Easy Homemade Pita Recipe (step-by-step)
Imagine fluffy, warm pockets of bread that are perfect for stuffing with your favorite fillings or scooping up a creamy dip. This homemade pita recipe is surprisingly simple, using just a few ingredients to create bakery-quality results without the need for a mixer. With its soft texture and delightful flavor, freshly baked pita will elevate any meal you serve them with.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 g fresh yeast (or 7g dried yeast)
- 10 g golden granulated sugar
- 30 g olive oil + extra for greasing
- 210 ml lukewarm water
- 400 g bread flour
- 8 g salt
Instructions
- Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Add the sugar, olive oil and water and whisk to dissolve the yeast. Add the flour and salt and use your hands to mix everything into a rough dough. Transfer the dough to a work surface, cover it with the bowl placed upside down and let it rest for 5 minutes, which will kickstart the gluten development. Then knead it for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a large ball, grease a clean bowl with a little oil and place the dough inside. Cover it with a reusable plastic bag or a damp kitchen towel and leave to double in size for around 30-60 minutes (depending on ambient temperature).
- Return the dough to the work surface and divide it into 8 pieces (80-85g each). Then shape each piece into a ball by tucking the edges underneath before stretching it over the work surface in circular movements with one hand. You want to create a smooth surface across the dough. Cover the balls again.
- Dust the surface with a little flour and roll the dough balls out into oval pitas, roughly 15cm x 13cm. Place the rolled pitas on a clean tea towel as you go, cover with another clean towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven along with a tray to
250 °C (482 °F) (
230 °C (446 °F)). Once the pitas are ready, carefully remove the tray. To transfer a pita, flip it onto your hand by lifting the towel. Place the first 2-3 pitas on the hot tray, return it to the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes, until puffed up and just turning golden. Line a bowl with a clean towel, transfer the hot pita inside and fold the towel over to keep them warm and soft, then repeat with the remaining dough. Enjoy warm.
Video
Notes
Storage: Place your cooled pitas in an airtight container for 1-2 days at room temperature, or freeze in reusable plastic bags or containers. To thaw them, heat them for around 15 minutes in a 200°C preheated oven (180°C fan), or simply pop them in the toaster from frozen.