Puffy Pita Bread | Sift & Simmer (2024)

This recipe for Puffy Pita Bread yields a fluffy yeast-leavened flatbread with a hollowed pocket in the middle, ideal for filling with your favorite ingredients.

What is a pita?

Commonly found throughout the Levant and Mediterranean, pita (also known as Arabic bread, khubz) is a yeast-leavened flatbread, typically made with whole wheat flour, yeast, water and salt.

There are many variations, including thicker Greek-style pitas (with no pocket), Indian-style naan and Iraqi laffa.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for pita bread is:

Easy to make: like making flatbread such as naan, it uses a hot oven to create a puffy dough and is simple and straightforward to do.

Contains simple ingredients: only contains 6 ingredients with no artificial preservatives or additives.

Versatile: use it for sandwiches, pita crackers, mini pizzas, or turn it into manakish.

Special equipment you'll need

• baking steel or pizza stone: if you don't have a baking steel, you can use a large cast iron pan; the pitas require a very hot surface to bake on to create its puff
• parchment paper: cut into large squares
• pizza peel: for transferring the dough onto the baking steel

Ingredients you'll need

• warm water: lukewarm, for activating the yeast
• active dry yeast: or a little less instant yeast; acts as the leavener for puffing up the pitas
• all-purpose flour: or bread flour for a chewier texture
• whole wheat flour: adds a nuttier flavor to the pitas; or sub with the same amount of all-purpose flour; don't be tempted to add too much whole wheat flour as it will absorb more water than regular all-purpose flour
• sea salt: for flavor
• olive oil: or vegetable oil

How to make pita bread

Make the dough

In a bowl, combine warm water with active dry yeast. Give it a stir and let the yeast bubble and activate. Set aside.

In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, add in all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sea salt and olive oil.

Once the yeast has activated, pour it into the flour mixture and knead until the dough becomes smooth and shiny, about 8-10 minutes.

If the dough is too moist, add 1 tablespoon of flour and continue kneading. It should be tacky, but not overly sticky. Refrain from adding too much flour.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.

Leave it to rest in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours.

Shape and bake the dough

Preheat a baking steel on the very bottom rack of the oven to 500F.

Prepare 6 parchment paper squares, about 6-7" in diameter. Set aside.

Once the dough has risen, divide it into 6 equal portions, about 85g each.

Use a rolling pin to flatten and roll out the dough to a round about 6" in diameter, about ⅛" thickness.

Place the dough onto the parchment square.

Repeat with the remainder.

Use a pizza peel to place 2-3 dough rounds onto the baking steel.

Bake at 500F for 2 minutes, until puffed up.

Use a pair of tongs to carefully flip over the pitas, and bake for 1 more minute.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Repeat with the remaining pitas.

Cool completely before cutting open.

How to store

Store the cooled homemade pitas in an airtight container or food storage bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Place into the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freeze the pitas in a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month.

How to reheat

Place a pita on a plate and cover with a lightly damp paper towel or kitchen linen.

Microwave for 30-60 seconds, until warmed through.

Ways to use pita bread

Use the pita bread as a vessel for sandwiches, filling it with anything from donair meat, falafel, tuna, ham, rotisserie chicken, roast beef, or vegetables.

Cut the pita, season and bake the pieces to make crispy pita chips and serve with hummus.

Take the pita chips and turn it into pita salad (fattoush).

Turn the pita bread into Lebanese manakish, or add your favorite toppings to make it into mini pizzas.

Other additions

Add in some whole wheat flour and dried fruit to make them into cranberry orange breakfast rounds.

Expert tips & notes

Hot oven creates steam! In order to create the pillowy puff in the pita bread, you need a very hot oven.

If you have baking steel or cast iron pan, use that as it will conduct and retain the heat.

Crank up your oven to the highest temperature -- 500F or 550F.

The dough will be slightly on the wet/tacky side -- this is so that when the dough hits the hot oven, steam is generated and with nowhere else to go, it creates that hollow puff.

Be careful not to tear the dough while rolling it out. Any weak point in the dough will prevent the trapped steam/air from creating the pocket.

When the pita puffs up in the oven, it's normal for it to burst and deflate.

It's also normal that not every single pita will puff up completely. This can vary because of temperature, as well as how the dough was rolled/handled.

That being said, when baking consecutive batches, wait for the temperature to reach 500/550F before adding the next round of dough.

Remember to quickly close the oven door to trap in that heat.

Other bread recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Cranberry Orange Breakfast Rounds

English Muffins

Homemade Tortillas

Cheese Breadsticks (Grocery Store Bakery Copycat)

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!