Best Pita Bread Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Place yeast into the work bowl of a stand mixer and add 1 cup warm water and 1 cup flour. Whisk together and let stand 15 to 20 minutes for mixture to rise and make a loose sponge. Mixture will bubble and foam.
• Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and salt into sponge; add 1 3/4 cup flour. Mix at low speed, using a dough hook attachment, until dough is soft, supple, and slightly sticky. If dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a little at a time.
• Knead dough with machine on low speed until slightly springy and still soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a ball.
• Wipe inside of bowl with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Turn dough around in bowl to cover with a thin film of oil; cover bowl with foil and let sit until dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Remove dough from bowl and place onto a floured work surface. Lightly pat into a flat shape about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut dough into 8 pieces.
• Form each piece into a small round ball with a smooth top, pulling dough from the sides and tucking the ends underneath the bottom.
• Cover dough balls with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a work surface and top of a dough ball; gently pat dough ball flat with your fingers, forming a flat, round bread about 1/4 inch thick. Let dough round rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
• Brush a cast-iron skillet with remaining 3/4 teaspoon olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Lay pita bread into hot skillet and cook until bread begins to puff up and bottom has brown spots and blisters, about 3 minutes. Flip, cook 2 more minutes, and flip back onto original side to cook for about 30 more seconds. Pita bread will begin to puff up and fill with hot air. Stack cooked breads on a plate; when cool enough to handle, break breads in half and open the pocket inside for stuffing.

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
• Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup). With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.
• Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)
• Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.
• Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat diskc with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)
• Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.

PITA BREAD

Steps:

• You will need a large bread bowl, a rolling pin, and unglazed quarry tiles or several baking sheets, or alternatively a castiron or other heavy skillet or griddle at least 9 inches in diameter.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bread bowl. Stir to dissolve. Add whole wheat flour, one cup at a time, then 1 cup white flour. Stir 100 times (one minute) in the same direction to activate the gluten in the flour. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes or as long as 2 hours.
• Sprinkle salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add white flour, one cup at a time. When the dough is too stiff to stir, turn it out onto a lightly floured bread board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Return the dough to a lightly oiled bread bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least double in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours. Gently punch down. Dough can be made ahead to this point and then stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 5 days or less.
• If at this time you want to save the dough in the refrigerator for baking later, simply wrap it in a plastic bag that is at least three times the size of the dough, pull the bag together, and secure it just at the opening of the bag. This will give the dough a chance to expand when it is in the refrigerator (which it will do). From day to day, simply cut off the amount of dough you need and keep the rest in the refrigerator, for up to one week. The dough will smell slightly fermented after a few days, but this simply improves the taste of the bread. Dough should be brought to room temperature before baking.
• This amount of dough will make approximately 16 pitas if rolled out into circles approximately 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4-inch thick. You can also of course make smaller breads. Size and shape all depend on you, but for breads of this dimension the following baking tips apply:
• Place unglazed quarry tiles, or a large baking stone or two baking sheets, on a rack in the bottom third of your oven, leaving a one inch gap all around to allow air to circulate. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide dough in half, then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide dough into eight equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter. You may wish to roll out all eight before starting to bake. Cover rolled out breads, but do not stack.
• Bake 2 at a time (or more if your oven is larger) directly on quarry tiles or baking sheets. Bake each bread for 3 or 4 minutes, until the bread has gone into a full "balloon" or until it is starting to turn lightly golden, whichever happens first. If there are seams or dry bits of dough - or for a variety of other reasons - your bread may not go into a full "balloon". Don't worry, it will still taste great. The more you bake pitas the more you will become familiar with all the little tricks and pitfalls, and your breads will more consistently "balloon." But even then, if you're like us, it won't always "balloon" fully and you won't mind because the taste will still be wonderful. When baked, remove, place on a rack for about five minutes to let cool slightly, then wrap breads in a large kitchen towel (this will keep the breads soft). When first half of the dough has been rolled out and baked, repeat for rest of dough, or store in refrigerator for later use, as described above. You can also divide the dough into more, smaller pieces if you wish, to give you smaller breads.

