Despite the fact that the ingredients for this Homemade Pita Bread are different than those for the Homemade Naan, it is almost exactly the same way that they are prepared…
Oh the fascinating world of flat breads! It is the only difference between the two recipes that is that the pita bread is baked in a super hot oven rather than on a stove top in a skillet.
It is possible to bake the bread at a very high temperature (500°F) and create a pocket of steam within the bread that once cooled forms a very convenient cavity.
It is possible to stuff the bread with your favorite sandwich fillings, wrap it around falafel, or even cut up and bake the bread for a tasty treat.
And if you aren’t able to eat it all right away, don’t worry, Apronese shows you the way, leftovers can be frozen, and you just need to pop them in a gallon-sized freezer bag once they have cooled.
It is fine if you use only all-purpose flour, but I used a little bit of whole wheat flour in my recipe. It would only be better if I divided the dough into six rounds rather than eight if I made the pita bread again, as a thicker pocket will result. But, hey, who needs all that thick bread anyway? What goes in it is what matters most.
Homemade Pita Bread
There are several ways that you can use pita bread in your recipes, but this recipe is a great way to make your own from scratch. This bread can be used as a sandwich bread, a wrap, a salad or even as chips.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cup warm water ($0.00)
- 1 1/2 tsp yeast ($0.15)
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar ($0.03)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.10)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour ($0.08)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.37)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine about one tablespoon of olive oil, half a cup of warm water, one tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast. Stir to dissolve and set aside for about five minutes, or until a foam forms on top. Once the foam appears, add one tablespoon of vinegar.
- To make this dish, add one cup of flour (half whole wheat in my case) and salt to a large bowl. Stir them together until they are evenly combined. Add the small bowl of liquid to the large bowl filled with the flour. Stir gently until the flour is evenly mixed.
- The flour should be added gradually as the dough is mixed until it is a loose ball that cannot be stirred with a spoon anymore. Once the ball of dough has been turned onto a floured surface, you will need to continue kneading in more flour until it is a soft, pliable ball that is not sticky. A minimum of three cups of flour should have been used and the dough should have been kneaded for at least three minutes before it could be baked.
- As soon as you place the ball of dough into an oiled bowl, cover loosely and let sit for one hour or until the dough has doubled in size, depending on your preference.
- Upon rising the dough, punch it down and punch out on a floured surface. Turn it out onto a flat surface, roll it out into a thin circle, and stretch it into a log. Cut the log into 8 (or 6) pieces of equal size, then form each one into a smooth ball. Roll the ball out into a circular shape that is 6 inches thick.
- Let the dough circles rest while the oven heats up to 500 degrees. Keep the dough circles moist so they don’t dry out. Place the circles on a wire rack (a couple at a time) and place them in the oven when the oven is hot. Watch the circles puff up as they cook. After the circle has filled up but still not turned brown, you can remove it from the oven and add another batch. Leaving the pitas to cook until golden brown will result in them being crispier and the shape may remain as the pitas cool down since they are cooked until golden brown.
- In order to soften the pitas, stack them on a plate and cover them with a damp cloth when you remove them from the oven. The trapped steam inside the pitas will soften the pitas as they cool. Once they are completely cool, store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 187.89 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 36.28 g ・ Protein: 5.34 g ・ Fat: 2.33 g ・ Sodium: 296.38 mg ・ Fiber: 2.06 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Step By Step Photos
It is necessary to combine the water, yeast, and sugar in one bowl, and the flour plus salt in a more large bowl with one cup of the ingredients.
Adding the olive oil to the yeast water when the mixture becomes frothy is not a bad idea.
After adding the wet mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt, stir to combine the ingredients. Continue adding flour until it forms a loose ball that is no longer stirringable with a spoon when you add flour to your bowl until it is the consistency that you want.
I recommend flouring the surface as you work the dough until it becomes a soft, soft ball and does not stick to the surface when you knead it. You will need approximately three cups of flour total and you will need to knead it for at least three minutes total.
Once the dough has risen for approximately one hour or until doubled in size, punch down, and form a log by stretching it out.
Make sure the dough is cut into 8 pieces before you begin.
Make a ball out of each piece of dough and roll it into a circle the size of six inches after you have formed it into a ball.
Inflate the dough circles in the oven as it warms.
When the oven is hot and ready, place a couple on a wire rack and place the rack in the oven. When the dough circles are inflating, remove them from the oven and place a sheet over them.
You will have a lot of fun watching this… Pull the pitas out and put the next batch in (make sure to be careful with the hot rack) and stack the cooked pitas on a plate and cover them with a damp cloth as they cool.
Despite the fact that this was a fun project for me, I have to admit I still think naan is my favorite flatbread of choice. The naan’s taste and texture are just so different from another flatbread due to the yogurt and its texture is so pillowy soft… hmmm…
That being said, I will not have a hard time eating these pitas. I had bought a pack of pita last week ($1.99 per pack of 6, $0.33 each) but the homemade pitas have a much better flavor and texture than the store bought ones. The fresh pitas were much better than the store purchased ones. Ick.
It’s hard to beat pita bread’s unique ability to scoop large quantities of hummus into your mouth. There’s just something about the pocket shape that helps it form the perfect hummus shovel.
Bread at the bakery is delicious, but one day you don’t want to leave the house. Understanding the difficulty, Apronese showed how to make Pita bread for you. If you have any more interesting and simple ways to do it, remember to comment below for everyone to learn
