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The best recipe for homemade pita bread is calling your name. It’s time to get in the kitchen and get baking. You’re gonna love every bite!
Pita pockets are delightful, but have you ever tried a made-from-scratch pita? One made using freshly milled whole wheat flour? That tastes even better, of course! Homemade always wins the taste test.
This recipe for homemade pita bread is going to be your new baking addiction. They’re delicious, healthy and super easy to make. You’ll feel like a magician watching your little rounds of pita dough puff up while they cook in the oven. You’ll love eating them even more. 😉
So, get ready to dip, drizzle, sandwich or just devour these little babies by themselves. No matter how you serve them, they are incredible!
Table of contents
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What is the Secret to the Best Pitas?
Everyone wants to know the secret to the best homemade breads. In my opinion, it’s all about the flour. I freshly mill all of my flour from wheat berries. You can more about the benefits of freshly milled flour here or in my new cookbook.
In a nutshell: you get the absolute best nutrition and flavor within the first hours and days after milling your grains. You also get to customize your flour texture and grain blends while saving money. Plus it’s an easy-peasy process that takes very little time. Totally worth the small amount of effort it requires!
Supplies and Ingredients for Homemade Pita Bread Recipe
Supplies
- Stand mixer with a dough hook or large mixing bowl and spoon
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet, pizza stone or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ½ tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (280 grams) of freshly milled whole wheat flour
How to Make Pita Bread
Activate Yeast
Pour the warm water into a large bowl and add the yeast and honey to the water. Combine and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Mixing the Dough
Add to your bowl the oil, salt, and flour. Mix these ingredients together until well incorporated.
Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes.
First Rise
Oil your bowl, roll your dough ball into the oil, and cover with plastic wrap or a moist tea towel.
Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled.
Shaping the Pita Bread
Punch down the pita bread dough to release all the air bubbles, and knead it a couple of times. Divide the dough out into 8 equal pieces.
Flour your counter, and form each portion into a ball. Cover the pita dough balls with a moist tea towel (we don’t want them to dry out) and let rest for 15 minutes.
After resting, roll them out into a flat circle shape, ¼ inch in thickness. Dust the tops with a little bit of flour.
Baking Instructions
If possible, bake the pitas on a pizza stone or cast iron skillet – or something that will get very hot and hold onto that heat.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven and the stone/skillet at the same time to 475-500 degrees fahrenheit. You’ll want the oven and the pan to be very hot. This is key to getting them to puff up with little air pockets.
Once preheated, carefully remove the pan and place the rolled out dough on top of the pan, and quickly put it back in the hot oven. You may not have room for all of them to cook at once, but you can do it in sessions. Watch the oven closely to see when they are fully puffed up and beginning to brown on top. This takes about 5-6 minutes. You can even set the oven to broil for a minute to get the tops crispier. If you do this, watch it very closely!
Once all the pita pockets are done, remove them from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
You can eat them hot or let them cool before slicing them in half and filling them with your desired fillings.
Storing Homemade Pita Bread
To store any leftovers, wrap your pitas with plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for a few days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
For longer storage, wrap each pita individually with plastic wrap or foil. Place in a freezer bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Printable Recipe Card for Homemade Pita Bread
Homemade Pita Pockets with Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ½ tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (280 grams) of freshly milled whole wheat flour
Instructions
Activate Yeast
- Pour the warm water into a large bowl and add the yeast and honey to the water. Mix slightly and let sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Mixing the Dough
- Add to your bowl the oil, salt, and flour. Mix these ingredients together until well incorporated.
- Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes.
First Rise
- Oil your bowl, roll your dough ball into the oil, and cover with plastic wrap or a moist tea towel.
- Let the dough rise until doubled.
Shaping the Pita Bread
- Punch the dough down to release all the air and knead it a couple of times. Divide the dough out into 8 equal portions.
- Flour your surface, and form each portion into a ball. Cover the dough balls with a moist tea towel (we don’t want them to dry out) and let rest for 15 minutes.
- After resting, roll them out into a flat circle shape, ¼ inch in thickness. Dust the tops with a little bit of flour.
Baking Instructions
- If possible, bake the pitas on a pizza stone or cast-iron skillet – or something that will get very hot and hold onto that heat.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven and the stone/skillet at the same time to 475-500 degrees fahrenheit. You’ll want the oven and the pan to be very hot. This is key to getting them to puff up.
- Once preheated, carefully remove the pan and place the rolled out dough on top of the pan, and quickly put it back in the hot oven. You may not have room for all of them to cook at once, but you can do it in sessions. Watch the oven closely to see when they are fully puffed up and beginning to brown on top. This takes about 5-6 minutes. You can even set the oven to broil for a minute to get the tops crispier. If you do this, watch it very closely!
- Once all the pita pockets are done, remove them from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
- You can eat them hot or let them cool before slicing them in half and filling them with your desired fillings.
Pita Bread Serving Suggestions
Once you’ve got your pita bread ready, it’s time to enjoy!
Try dipping your pitas in hummus or tzatziki sauce. Drizzle them with some extra virgin olive oil. Layer the pitas with meats, cheeses and veggies for a pita bread sandwich. Get creative and look up recipes online for gyros or flatbread sandwiches for more ideas. Yum!
Where to Buy Breadmaking Supplies
Need an easy way to get all your bread baking supplies and ingredients without spending hours researching? I’ve done all the trial and error for you and put together the TIDBITS & Company Bread Making Supplies Moonsift page. Here you’ll find all of my favorite bread making items along with links and product descriptions. Check it out!
More Recipes to Love
There is nothing quite as satisfying as a batch of fresh homemade pita bread. It’s delicious, healthy and super fun to make. If you’ve never tried making pitas before, consider this your sign to start. Homemade bread is always the best bread.
If you want to explore more of my favorite recipes using fresh milled whole grains, try:
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