TRADITIONAL PITA BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in salt and enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Do not let rise. , Divide dough into six pieces; knead each for 1 minute. Roll each into a 5-in. circle. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 500°. , Place upside down on greased baking sheets. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

PITA BREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water; stir to blend. Let the yeast stand until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the salt. Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing at the lowest speed until all the flour has been incorporated and the dough gathers into a ball; this should take about 4 minutes.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn it over to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Place a large pizza stone on the lower oven rack, preheat the oven (and stone) to 500 degrees F.
• Punch the dough down, divide it into 8 pieces, and gather each piece into a ball; keeping all of them lightly floured and covered while you work. Allow the balls of dough to rest, covered, for 15 minutes so they will be easier to roll out.
• Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a circle that is about 8-inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Make sure the circle is totally smooth, with no creases or seams in the dough, which can prevent the pitas from puffing up properly. Cover the disks as you roll them out, but do not stack them up. Put 2 pita rounds at a time on the hot pizza stone and bake for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the bread puffs up like a balloon and is pale golden. Watch closely; they bake fast. Remove the bread from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes; they will naturally deflate, leaving a pocket in the center. Wrap the pitas in a large kitchen towel to keep them soft.

GREEK GRILLED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SALAD WITH WARM PITA BREAD FOR WRAPPING

Steps:

• Preheat grill pan over high heat. Place chicken in shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Wrap pita breads in foil. Place in warm oven and heat until dinner is served.
• Combine lemon zest, juice and vinegar in a bowl and whisk in oil. Add oregano, garlic and whisk again to combine into dressing. Pour half the dressing over chicken tenders. Turn tenders in dressing to coat.
• Combine remaining salad ingredients in a bowl. Pour remaining dressing over salad and toss well. The salad should be very lightly dressed. Season salad with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving platter.
• Grill tenders 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer hot tenders to the salad lined serving platter. Remove pitas from oven and unwrap. Cut pitas in half and arrange around the edge of platter.
• To serve, each person can pile grilled chicken and veggies into pita halves, wrap up on either side and enjoy!

GARLIC PITA BREAD BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Open pita bread halves and roughly cut into approximately 2 inch pieces. Arrange on a medium baking sheet.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and mix in garlic and dried Italian-style seasoning. Pour the mixture over pita bread pieces.
• Sprinkle bread with Parmesan cheese, adjusting the amount as desired. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

WHOLE WHEAT PITA BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add honey; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt 3 cups of whole wheat flour and remaining water. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough whole wheat flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a surface dusted with all-purpose flour; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. , Punch dough down; let rest for 10 minutes. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough into 12 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Knead each ball for 1 minute. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. , Grease baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll each ball into an 8-in. circle. Place on prepared baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 475° for 8-10 minutes or until browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. To serve, cut in half and split open. Stuff with fillings of your choice.

PEPPY'S PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in bread pan of your bread machine, select Dough setting and start. When dough has risen long enough, machine will beep.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

PITA POCKET BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Place the above ingredients into the bread machine according to owner's manual specifications (mine does wet ingredients first).
• Program for DOUGH or MANUAL.
• After the program is completed, divide dough into 10 equal pieces; shape each into a smooth ball; place five on each baking sheet.
• Let rise for 20 minutes while oven preheats to 500; flatten puffy balls gently into a 6-inch disk.
• Bake for five minutes (tops will be puffed and beginning to brown).
• Cut each circle in half to form two pockets.
• Fill with your favorite sandwich fixin's: ham, turkey, chicken salad, lettuce, sprouts, cheese and grapes.
• TRADITIONAL BREAD-MAKING: In a mixing bowl, mix water, sugar and yeast; allow to foam for 3-5 minutes; add oil and salt, mixing well; mix white & wholewheat flours together in a separate bowl, then add to liquids, mixing until well-blended. Place dough-ball in a well-greased bowl, allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume. Continue from Step #3 above.

GRILLED CHICKEN, GREEK-STYLE, WITH SALAD AND WARM PITA BREAD FOR

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Wrap the pita breads in foil, and put in the warm oven until dinner is ready.
• Put the chicken into a shallow dish with sides.Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, to taste.
• Mix the lemon zest and juice with the vinegar and then whisk in the oil. Add the oregano, garlic and whisk it again to make sure it's combined well. Pour about half of this dressing over the chicken strips and turn them to coat.
• Combine all the veggies in a big bowl and toss well with that leftover dressing (don't pour it all in at once. add some and toss the salad and repeat until you reach the right amt of dressing for your liking). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Grill the chicken strips for about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken strips to your salad bowl/dish when they are cooked through.
• Remove the pitas from your oven and unwrap. Cut pitas in half and then arrange them around your salad bowl/dish.
• To serve, each person can pile on the grilled chicken and veggies onto their pita and wrap it up!

