Homemade pitta bread is so easy to make and taste so much better than ready made. The pockets are perfect for all your favourite fillings or eaten with a tasty dip like hummus.
Homemade Pitta Bread is much easier to make than you think, you can even get the kids involved. They will love watching the pittas balloon up in the oven! If your pittas don’t balloon up, it’s usually because the oven isn’t hot enough. Don’t worry though, they still taste delicious and can be eaten with hummus or simply rolled around your filling.
Our favourite filling here at the Kitchen Shed for those handy pockets is Chicken Kebabs Take Away Style.These gorgeous pittas are made with white flour, although I have included a choice of wholemeal too. Fully wholemeal pitta breads can be extra fragile so I tend to use ⅓ wholemeal flour to ⅔ white flour.
The windowpane test is a consistently reliable way to check your dough is ready. Pinch off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it apart, pulling and rotating the dough into a thin membrane, or windowpane, which is translucent when you hold it up to the light.
Tempted? If you’d like to try this recipe for yourself, here it is an easily printable form. Just hit the PRINT button on the recipe card below.
Homemade Pitta Bread
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Homemade pitta breads are so easy to make and taste so much better than ready made. The pockets are perfect for all your favourite fillings or eaten with a tasty dip like hummus.
Author: Sarah James | Tales From The Kitchen Shed
Recipe type: Bread
Serves: Makes 8 large pittas
Ingredients
- 450 g strong white bread flour (or 150 g wholemeal bread flour and 300 g strong white bread flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 250 ml tepid water
- You will need: 2 or 3 large baking trays/sheets with liners or baking parchment
Instructions
By hand:
- Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the oil and a little water, mix well adding a little water at a time until you have formed a ball of dough.
- Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes.
KitchenAid:
- Add flour, salt and yeast to the mixing bowl, make a well and the oil and water.
- Mix on slow speed number 1 for 1 to 2 minutes and then on number 2 speed for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Check your dough is ready by using the windowpane test.
Prove your dough:
- Place your dough in a large greased bowl and cover and leave to rest in a warm place for about one and a half hours or until doubled in size.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide into 90 g portions, 8 balls. I like to weigh them to make sure they get an even bake but you can divide into 8 equal portions by eye if you prefer.
- Shape into balls, cupping in your hands and place them on a large baking sheet.
- Gently press the balls of dough to flatten them a little.
- Cover with greased clingfilm/plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave to rest for approximately 10 minutes.
Bake your pittas:
- Preheat oven to 475℉/240℃/Gas mark 9
- Place a baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven to get nice and hot.
- Roll out your flattened dough balls into pitta shapes as thinly as you can get them, approximately 4 to 5 mm thick and place the rolled out pittas on to a spare baking sheet with a liner, you may only get 3 or 4 to a sheet, you want them spaced well apart so they don’t touch when they rise.
- As soon as you have your first tray ready with rolled pittas, take it to the oven and slide your liner with the pittas on to the hot baking tray.
- You can if you wish place the pittas straight on to the tray with a paddle or your hand, I just happen to be a bit clumsy and either get burnt or fold the pitta. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes until your pittas balloon up.
- Once your pittas have ballooned up remove them from the oven – if you leave them any longer they will go too crispy. Transfer to a wire rack. Once you have a stack of pittas, wrap them in a clean tea towel.
Notes
Preparation time does not include proving times.
If your pittas don’t balloon up, it’s usually because the oven isn’t hot enough. Don’t worry though, they still taste delicious and can be eaten with hummus or simply rolled around your filling.
Toast if you wish but I love homemade pittas just as they are.
Pittas are best eaten the day you make them.
Homemade pittas freeze well so you can take them out of the freezer as you need them.
If your pittas don’t balloon up, it’s usually because the oven isn’t hot enough. Don’t worry though, they still taste delicious and can be eaten with hummus or simply rolled around your filling.
Toast if you wish but I love homemade pittas just as they are.
