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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
Made these today and they turned out great! My boyfriend who is Arab and grew up with pita was stoked too 🙂 so that means a lot 😉
Awesome! So happy to hear you both enjoyed this! Thank you Andrea!
Very excited to make them and very happy to come across your pita recipe.
Just one question : Could I use a bread maker to make the dough?
Thanks
Hi Altynya! Yes, i think that should be fine. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
Just made these and omg they are soooo good!
I will never buy them again so easy to make and so much better then store brought.
Mine came out looking just like the picture.
Thanks for this recipe it’s now my go to for fry bread and petas.
Sounds so awesome!! I’m really happy they came out well and you liked them!
How can I make these low carb? Can I use a different flour? A Greek here who can’t eat her pitas 🙁
Hey Mary! I am sorry, but I have never tried these with another flour so I really do not have an answer for you. If you are comfortable giving this a try with a flour you use I say go for it! Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks!
Hi, I’m making these tomorrow, do you know how much flour is needed in grams and water in ml?
Hi Kelly, I am really sorry but I do not know those measurements. I believe you can calculate them online though. Let me know if I can help in any other way. Hope you love the bread. Thanks!
Oh no! My dough didnt rise. I don’t know what I did wrong.
HI Zia! it is hard to say without knowing how you made the recipe. Did you follow it exactly? Was your yeast possibly old?
The texture was very good and I looooove a good pita.
However the pita is really salty. I follow the recipe exactly, and the dought was shrinking a lot.
What did I do wrong?
Thank you.
Hey Eleni! I am not sure why the dough was salty. Is it possible you added too much salt by mistake? If the dough kept shrinking on you, try rolling it back into a ball, covering it with a damp towel and letting the dough rest for 10 minutes. This should help with the shrinking. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks! ?
My family loves these pitas! I have a question that I can’t seem to find an answer to in this feed. If you were to make them ahead of time either by 5 hours or overnight how would you do this? Would you make them completely and then reheat them somehow or would you make the dough and refrigerate the dough then make them fresh? Planning on having friends for dinner and want them to be the best but don’t want to be making the dough with them here. Thanks in advance!
Hey Carrie! You can make the dough and keep it on the counter for a few hours (or in the fridge overnight, but remove it 2 hours before cooking) OR just reheat them. If I where you, I would just reheat them, since I think they are still delish this way. let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
Kind of confused here. Your recipe says to bake but I don’t see any temperature for the oven. Or were you meaning that you should fry them?
Sorry!! I meant to fry them! Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions!
OMG I made these yesterday and my family devoured them. They are so tasty. I’m never buying pitas again. My family thinks I’m some crafty lady! I actually cut them smaller to make baby pitas, next timemI’m going to make them thinner. They were thicker than in your pictures but amazingly delish. Thank you for this recipe that will stay with me forever!
YAY!!! Thats awesome! I’m so happy you all liked it!!
Thanks Lisa!
I made these two nights in a row, first night I followed the recipe to a T, they came out really good. Second night I added a bit of sugar (didn’t measure but maybe 1-2 tsp), they came out fantastic! The sugar gave something for the yeast to eat so I got a better rise, texture, and flavor. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be printing it off and using it whenever I need pita.
Thanks for the tip on the sugar! So happy you love the recipe!
I made these pita breads this afternoon for dinner tonight. Could not believe how easy they were! made some, left some to make fresh with Greek Grilled Chicken with a Green Goddess Dressing and greek salad – these SOOO fit the bill to mop up all those delectable juices! Next experiment will be with gluten free flour….
Love your recipes!
THANK YOU!
I made this tonight and both my husband and I loved it!! YUM! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes 🙂
Makes fantastic Pitas
and some helpful tips
thankyou
Making these tonight along with the chicken recipie and the tzazicki sauce! I don’t oen a cast iron skillet anymore I moved out of state and could only bring clothes with me. Starting over at 54! It’s actually easier than you think. Really liberating. Although I miss my old kitchen supplies. I’m gradually replacing am item at a time. It’s surprising what you can live without! I hope a regular skillet will work.