Make the best pita bread you’ve ever tasted with this easy homemade pita bread recipe! Made with 5 everyday ingredients, these pitas puff up in the oven to create a pocket and have the best soft texture.
If you’ve ever wanted to try making homemade pita bread, you’re in the right place! My pita bread recipe is perfect for beginners to bread making and it makes the most amazing soft, fluffy pita bread. I just love watching the pitas puff up as they bake in the oven. It’s like magic when that pocket forms inside, every time!
This pita bread tastes so much better and fresher than pita bread from the grocery store. My family gets so excited when I tell them I’m making a batch to go with dinner. I think you’ll love this recipe just as much as we do!
This pita bread is a delicious addition to so many meals. I always make it to go with our favorite Chicken Shawarma, and we love to wrap this flavorful Greek Chicken in warm pita and add a spoonful of tzatziki sauce. Homemade pita bread is also perfect for snacking as part of a mezze platter, with fresh cut veggies, hummus, tabouli and olives.
Pita Bread Ingredients
The ingredients for this pita bread recipe couldn’t be simpler! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Warm Water: This is the liquid that helps the dough come together. I use an instant read thermometer to check that the water temperature is between 105-115° F. If it’s too cool, it won’t activate the yeast as well; if it’s too hot, it could potentially kill the yeast.
- Honey: A little bit of sugar feeds the yeast so that they become active. You can substitute granulated sugar if you don’t have honey on hand.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast works perfect here. You can also use instant yeast.
- Olive Oil: Makes the dough soft and flavorful.
- Salt: The salt is essential for flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: If you’d like to use whole wheat flour, see my Whole Wheat Pita Bread recipe.
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
How to Make Pita Bread
I use my stand mixer to make the dough. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix and knead the dough by hand.
Proof the yeast. Whisk together the warm water, honey and yeast. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. You should see it start to foam and/or bubble to indicate that the yeast is active. If nothing happens after 10 minutes, your yeast may be dead and you should start over with new yeast.
Make the dough. Add the olive oil, salt and flour and mix until combined. Then switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for 8 minutes.
Kristine’s Tip: How to tell if you need more flour
As you mix and knead the dough, you may need to add a little more flour. Stop the mixer and press your finger to the dough. The dough should be slightly sticky. If a lot of dough sticks to your finger, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is only slightly sticky. The goal is to make a dough that you’ll be able to work with when you roll out the pitas without adding too much flour, which can make the bread tough.
Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Then, roll out the pitas. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times to release any large air bubbles. Then cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 6-inch circle. Place the pitas on parchment paper and let them rest for 15 minutes.
Two Cooking Methods
I tested four cooking methods for these homemade pita: baking stone in the oven, baking sheet in the oven, cast iron skillet on the stove, and electric griddle. Pitas cooked on the cast iron skillet didn’t always puff up to create a pocket, and the electric griddle didn’t get hot enough to cook them properly (plus they didn’t puff up).
These are the two methods I recommend:
- Baking stone in oven: This is my favorite method because the pita bread bakes quickly on the hot baking stone. I can fit 3 pita at a time on the stone and each batch takes about 3 minutes to cook.
- Baking sheet in oven: If you don’t have a baking stone, this method works great. You can bake 4 pita at a time on a baking sheet, and they take 7-9 minutes total to bake. While the pita bread takes a bit longer this way, they taste just as delicious!
Storage Instructions
Homemade pita bread is best warm, fresh from the oven. You can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Try these Bread Recipes Next
Readers have come to know me for my simple, approachable yeast bread recipes. Here are a few more that I think you’ll love:
- Homemade Tortillas
- Whole Wheat Bread
- Sandwich Bread
- Brioche Bun recipe (homemade burger buns)
- Pizza Dough
- Dinner Rolls
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Homemade Pita Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water, 105-115° F
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, one packet
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Add the warm water, honey and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. (If you prefer, the dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand.) Whisk gently. Set aside for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Add olive oil, salt and flour to the bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix until combined. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 8 minutes, adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is very sticky. The dough should feel only slightly sticky when you touch it with your finger.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few times to release any air bubbles. Shape the dough into a ball and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Working with one dough piece at a time, gently shape it into a ball and then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 6-inch round. (If the dough springs back instead of rolling out well, let dough rest for 5 minutes and then try again – it will relax while it rests.)
- Lay rolled out pita on a sheet of parchment paper and cover with a clean kitchen towel. (If you plan to bake the pita on baking sheets, place 4 pita on each of 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets then cover.) Let dough rounds rest for 15 minutes. During this time the pita will puff up slightly.
- To bake pita on a baking stone: Place baking stone on middle rack in oven and preheat oven to 450° F. Bake pita in batches (I can usually fit 2-3 on my baking stone), cooking for 2 minutes on the first side (until puffy) and then flipping and cooking for 1 minute on the second side, until pita are lightly golden brown in spots.
- To bake pita on a baking sheet: Preheat oven to 425° F with a rack in the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and place 4 pita on each baking sheet. Bake one pan of pita at a time, for 5-6 minutes on the first side, until puffy. Then flip pita over and bake for 2-3 minutes on the second side, until lightly golden brown in spots (check the bottoms, as they tend to brown faster than the tops). Repeat with remaining pita.
- Wrap pitas loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft until ready to serve.
- Once cool, store leftover pita bread in a zip-top plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Granulated sugar may be substituted for the honey.
Behind the Scenes
Sometimes our dinners are random combinations when I’m recipe testing! The night I snapped this photo of my dinner, I was testing this pita bread recipe, as well as my Caesar salad recipe with homemade croutons. We also cooked some chicken for protein. It ended up being such a delicious meal!
