Fluffy Homemade Pita Bread (3 Easy Cooking Methods) Recipe
Learn to make fluffy homemade pita bread with three easy cooking methods: traditional oven baking, stovetop skillet, and high-heat pizza oven. This recipe uses simple ingredients to achieve perfectly puffed, soft pita pockets ideal for sandwiches or dipping.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 pita breads 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 g) Bread flour
- ¾ tablespoon (7 g) Instant dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) Water, room temperature
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Sift the bread flour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the instant dry yeast, sugar, and salt, mixing to combine. Pour in the olive oil and room temperature water, then stir until a rough dough forms.
- Knead the Dough: Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough until it reaches the same texture.
- First Rise: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape the Dough: Punch down the risen dough to release trapped air. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, about 100 g each, and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Cover them and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. After resting, roll each ball on a floured surface into a ½ cm (¼ inch) thick circle.
- Choose Baking Method: Oven Method: Preheat the oven to 485°F (250°C) or the highest setting available, placing a baking tray upside down inside to simulate a baking stone. Once hot, remove the tray and place 3 to 4 pita circles on it. Bake each side—3 minutes on one side, then 1 minute flipped—until puffed and lightly golden. Immediately cover the pitas with a towel to keep them soft.
Skillet/Stovetop Method: Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Cook one pita at a time for 1 to 2 minutes per side until puffed with golden spots. Cover with a towel as soon as it’s done.
Pizza Oven Method: Preheat your pizza oven to 600–700°F (315–370°C). Bake rolled pitas directly on the oven surface for 30 to 60 seconds until puffed and golden. Flip and cook a few more seconds. Cover immediately with a towel.
Notes
- Covering the pita bread immediately after cooking with a towel traps steam to keep the bread soft and pliable.
- Using a baking tray upside down simulates the effect of a baking stone, creating the high heat needed for pita to puff.
- The pizza oven method is the quickest and produces the most authentic texture through very high heat.
- Room temperature water helps activate the yeast without killing it.
- If you don’t have bread flour, all-purpose flour can be substituted but the texture might be slightly less chewy.
Keywords: homemade pita bread, homemade bread, pita recipe, easy pita bread, Middle Eastern bread, fluffy pita, bread baking, skillet pita
