Homemade Pita Bread

5 from 2 votes

Homemade pita bread is best served warm and enjoyed as a side dish or filled and end eaten as pita pockets.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword Bread as Side Dish, Flatbread Recipe, Homemade Pita Bread

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Dough Resting Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings Pita Bread

Calories 222kcal

Mix the yeast, sugar, and half of the water into the bowl of your kitchen machine. Let it sit for a few minutes until foaming.
Add the flour, rest of the water, and olive oil. Knead at low speed until combined into a dough (~2 mins).
Add the salt and knead for 5 minutes, speed level one, until you have a smooth dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for one hour at room temperature.
Place the dough on a well-floured working surface and divide into six even pieces. Using a kitchen scale for this step helps you.
Form them into balls and flatten them with the ball of your hand. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Roll them out to about 15 cm using a rolling pin. Let them rest for another 10 minutes. Always cover with the damp kitchen towel to prevent the dough from drying out.
Heat up a non-stick frying pan until very hot (but not smoking). Add some oil, then one dough and cook on each side for about 1-2 minutes until brown. Repeat this step with the remaining dough.
Serve immediately or cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm.

Store the pita bread in a plastic bag for up to two days. Reheat them in a pan or microwave before serving.
The dough appreciates the relaxing time when rolling out. It also helps to make it puff up during cooking. If you are in a hurry, roll it out and cook it without the 2x10 minutes resting time. It still tastes wonderful, but might not puff up.
It's possible to prepare the dough ahead of time. Therefore, refrigerate the dough after the one hour rising time in a bowl covered with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Store it in your fridge for up to one day.