The photo below shows pita dough cooked in a skillet (top of the photo) and pita baked in the oven (bottom of the photo). Line a bowl with a clean towel, transfer the hot pitas inside and fold the towel over to keep them warm and soft, then repeat with the remaining dough. Recognizable by its puffy, pocket-like appearance, homemade pita bread is made from simple ingredients like flour, water, yeast, oil and salt.
Thick Pita Bread
First, we’re going to bloom our yeast by adding it to warm water (around 110° F) along with our sugar. You'll still need an extremely hot pan (or pizza stone), which you'll preheat in a 500° oven. Storing homemade pita is simple and ensures you have fresh bread ready to go whenever you need it.
Leave a Review or Comment
I cook on my pizza steel, which promotes the pocket even more. Let the dough rest, and then you are ready to cook them. Your search for the perfect pita recipe has ended! The word pita itself, on the other hand, is used for pie in the general sense in all local languages, and is mostly used for börek or various sweet phyllo pastry dishes (with the exception of baklava which is always called that). The pita are then air-cooled for about 20 minutes on conveyor belts before being shipped immediately or else stored in commercial freezers kept at a temperature of −12 °C (10 °F). There is evidence from about 14,500 years ago, during the Stone Age, that the Natufian people in what is now Jordan made a kind of flatbread from wild cereal grains.
Test Kitchen Techniques
I found it much more foolproof to tackle in the oven. If you don’t have access to an oven, you can do it on the stovetop as well. Then pull it out quickly, and go in with your next pita. Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough to ¼”-thick circle about 6” wide. Cover it in a bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, then let it rest for an hour (or until it doubles in size).
Homemade Pita Bread
This easy homemade pita recipe shows you how to make soft and fluffy pita bread right in your own kitchen. Our recipe creates tender, chewy pitas with perfect pockets, every time. Reheat leftover pitas by wrapping them in aluminum foil, placing them in a cold oven, setting the temperature to 300 degrees, and baking for 15 to 20 minutes. Pita cooked in the skillet will not puff as well as when baked in the oven, but they turn out so soft and fluffy. Or, cook them in a skillet for soft and fluffy flatbread. To cook pita bread in the oven, preheat your oven to 475°F (246°C).
- This style of pita flatbread, in the English language meaning of the word, is almost exclusively used as a wrap for souvlaki or gyros usually garnished with some combination of tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, onions, and french fries.
- Cover it with a reusable plastic bag or a damp kitchen towel and leave to double in size for around minutes (depending on ambient temperature).
- After your dough has doubled in size, turn on your oven to a blasting 500° F, and place your pizza stone or cast iron skillet inside the oven to preheat it.
- This will result in softer, lush pita with less pockets that might have more uneven spots.
- A high hydration level and a generous amount of oil help keep the pita tender, and honey adds a touch of sweetness.
The enduring appeal of pita lies in its simplicity, versatility and the way it seamlessly integrates into various cuisines. Pita has a rich history that dates back thousands of years, making it one of the oldest known breads. It’s a versatile bread that’s perfect for stuffing and pairing with dips. When it comes to pita, many know them stuffed with falafel, tahini sauce and chopped salad. Our test kitchen teams rely on the same rigorous development process and share the same commitment to creating reliable recipes and trustworthy reviews. After quickly making the dough in the stand mixer, we shape it into balls and let them proof overnight in the refrigerator to develop complex flavor.
Druze pita is filled with labneh (thick yoghurt) and topped with olive oil and za'atar. Traditional breads in Greek cuisine are leavened loaves, such as the round καρβέλι karvéli or the oblong φραντζόλα frantzóla. Regional variations in the shape, baking technique, and toppings create distinctive styles for each region. It is best either soon after baking or on the same day, and can be served warm. Pita is traditionally served fresh from the oven (typically a wood-fired oven similar to a pizza oven). In Egypt, it is called eish baladi (عيش بلدي ʽēš baladi) or simply eish (عيش ʽēš, 'bread'), although other subtypes of "bread" are common in Egypt, such as eish fino and eish merahrah.
We recommend weighing the flour and water. Save my name, gyros king 2 email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your email address will not be published. I love using the skillet when serving with dips like hummus.