry yeast in this recipe, it doesn’t have a strong odor like the rest of the yeasts out there in the market. You can use what you have at home, as long as your yeast is alive you are good to use it in this recipe.
Pita bread calories
Pita bread is low in calories, 146 calories per bread. We are not using oil in the recipe nor eggs (some recipes on the internet do call for eggs.) we are keeping it simple and close to the authentic bread that’s baked on a hot stone. Try another Pita Bread Recipe! If you like to try breads from other parts of the world you should try my Japanese Milk Bread, French Olive Bread, and No Knead Bread Recipe.
How to make homemade pita bread?
There are four things that you have to follow when making this bread, and I can guarantee that it will come out awesome.
One: Make sure the yeast you are using is alive and kicking.
Two: Knead the dough until soft and no longer sticky.
Three: Let the dough proof and double its size.
Four: Do not skip the second proofing.
How to store this bread and keep it soft?
First, you must maintain the soft texture of the bread, and that is by covering it while it’s warm. When the bread is at room temperature place it in a freezer bag and freeze it for up to three months.
To thaw the bread, place it while in the freezer bag on the kitchen counter, it will thaw within a few minutes. To warm it, place it on the hot pan for a few seconds and then flip it.
How to serve it?
Pita bread is delicious when freshly made dipped in your favorite sauce. You can toast the bread and use it in salads.
Place the bread in a hot oven until it is dry, then use the food processor to make bread crumbs.
📖 Recipe
Pita Bread without Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup plus 5 tablespoons warm water. you may need more or less depending on the flour you are using
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water, cover and keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Mix flour with salt, add the yeast and water mixture and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Add more water if necessary. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
- Cover the dough for one hour and a half or until it doubles in size.
- Make six equal size balls from the dough.
- Dust the working surface with flour. Roll out each ball with a rolling pin into 5 - 6 inch circles.
- Place the rolled-out ball on parchment paper and cover with a cloth. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Place your nonstick flat pan on medium heat. Place the rolled ball on the pan, flip the bread in about 9 seconds.
- Gently press around the pita bread edges, using a spatula, this will help the bread to puff up.
- When the bread is completely puffed and got brown patches, your pita bread is ready.
- Cover the bread with a cloth to keep it soft.
Video
Nutrition
This post was first published on March 2011. I have updated the text.
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Munatycooking
Thank you Karen, and congratulations for being listed in the top 9 on foodbuzz 🙂
Karen
Glad to have found you on Foodbuzz. Always wanted to make my own pita. This sounds fantastic! Great post!
Sandra
Ohh this is so beautifully done! I love pita bread!
Jeanne
I am so happy that I found your recipe on Pinterest. I have congestive heart failure and have to watch the salt/sodium content in everything I eat. I saw that these only called for a pinch of salt, so I gave them a try. I used an 1/8 teaspoon of a salt substitute. They turned out Great and were very easy to make.
Thank you!!
munatycooking
Hi Jeanne, I'm happy that you liked my recipe. Take care 🙂
Bien
Hi, I just want to ask if what kind of yeast used in the recipe? is it active dry yeast or instant dry yeast.
Thanks!
munatycooking
Hello, I've used active dry yeast. I'll be re-posting this recipe with video and new pictures in few days.
Jess
If you don't have a non-stick pan would you grease the pan with oil or butter before cooking pita on the pan?
Thanks!
Muna
Hi Jess, you can oil the pan and then wipe the extra. Hope this helps ☺
Andrew
I watched a video of making pita in an Arabic oven and wondered if they could be started in a frying pan and finished under a grill. I tried a couple of pieces of my usual bread mix, which includes but NO salt. I took the pieces off the risen dough and rolled them out and cooked them straight away. I left the pita in the frying pan and put that under the grill, and they puffed up quite well. I'll experiment with the mix in future to perfect them!
Cathlyn
Can you keep the dough in the fridge before cooking?
munatycooking
Yes you can, just take out the dough from fridge 20 minutes before making the balls.
Sjara
Made this today for dinner. I've never tried eating one. Is it supposed to be chewy? O.o I've sent my mom some and she asked whyit's chewy.
munatycooking
Hi Sjara, Thanks for stopping by and for trying my recipe. There are different types of pita bread around, some are thin, some chewy like in my recipe, others are bit hard and chewy (I find this type in Egyptian restaurants), and the last is fluffy, soft, and thick (made mostly by Lebanese). It really depends on the flour you're using and the way you're making the bread.
My recipe is more like the Egyptian version except softer.
Ainon
Hi, I stumbled your site on Pinterest. And I love your Ish Finnu. Do you by any chance have the recipe for Ish Baladi? I want to try to make them. Many thanks
munatycooking
This is the recipe for Aish Baladi, but if you want that nutty flavor use whole wheat only.
Ainon
Thank you so mch
nokinoks
can I fry this after? O.O I have been trying to find a recipe for tortilla that's not baked so I can make chips but so far all I found was baked or recipes that just asks me to but the tortillas. So I was just curious if I can make this then fry it?
munatycooking
You can fry this bread if you wish, there is an Arabic salad called fattosh, and fried pita bread is used in it.
Xena
Turned out perfect!
munatycooking
Thank you 🙂