Best Homemade Middle Eastern Pita Bread

Name: Pita Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 cups of flour; 2 teaspoons of dry yeast; 3/4 cups of warm water; 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Craving some good old pita bread? Make this perfectly soft and pillowy authentic middle eastern version at home with just a handful of basic ingredients!

Middle Eastern Cuisine

July 5, 2021

Difficulty Easy

Servings 4 people

Preparation 20 mins

Cooking 10 mins

Total 30 mins

Recipe Contents

Ingredients Directions Nutrition Equipments Tips

Ingredients

2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of dry yeast
3/4 cups of warm water
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions

In a small bowl, mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water and leave to rest until the mixture rises and foams (approximately 10 to 15 minutes but can take more or less time depending on the temperature of the water used and the environment).
Then mix flour and salt in a large bowl and add the foaming yeast mixture to it, mixing well until a slightly sticky dough begins to form.
On a clean floured surface, knead the dough for about 15 minutes to make it soft, smooth, pliable, and elastic. Keep the dough smooth and moist (but not sticky) and form it into a ball.
Place the ball of dough in a large bowl. Moisten its top with wet hands before covering with a towel and setting it aside in a warm place to allow it to rise for about an hour.
Once the dough has doubled in size by rising, cut it into 4 equal parts and form them into dough balls, using a rolling pin to roll each dough ball on a floured surface till it's about a quarter-inch thick.
Place the rolled out dough on a floured surface and let it rest for another 30 minutes after covering with a slightly damp cloth or towel.
Add an upside-down baking tray or pan to the oven and preheat to 250 °C. Carefully place each rolled circle of dough on the inverted pan for 3- 4 minutes, so it puffs up and gets a golden brown color.
Remove the delicious homemade pita breads from the oven and cover them with a dry cloth to keep them soft and prevent crisping up.
Serve hot and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Pita Bread

Serves 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories259

% Daily Value*

Potassium 124 mg2.6%

Protein 9 g18%

Total Fat 1 g1.3%

Sodium 295 mg12.8%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Tips

If you want to avoid kneading by hand, you can use a stand mixer and dough hook instead to get the same results.
When working with the dough, flour your hands in addition to the work surface to prevent sticking.
To divide the dough into four perfectly equal pieces, use a kitchen scale for precision.
If you are unable to roll your dough into a perfect circle, use a large bowl or plate to cut it into one.
Salt harms yeast growth, so be careful not to add it until the mixture has started to rise.
You can also make your pita bread with instant yeast to speed up the cooking process.
To make whole wheat pita bread using this recipe, use one cup of whole wheat flour and one cup of white flour.
Make homemade pita bread over the stove top by heating a cast-iron skillet, adding the rolled out dough to it, and cooking both sides until toasty.
Don’t overcrowd your baking tray. If you don’t have enough space, bake the pita bread in batches.
Store leftover dough in the fridge or prepare the dough ahead of time for quick and easy pita breads.

Rate This Recipe

Who doesn’t love Pita Bread that is originated in Middle East? It’s soft, fluffy, and just the right amount of sturdy to hold all those delicious fillings. And the homemade version is even better than the store-bought one. Everything from taste to texture is just divine, and while it can be a little time-consuming, the fragrant and fresh bread makes the whole thing worth it.

Not to mention, This Arabic bread is surprisingly easy to make, and even a bread making novice will have the hang of this thin pita bread recipe in no time. A culinary masterpiece, pita uses only five everyday ingredients and science to deliver astonishing results. So say goodbye to all those complicated folding and shaping techniques and let this delicious homemade pita blow you away.

Equipment for this recipe

Rolling Pin

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Baking Set

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Mixing Bowls

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How To Make Pita Bread?

Make a dough out of yeast, salt, flour, sugar, and water and knead it till soft and pliable. Then allow the kneaded dough to rise and form dough balls which can be rolled out into ¼ inch thick circles. Finally, Bake the rolled out dough in the oven or cook it on a stove top to get tasty homemade pita bread made from scratch.

Is Pita Bread Healthy?

While high in calories, pita bread has very little fat and also contains potassium, iron, and protein. This makes it reasonably healthy and a good bread for people trying to lose weight.

Is Pita Bread Vegan?

Yes! Although some varieties add eggs, honey, or milk for flavor, this quick pita bread recipe uses only five simple ingredients (yeast, salt, sugar, flour, and water) and is completely dairy-free and vegan friendly.

Is Pita Bread Gluten-Free?

Whereas this pita bread uses white flour and is therefore not gluten-free, you can easily make gluten-free pita bread by substituting it with a gluten-free flour of your choice.

How To Serve Pita Bread?

While pita bread is traditionally eaten with dips like hummus or made into pita bread sandwiches, that is not the only way to enjoy this fluffy eastern bread. Serve your pita with non-traditional pita bread fillings like cauliflower, potatoes, tuna, salmon, and eggplant, or make it into pita bread pizza for something filling, easy, and creative.

Here are our delicious recipes that you can serve with Pita Bread:

How To Store Pita Bread?

Homemade pita bread can be stored for up to 2 days at room temperature in a bread box and will last up to a month in the freezer. When freezing pita bread, wrap it in aluminum foil or use a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.

Recipe byPetite Gourmets