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Two words. Monumental Recipe…..Traditional Greek Pita Bread.
Yeah, monumental.
It is just that good.
Like it is crazy, just insanely good. You could not get them better unless you flew to Greece.
I can promise you guys, that after you make this easy homemade traditional Greek pita bread you will never want to buy the store-bought version again. Sure, you may have to for convenience and time purposes, but you will probably be wishing you were eating these.
Nah, not probably. You will. Guaranteed.
They’re so soft, so chewy and the flavor is just so good. There really are no words to describe just how good these are.
If you can make pizza dough, you can make these. And even if you have never made pizza dough, you can still make these. They are so simple and the dough is really easy to work with. These pitas are going to transform your lunches and even your dinners! Greek pizza? Yes!
So, I made these pita’s with a purpose. A real good purpose. But you are going to have to wait till tomorrow for that.
Until then, make these pita’s. You’ll want to just eat them plain, but you really should wait and pair them with tomorrow’s post.
But trust me, make them now.
Traditional Greek Pita Bread.
Servings: 8 pita rounds
Calories Per Serving: 193 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot water but not boiling
- 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer (a large bowl will also work if you do not have a mixer), and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil. If using a stand mixer attach the dough and need the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes, adding more flour until you have a smooth dough. If using your hands sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, but try to be sparing. It's better to use too little flour than too much. If you get tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minutes before finishing kneading.
- Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and run it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it until it's coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it's doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- At this point, you can refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week.
- Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn't sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if it starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get the hang of it you can be cooking one pita while rolling the next one out.)
- Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (you want a hot pan). Drizzle a little oil in the pan and wipe off the excess.Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita should start to puff up during this time; if it doesn't or if only small pockets form, try pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel. Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.
- These are best eaten fresh, but will keep in a ziplock bag for a few days or in the freezer.
It is Sunday. The perfect day to make some fresh homemade Greek pitas!
Shared with: Inside BruCru Life, Lil Luna, Chef In Training, Buns In my Oven, Foodie Friday Friends, Tidy Mom, Taste and Tell, Cheerios and Lattes, Somewhat Simple, Mom on Timeout, I Heart Nap Time, Fine Craft Guide, The Country Cook, Whipperberry, Chef In Training
These are amazing ! My boys see me cooking them and they stand there waiting for them to come off the pan. Fresh and hot!! Thank for this quick and easy recipe !
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Have a Happy Halloween! 🙂 xT
I made these and oh my! I feel like such a pro! When they started puffing up in the pan I was so excited! I followed the recipe exactly, using the Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook. I didn’t need to add that last 1/2 cup of flour. They are so, so good!!!
Thank you so much Kelly! xT
Hi Tieghan,
I have been looking for a good Pita dough so I am going to give yours a try. I am a bit confused when you say ‘hot water’ and yeast. I always thought hot water would kill the
yeast. Can you tell me what temp. the water should be?
thanks for any help you can give.
Claudia
Hi Claudia! It should be warm enough to activate the yeast but not too hot to kill it! I usually warm up my water for a minute or so! xT
Hi! When you say to bake them, what temp do you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Krystle! These are meant to be cooked in a cast iron skillet on the stove top! Hope this helps! xT
It does! Thanks you!
My pitas hardened quickly after taking out of the pan. Any suggestions?
Hi there,
Hmmm, so sorry to hear this! Was there anything that was possibly adjusted in the recipe? It’s hard for me to say without seeing them, but it definitely sounds like something went wrong! Please let me know how I can help further! xT
When do you add the last 1/2 cup of flour? I definitely messed something up as it came out like pizza dough, not bread. …
Hi Jess,
Thanks for making this recipe, sorry to hear you are having issues! You don’t have to add the last 1/2 cup of flour, it’s used in step 1 if needed:) I hope this helps, let me know if there is anything else that you need! xx
This is the best pita bread recipe. It is so easy to make, and it keeps well in the fridge. Only problem is that I can no longer buy a falaffel pita anywhere without great dissapointment…
Hi Sussi,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe and appreciate your notes and feedback! xT
If I refrigerate the dough (after Step 2 is done) how should I store it? Would tubaware work?
Hi Kellie,
Sure, any airtight container is great! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I can not believe how easy this was! Even kneading the dough was super easy and came to a nice smooth ball in just a few minutes. I used 2-1/2 cups of flour like you suggested and only a little more flour for dusting the counter and my hands. The pitas are so chewy and I love it. My son loves them too. You’re totally right, and I’ll never want store bought pitas again!
Hey Kristin,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
Tieghan, you’ve done it again! Initially was going to make your naan recipe but didn’t have a couple of ingredients and stumbled on this. I’ve said before im a horrible baker and never make bread – don’t even have a stand mixer – and even I could make this and it came out so impressive! Thank you for making such delicious recipes that even novices can make! Do you think this would work with whole wheat flour?
Hey Zoha,
Happy Sunday!!🌸 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! Sure, I bet whole wheat flour would work well for you! xT
If I want to refrigerate it before baking, do I punch down the dough after the one hour rise and then put it in the refrigerator or don’t punch it down and refrigerate it?
Hey Bridget,
You are doing everything up until step 3, so let it rise in step 2:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Addicted! Can we freeze the dough or better to cook the pitas and then freeze?
Hey Sarah,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) You can totally freeze the dough! xTieghan
Ok, I’ve made this recipe a few times now and this is a 10 out of 5 stars lol. It’s so so good, like she said we cannot go back to store bought Pitas anymore. A little bit of extra work, but worth it! Makes a huge difference! Love this recipe so much!
Hey Mariesa,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! xxT