Homemade Greek Pita Bread Recipe (2024)

Greek Pita vs. Levantine Pita (Khubz)

The term Pita originates from modern Greek and is connected to the Turkish term Pide, which also means flat bread. Pita has become the standard name for this bread type in English-speaking nations and the West.

Ingredients

Simple pantry ingredients are all you need to make this Greek pita recipe.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Flour:This recipe uses all-purpose flour. You can also use strong bread flour. However, you can certainly substitute some of the white flour for whole wheat flour. Adjust the ratio to suit your needs and taste.
• Yeast:I use instant yeast to make the recipe quickly (instant yeast doesn’t need to be pre-bloomed in water). But if you have Active dry yeast, feel free to use that. You’ll need to bloom it in water for a few minutes to activate it first.
• Olive oil:An important and traditional ingredient. You don’t need to use fancy extra virgin olive oil here. Any olive oil will do.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make this Greek Pita Recipe

This recipe is quite straightforward. If you’ve made flatbread before the steps will be familiar to you. Read through all the steps first to get a good handle on the process.

Step 1. Mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar and olive oil. Wisk to dissolve the yeast. Then add the flour and salt. Mix well until a shaggy dough forms.
Step 2. Knead the dough. Transfer the shaggy dough to a clean work surface and knead until the dough comes together. It should be supple and soft. Avoid adding any extra flour to the counter. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel.
Step 3. Rise. Let the dough rise for an hour. It should double in size.

Step 4. Divide and shape. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. You can guesstimate or use a kitchen scale to get precise portions. Shape each piece into a tight ball and let rest for 5 minutes.
Step 5. Roll out. Roll out each dough ball into a 5-6 inch wide disc. They should be about ¼ inch thick.
Step 6. Second Rise. Place the rolled-out pitas on a flowered towel and cover with another towel. Let the dough discs rise for 15 minutes before you cook them.

Step 7. Cook. Place a cast iron pan, skillet or comal on your stove and heat on medium-high. In one swift move, place an uncooked dough circle on the hot pan. You should start seeing bubbles form on the surface of the dough. After about 30 seconds flip the pita over and cook on the other side for another 20-30 seconds. If you’re lucky, an air pocket will form inside the pita and it will puff up. This doesn’t always happen, so don’t worry too much if it doesn’t. Keep an eye on the heat, you may need to turn it down if the pitas start to burn or turn it up if there’s little to no browning.
Step 8. Serve. Store pitas in a bowl lined with a towel and cover them lightly. They will steam further and soften up.

Expert Tips

• The Perfect Pocket: Let the pitas rise once you have rolled them out. Don’t rush this process. This second rise will help create the desired pocket. The pan should be preheated. The high heat causes the water in the dough to turn into steam, creating a pocket inside the pita.
• Use a Stand Mixer. If you’re not interested in kneading the pita bread dough by hand you can use a stand mixer with dough hook attachment. A stand mixer can be great if you’re looking to double this recipe and make a large batch of Greek pita bread. Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and knead on medium speed for 6-8 minutes.
• Overnight rise: If you prefer to let the dough rise overnight in the fridge, follow the recipe as outlined but reduce the amount of yeast by half. Once the dough ball is formed, place it in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the fridge.
• Use an oven. If you don’t want to cook the pitas in a pan, you can cook them in an oven on a baking sheet baking stone or baking steel. Set the oven to 475F (240C).

Recipe FAQs

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Homemade Greek Pita Bread Recipe

Luay Ghafari

Homemade Greek Pita Bread is incredibly easy to make and so rewarding. The whole process can be done in under 90 minutes. This recipe uses standard pantry staples. Enjoy with your favorite dips or make your own wraps and stuffed pockets.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 295mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 2mg

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