GREEK PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and sugar in a small bowl, add 1/2 cup of the warm water and let it stand for 10 minutes to proof and ferment it.
• Dissolve the salt in the remaining warm water.
• Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, making a well in the middle and put the dissolved yeast and salt water into it.
• With your hands, blend it into a dough.
• You may need a bit more or less water depending on your flour.
• Knead the dough in the bowl with your fists for 10-15 minutes or until it is smooth.
• Pour the oil over the dough and knead it again until the oil is absorbed.
• Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel and set it in a draft free area to rise to double it's bulk (1-2 hours), then punch it down and knead it again for a few minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Cut pieces of dough, egg size or larger, depending on the size of the pita desired, shape them into balls with your hands and roll them out over a lightly floured board or pastry cloth to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Set 2 or 3 pites on a lightly oiled cookies sheet and bake them on the lower rack 2 to 3 minutes each side.
• Pitas should be white and soft.
• Wrap the baked pitas in a clean towel until they are cool, then store them in plastic bags to prevent them from drying out.
• When you are ready to use them, heat a bit of oil in a shallow skillet and fry them a minute or so on each side, or until golden brown.
• Use them immediately, because they get hard when they dry out.

GREEK GRILLED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SALAD WITH WARM PITA BREAD F

Steps:

• Preheat grill pan over high heat.
• Place chicken in shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 275°F.
• Wrap pita breads in foil.
• Place in warm oven and heat until dinner is served.
• Combine lemon zest, juice and vinegar in a bowl and whisk in oil.
• Add oregano, garlic and whisk again to combine into dressing.
• Pour half the dressing over chicken tenders.
• Turn tenders in dressing to coat.
• Combine remaining salad ingredients in a bowl.
• Pour remaining dressing over salad and toss well.
• The salad should be very lightly dressed.
• Season salad with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving platter.
• Grill tenders 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer hot tenders to the salad lined serving platter.
• Remove pitas from oven and unwrap.
• Cut pitas in half and arrange around the edge of platter.
• To serve, each person can pile grilled chicken and veggies into pita halves, wrap up on either side and enjoy!

EASY PITA BREAD

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, combine water and sugar; sprinkle yeast and let stand for 10 minutes or until dissolved and creamy.
• Using electric mixer, beat in 2 c.of the flour, oil and salt; beat for about 3 minutes or until smooth, scraping down side of bowl from time to time.
• With wooden spoon, beat in enough of the remaining flour to make stiff dough.
• Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
• Divide dough into 16 or 32 pieces.
• On lightly floured surface, roll each piece into 7" or 4" rounds.
• Cover and let rise for 15 minutes or until slightly risen.
• Meanwhile, heat ungreased baking sheet on lowest rack in 500 degree oven (240 C).
• Using floured metal spatula, quickly transfer 2 or 3 pita rounds to heated baking sheet; bake for 3 or 4 minutes or until puffed and light golden around edges.
• Repeat with remaining pita rounds.
• Let cool between damp tea towels.
• Pitas will collapse and soften slightly, but pocket will remain.
• (Alternatively, if crisp pitas are desired, let cool on racks) Pitas can be stored in plastic bags in freezer for up to 1 month.
• Makes 16 7" pitas or 32 4" pitas.

HEALTHY WHOLE WHEAT PITA BREAD (NO OIL OR SUGAR)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Sift together 2 cups of flour and the yeast.
• Add water and salt and mix well.
• Gradually add in the remaining flour just until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Once this happens, stop adding flour (so, you might not use all the flour the recipe calls for.).
• Knead the dough for about 4 or 5 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. (While you're kneading, you can get creative and add in some herbs or spices, but only if you want to do that). Be careful not to over-knead the dough.
• Form dough into 10 balls.
• On a floured surface, roll each ball into a 5-6 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. (Be sure to sprinkle a little flour on both sides to prevent sticking).
• Place on a non-stick baking sheet and allow to rise 30 minutes, or until slightly raised.
• Just before you place the pan in the oven, flip each pita over on its other side.
• Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes. (The instant hot heat will help them puff up).
• When the pitas come out of the oven they will be hard, but they will soften as the cool.
• Store them, while they're still warm, in plastic baggies or an airtight container.
• Cut the pitas in half crosswise and stuff with your favorite fillings (beans and rice, taco fixings, thick stews, curries - anything goes).
• Pitas can be reheated in a 350°F oven or in the microwave.