Pittas are best eaten the day you make them.
Homemade pittas freeze well so you can take them out of the freezer as you need them.
It's essential to have your oven as hot as you can get it with a tray or pizza stone on the shelf ready for your pittas. This ensures the characteristic ballooning required for the pitta pockets.
Pin Homemade Pitta Bread for later:
I’m entering my homemade pitta bread recipe into a couple of challenges:
- Bake of the Week hosted by Helen over at Casa Costello.
- The Alpha Bakes Challenge hosted by Caroline Makes and co-hosted by The More Than The Occasional Baker.
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So glad I tried this recipe, it worked perfectly. I found the dough easy to knead by hand (on a lightly oiled surface) , the shape easy to roll and they cooked so quickly! They looked exactly like good shop bought -coming from a keen cook who has mixed success wherever yeast is involved – and tasted better as the yeast came through. Thanks (trying to give 5 stars but screen not letting me)
Just made these pitta breads and they are fab. Only one didn’t puff up fully but probably something I did wrong. Will be my go to recipe in future. Thank you.
That’s great news Ann-Marie. It’s quite normal to get the odd pitta bread that doesn’t puff up so I shouldn’t worry too much about it. Pleased to hear you’ll be making them again, you can’t beat homemade pitta breads 🙂
Hi, I noticed sugar in the comments but not under the ingredients list? Yeast requires sugar to rise. Did I miss it? Thanks
Hi Caroline, thanks for visiting my blog and spotting a typo. As I’m using instant yeast I don’t find it necessary to always use sugar in savoury bread and I haven’t used any in this recipe, the sugar in the recipe instructions is a typo. Amending the instructions now and thanks so much for letting me know.
I’ve just stumbled on your website and you’ve inspired me!!!!! Chicken kebabs and homemade pittas on the cards tonight!!!! Thank you and I’ll let you know how they turn out 🙂
Hi Caz, so pleased you stumbled across my blog. Looking forward to hearing how you get on, I hope you enjoy Homemade Chicken Kebabs and Pittas as much as we do 🙂
The pittas are complete and the chicken marinating. Had to use dried oregano as don’t have fresh unfortunately!
The pittas are amazing. I had to eat one just to test they were OK of course……….
Talk about fun watching them balloon up. Fantastic recipe easy to make. Thank you!
Caz
That’s great Caz, thanks for getting back to me. I’m sure the chicken will be delicious with dried oregano and you know I never tire of watching the pittas ballon up in the oven. It’s a pleasure to share the recipe and I really appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Seems so easy to make! Definitely going to have to try this instead of buying them from the store!
They really are Derek, do let me know how you get on. thanks for popping by 🙂
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! Homemade breads are the best.
Thanks, it’s a pleasure to share the recipe 🙂
I love pita, especially for making my lunch wraps, but don’t think I have made my own. (side note: I know it as pita, but I see you have it as pitta… is that a regional thing, or a different variety?)
They really are easy to make Jacquee. Pitta is the same as Pita, it’s us Brits, we spell ‘pita’ with 2 ‘t’s. I almost thought I’d spelt pitta wrong when I came to write the recipe up as my computer flagged it up. Thanks for popping by 🙂
My kids adore pita breads. But I’ve gotten lazy and buy a good brand at the store. No reason I couldn’t make these beauties and store them in the freezer for impromptu dinners, right? Nothing beats homemade–even if they don’t puff up. So right! Thanks.
No reason at all Lynne, pittas freeze so well and defrost so quickly too. You can’t beat homemade and freezing them is the perfect solution to having some at hand.
I do love fresh, home made pitta bread. I make it quite often in my kitchen too, nothing beats it !:)
I totally agree, I’m not keen on the dry pittas you get in packets which are full of unwanted added extras.
Thanks for the recipe. Have been using store bought pita bread which as you can guess is never fluffy or soft enough. This sounds good and something I plan on trying. Thanks for the tip about the oven being hot for the bread to rise.
