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Warm, fresh pita is one of those simple joys—soft, a little chewy, and perfect for scooping up all the sauces. This is my cozy, dependable way to make Greek-style pitas at home.
We’ll use a straightforward dough, a hot pan, and a few easy cues so your pitas puff beautifully—no special gear required. Great for weeknights, meal prep, and any “let’s make gyros” cravings.
These are just that good.
Like it is crazy, just insanely good. You could not get them better unless you flew to Greece.
I can promise you guys, that after you make this easy homemade traditional Greek pita bread you will never want to buy the store-bought version again. Sure, you may have to for convenience and time purposes, but you will probably be wishing you were eating these.
Nah, not probably. You will. Guaranteed.
They’re so soft, so chewy and the flavor is just so good. There really are no words to describe just how good these are.
If you can make pizza dough, you can make these. And even if you have never made pizza dough, you can still make these. They are so simple and the dough is really easy to work with. These pitas are going to transform your lunches and even your dinners! Greek pizza? Yes!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
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Dough: After the first rise, refrigerate dough (lightly oiled, covered). Use within 1–2 days; let it warm up just until pliable before rolling.
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Cooked Pitas: Cool completely, then store airtight at room temp for a day or two; refrigerating can toughen—reheat with a quick steam or warm skillet.
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Freeze: Freeze stacked with parchment between pitas. Reheat straight from frozen in a hot skillet or wrapped in foil in a warm oven until soft and steamy.
FAQ:
Why didn’t my pitas puff?
Usually the pan wasn’t hot enough, the dough was rolled too thick, or the discs dried out. Heat the skillet well, roll evenly, and keep dough covered as you work.
Can I make these without a cast-iron skillet?
Yes—use any heavy-bottomed skillet or a griddle. Just preheat thoroughly; the right surface heat is more important than the pan material.
Can I prep the dough ahead?
Make the dough, let it rise, then refrigerate up to 1–2 days. Bring to a workable, slightly cool room temp so it rolls without springing back.
What’s the best way to reheat pita?
A hot, dry skillet or a quick foil wrap in a warm oven restores softness; a short steam also works. Avoid microwaving too long or they’ll toughen as they cool.
Traditional Greek Pita Bread.
Servings: 8 pita rounds
Calories Per Serving: 193 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot water but not boiling
- 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer (a large bowl will also work if you do not have a mixer), and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil. If using a stand mixer attach the dough and need the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes, adding more flour until you have a smooth dough. If using your hands sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, but try to be sparing. It's better to use too little flour than too much. If you get tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minutes before finishing kneading.
- Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and run it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it until it's coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it's doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- At this point, you can refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week.
- Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn't sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if it starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get the hang of it you can be cooking one pita while rolling the next one out.)
- Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (you want a hot pan). Drizzle a little oil in the pan and wipe off the excess.Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita should start to puff up during this time; if it doesn't or if only small pockets form, try pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel. Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.
- These are best eaten fresh, but will keep in a ziplock bag for a few days or in the freezer.
It is Sunday. The perfect day to make some fresh homemade Greek pitas!
Shared with: Inside BruCru Life, Lil Luna, Chef In Training, Buns In my Oven, Foodie Friday Friends, Tidy Mom, Taste and Tell, Cheerios and Lattes, Somewhat Simple, Mom on Timeout, I Heart Nap Time, Fine Craft Guide, The Country Cook, Whipperberry, Chef In Training
This post was originally published on February 17, 2013
I just made these and they are absolutely delicious! Except, mine didn’t puff up at all, they stayed flat. What happened?
Did they have any little pockets? These are traditional greek pitas, which mean they will not get that big pocket in the center. They should however have little air pocket throughout.
Still glad you like them though!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. Oh, I can’t think of a time when we enjoyed something so simple so much! Awesome recipe and will use again and again!
YAY!! So happy you enjoyed it!
