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Easy homemade pita bread recipe using instant yeast that produces soft and puffed pita pockets in the oven.

  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 6 pita breads 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 250 grams all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 150 milliliters warm water (about 2/3 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for coating the dough

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast.
  2. Add warm water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the dry ingredients.
  3. Mix with a spatula until the dough forms a shaggy ball; it will be dry and rough.
  4. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly into a smoother ball.
  5. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the dough and turn it to coat all sides.
  6. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1.5 hours, or until slightly puffed.
  7. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to distribute air bubbles evenly.
  8. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces, approximately 73 grams each.
  9. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
  10. Let the dough balls rest for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
  11. Flatten each ball slightly by hand.
  12. Roll out each ball gently into a 6-inch diameter circle, being careful not to press out air bubbles.
  13. Place each rolled circle on a piece of parchment paper and let rest for 15 minutes.
  14. Preheat your oven’s Baking Steel, pizza stone, cast iron skillet, or oven-safe pan to 550°F (or as high as recommended by the stone manufacturer).
  15. Bake three pita rounds at a time on the hot surface for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly golden and puffed.
  16. Transfer baked pita to a bowl lined with a clean towel and cover to keep warm and soft until serving.

Notes

Be gentle when rolling the dough to preserve air bubbles for puffing., Allow dough to rest after rolling for 15 minutes so it can spring back and puff properly., Use a very hot baking surface like a pizza stone or Baking Steel for best results., If you don’t have these, a preheated cast iron skillet or sheet pan works well., Cold pans will result in flat pita, so always preheat., Dough can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated overnight, then brought to room temperature before shaping and baking., For variations, add 1 teaspoon dried herbs (oregano, za’atar, rosemary) to flour or substitute half the flour with whole wheat., Add sesame or nigella seeds on top before baking for extra flavor., Store leftover pita at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week., Freeze cooled pita tightly wrapped for up to 3 months and reheat before serving.

  • Author: mapps6841@gmail.com
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes active + 1 hour 45 minutes including resting/rising
  • Cook Time: 2-3 minutes per batch
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 pita bread
  • Calories: Approx. 140 kcal per pita
  • Fat: 3 grams per pita
  • Carbohydrates: 25 grams per pita
  • Protein: 4 grams per pita