EASY PITA BREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• Brush on a little olive oil on the pita.
• Spread sauce on top of the pita.
• Sprinkle on the shredded cheese.
• Sprinkle on pinches of desired herbs and spices, and add any toppings you'd like.
• Place on baking sheet, bake for 5-7 minutes at 400°, or until cheese is melted (times may vary).
• Slice with pizza cutter and enjoy!

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Mix together the water, honey and yeast and allow the yeast to bloom until very foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• To a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, olive oil and salt. Turn the mixer on low to combine. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a smooth dough mass forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for 1 more minute. Portion and shape the dough into 8 even balls, roughly 4 ounces each. Place on a sheet tray and spray or brush the tops with olive oil. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, allow the dough to temper back to room temperature for 1 hour.
• Set up your grill for high heat. If using a charcoal grill, distribute the coals evenly on the edges of the grill, leaving the middle with no coals. If using a gas grill, heat one side only. Allow the temperature to reach 475 degrees. Place a small saucepot with water on the grill for extra moisture.
• Place a flat cast-iron pan onto the grill grate to preheat.
• On a very lightly floured surface, roll each pita ball into an 8-inch round and allow to rest for 10 minutes before baking. Place a dough round onto the hot pan, close the grill and bake for 1 minute. Flip and bake for another minute, then remove to a ziptop bag. This will ensure the pita stay moist and fresh. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Serve!
• To make in the oven: Place a flat cast-iron pan and a small pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Place the rolled dough onto the hot pan and bake for 1 minute. Flip and bake for another minute.

PITA BREAD FOR BREAD MACHINE

Steps:

• Add ingredients, in order listed.
• Select dough cycle.
• When cycle is complete, remove dough.
• Divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball.
• Cover with a damp towel and let rest 10 minutes.
• Grease a baking sheet. Set aside.
• On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into 6-7 inch circles.
• Place 2 circles of dough on prepared pan.
• Bake 450 degrees, 2 minutes. Turn over and bake 2 minutes longer.
• Continue baking 2 at a time.

QUICK AND EASY SYRIAN-LEBANESE-POCKET-PITA BREAD!

Steps:

• Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large sturdy bowl (hard plastic or stainless steel). Form a little well in the center.
• Heat the water in a microwave safe dish for one minute.
• Pour the water into the flour well and mix the ingredients with a spatula as far you can. Place a dish of cool water in a bowl next to you as you begin to knead by hand.
• Knead the dough in the bowl by hand for at least 5-10 minutes, dipping your fingertips into the bowl of water as you knead. This will help create a smooth, elastic finish. You know your dough is ready when the surface is smooth and doesn't have pock-marks. The dough will feel slightly sticky as you knead it, but should not stick to your hands.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut with a knife (or separate by hand) into equal sized pieces - 8 for larger rounds or 20 for small pitettes. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and lay on clean dish cloth or floured cutting board or surface, keeping them covered with another cloth.
• Once all of the balls are rolled and resting, cover them with a clean cloth and lightly pat the cloth with water on your finger tips to keep them moist, or spray lightly with a water mister. Let the balls rest for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes rest, preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone or pizza pan on bottom rack inserted.
• As the oven preheats, roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a flat round, no thicker than 1/4". The thinner the round, the better your pocket. Turn them over to roll them, trying to keep the round as best you can. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dip your finger tips in a little flour and coat the surface of the round as you roll. Make sure the edges are rolled out equally and not thicker than the center. Lay each round on the cloth or floured surface to rest again as the oven preheats. Keep them in the order your rolled them.
• Once the oven is ready, bake each round (or several at a time depending on size) on your baking stone, being careful to place them BOTTOM SIDE UP for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. The rounds should start to bubble on top and will "poof" up with the pocket. Once the pocket is formed, remove them from the oven and place onto clean surface to cool. The bottoms will be just starting to brown as you remove them from the oven.
• Once completely cooled, they can be stored in a freezer bag and frozen until ready to use - they will thaw quickly on the counter.

PITA BREAD SANDWICHES

Steps:

• brown meat in 10 inch skillet until cooked.
• add onion and cook for 10 minutes.
• add taco seasoning with water and cook additional 10 minutes.
• drain mixture
• cut pita bread in half and "open" pocket.
• place ground meat mixture inside
• put whatever you want inside your taco and serve ranch dressing over the top.