I made this twice, once using my mixer with the dough attachment and another without, and they came out too crispy – did not fluffed up at all. I retraced my steps and all seemed ok – yeast activated properly, the dough rise to double in size, etc….Not sure what I did wrong…I live in Louisiana, so it is fairly humid, do you think that is the culprit, or am I just really terrible at it? 🙁
Hmmm… I honestly can not say. It sounds like you are doing everything right. I do live in a VERY dry climate, so maybe the humidity does have an effect. I guess I would try rolling the dough thicker. This will help them puff and hopefully keep them from getting crisp! Also, make sure you pan is not to hot. You want it hot, but not smoking. Hope that works and let me know!
I don’t usually comment on a recipe, but I have to for this one. Great recipe! I have made flatbread and naan many times. This recipe wins hands down as written. I doubled the batch, refrigerated after the rise, and cooked on my griddle. Made 13, they looked just like the picture and tasted delicious!
YES! Thank you for try these! I am so glad you loved them. That makes me smile!
I tried making these. I rolled them out to 1/4″ thick and they puffed up fine but when I cut them open they were still partly raw. I think medium high heat may be a little too hot for cooking these, didn’t really like the smokey kitchen either. I will try again, but next time will cook on an electric griddle at a lower heat – like english muffins.
Oh man, sorry to hear that they were not cooked! What a bummer. Mine cooked great at medium-high but maybe mine pan was not has hot as yours. Hope the next try works better!
These look so yummy. I’ve been wanting to make my own pitas for a while and just haven’t gotten around to it. They also look super easy, and I love that I can leave the dough in the fridge and make them as needed. I’m always in need of easy lunch ideas, and what could be better than stuffing a nice warm pita with some sort of sandwichy goodness? Can’t wait to try them!
NOTHING beat these pitas they are so good! Hope you enjoy them!
I am so glad you pinned this! I love Pita Bread! I can’t wait to try it! I love your blog, I am super new to the blog world and would love for you to come check out cook and craft me crazy. thanks again, I can’t wait to taste this! xoxo Brook
Thank you! Pita bread is the best!
Tried but not true. No pocket!
Traditional pita bread has no pocket, sorry they did not turn out for you!
I saw your recipe for these pieces on Pinterest. I made them last night for me and my boyfriend, and can I say you are exactly right about how wonderful these are! I have always hated store-bought pita because they have a tendency to taste stale and tough, but these were so delicious! I didn’t even know that this is what pita bread was supposed to taste like. My boyfriend, whose father was Mediterranean, vouched for the authenticity of the taste of these. We will be having these on a regular basis, and I so appreciate you posting this recipe online. This is a life-changing recipe!
I am SO glad you loved these! This comment made my night!
You say hot water? I am going to give these a try. Thanks.
Would this work to use the bread machine to mix the dough?
I can not say for sure, but I would think so. It’s worth a try! Let me know how it goes.
Hi –
I’ve made these twice now but both times the pita came out really dense instead of fluffy. I’m not sure if this was because the dough didn’t rise right? I used a KitchenAid mixer to mix the ingredients together for eight minutes, than left it to rise for several hours. It never doubled in size. Any thoughts as to what I’m doing wrong?
Thanks!
The problem is definitely that your dough is not rising. Is your yeast fresh? Or did you let the yeast dissolve in warm water to proof? It should have foamed at the top? If it did not then your yeast is probably bad. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions and do not give up. This recipe is worth it, promise!
If I used bread flour instead of all purpose, how would that effect the texture of the pita bread??
Bread flour works great! I have actually used both and not noticed to much of a difference! Enjoy!
Mine came out good, but didn’t look a pillow soft as yours in the picture, I guess that comes with practice!
Just try again, you’ll get there!
Oooooh! I’ve been really wanting to try pita or naan in a skillet. Thanks for sharing with us!
I am telling you try it! So amazing!
These sound great! I’m going to thy them this weekend – but with Gluten Free flour.
I found you today through the Pinterest Power Party. I’ve pinned this to my Pinterest Boards (http://pinterest.com/vmg206/). I’m #75 at Callies Crafts and I’d love for you to stop by my blog and leave a comment and/or pin, too!
~ Megin of VMG206