You’re most welcome Ticker, I hope you enjoy homemade pitta bread as much as we do. A hot oven is the key to making pitta, do let me know how you get on.
Can’t wait to try my hand at making these!
Thanks Sarah, do let me now how you get on.
These homemade pita pockets look like so much fun to make!
They are Erica, I never tire of waiting for the pittas to puff up in the oven.
i like to make pita pizza with storebought version or with hummus. i cant wait to give this a try!
What a great idea, I love a pitta pizza, they’re are so many toppings to choose from. Thanks for popping by Dixya.
It’s been a long time since I’ve said “I want to try to make pitta bread at home”. I think the time has come! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I’m so pleased my post has made you want to make pittas again. A pleasure to share the recipe and thanks for popping by.
These pita bread looks absolutely gorgeous. I must give them a try.
Thanks Aish, hope you do get to try the recipe.
I love, love Pita Bread and you make it look easy to make so I’ll try it. Thanks for sharing Sarah!
They really are easy to make Fred and I would love to know how you get on. Thanks for popping by.
I love pitas!! I’ve tried them once… didn’t end up so good but I’ll give your recipe a try! Yum!
I do hope you have success with your pittas this time, hopefully my tips should help you on your way. Look forward to hearing how you get on.
Ok..so we totally LOVE pita bread. I have never attempted to make it at home. After reading this recipe…this might have to be a fun weekend project soon. I just know it would taste so much better than bought…and fresher too!! Nothing beats homemade!!
If you love pitta bread you’ll love homemade pittas even more and you won’t want to go back to shop bought. Do let me know how you get on, thanks for popping by Gloria.
These pitta breads look amazing. Considering how much bread I bake I have never made pitta breads before. Shame on me. Beautifully written, clear instructions I shall be making these, using your recipe, as soon as possible. Thank you for a great post. Sammie x
I’m making these today Sarah, I’ll let you know how I get on. They do look perfect, can’t wait.
Thanks Lindsey, looking forward to hearing how you get on. You can’t beat home made pittas.
Sarah, I don’t think we will ever buy a pitta again. They were fabulous, perfect actually. Thank you.
You’re most welcome Lindsey. Your photos on Twitter were fab, so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
You make these sound so easy! I must try these, thanks!
I made pitta breads for the first time on a cookery course earlier this year, I was amazed at how easy they were and loved watching them puff up in the oven! I like your ‘top tips’ and the chicken kebab recipe looks great too. Thanks for entering Alphabakes!
Thanks Caroline, I just had to enter Pittas for letter ‘P’ for this month’s Alphabakes. They are very easy to make & the first time I made them I was waiting GBBO style for them to puff up, so satisfying!
Am definitely going to try these. Would you reccomend freezing before or after cooking?
Pleased you’re going to try them Sarah, once you’ve tried them you won’t want to go back to shop bought. I prefer to freeze them after cooking.
Thank you! I tried them tonight with the chicken kebabs and they were lovely. Very satisfying to be making my own pitta….and you’re right, I will not be buying them ever again.
Ps there were none left to freeze!
That’s good news, you can freeze some next time you make pitta breads.
That’s great Sarah, I’m so pleased you tried both recipes & enjoyed them.
Once you’ve got the pitta bug, there’s no going back to shop bought 🙂
They look really good and sound fairly simple to make. I will have to try making them at home next time. Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.
You’re welcome, it’s a pleasure to share. They are easy to make and thoroughly recommend trying them.
Ooh this is next on the list to try. Some ones from the shop tast so cardboardie!
They are so easy to make you’ll be surprised and you won’t want cardboardie pittas again 🙂
Lovely! Bet they taste miles nicer than those dry supermarket ones!
Thanks Stuart, they do taste so much better than the supermarket ones, they’re lovely and soft. Once you’ve made your own pitta breads, it’s hard to go back to buying them.