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GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE – easy and tasty!

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Greek Pita bread is an ingredient always present in my fridge or my freezer. This recipe is very simple to prepare and easy to store and reheat. I love to pair Pita with my preferred appetizers and salads, or filling it with roasted meats, or simply seasoning with olive oil, oregano and sea salt! Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, every time is Pita time!

GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE - easy&tasty!

 


 

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  • 5.75 cups (800 g) bread flour
  • 2cups+2tbsp (500 ml) water
  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 0.25 oz (7 g) dry yeast
  • 1.5 tbsp sugar
  • 1.5 tbsp table salt

gyros-pita

PITA BREAD IN GREECE

Greek Pita bread is one of the most ancient known bread. The recipe derives from the middle eastern Pitas. Originally, Greek Pita was prepared with barley flour, and later with other cereals.

In Greece, like in many Mediterranean countries, Pita bread is an unique element on the table, served along with appetizers like Melitzanosalata, Greek Salad, and Tzatziki, or filled with Souvlaki and Gyros.

GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE - easy and tasty!

GREEK PITA DOUGH

First of all, pour the lukewarm water into a bowl, then add and dissolve the dry yeast along with the sugar. Now, add half of the flour amount into the bowl, stirring, then add the salt and the extra-virgin olive oil. Continue to add flour stirring until the mixture becomes dense enough to be worked on a wooden board.

Knead the dough adding more flour if necessary, at least 10 minutes more until the Pita mixture becomes smooth and elastic. Finally, let the dough rest on the board, covered with a dampened kitchen towel a couple of hours, until double its size.

Now, divide the Pita dough into 16 to 24 portions, depending on the size of Pita you desire, and shape them into balls. Then, cover again the balls with the kitchen towel until they double their size (about 1 hour)

GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE - easy and tasty!

COOKING PITA

A cast iron skillet is the best choice to cook Greek Pita. Place the skillet over medium heat and grease the bottom with a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil. After that, pour a little amount of flour on a board and shape the first dough ball into a circle 1/4 thick, letting the other balls covered.

Once flatten, you want to cook Pita as soon as possible.

Now, place the Pita on the hot skillet and cook about 1 minute per side. If this is the first time you prepare Pita, probably you need a couple of Pitas before guessing the right heat intensity and cook timing.

Repeat the process with the other pieces of dough, and pile the cooked Pitas to maintain their moist.

GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE - easy and tasty!

STORING GREEK PITA

If not served immediately, close the Pitas in a plastic bag and store in the fridge up to a couple of days. Alternatively, freeze up to 3 months. Once you need pita, just reheat in the oven a few minutes.

Did you like this recipe? please click here, leave a comment and vote 5 stars!
This simple action help the growth of this blog and make very happy 🙂

GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE - easy and tasty!

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS:

MELITZANOSALATA – traditional Greek eggplant salad recipe

MELITZANOSALATA - traditional Greek eggplant salad recipe

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Yield: 16

GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE - easy and tasty!

GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE - easy and tasty!

Greek Pita bread is an ingredient always present in my fridge or my freezer. This recipe is very simple to prepare and easy to store and reheat.

I love to pair Pita with my preferred appetizers and salads, or filling it with roasted meats, or simply seasoning with olive oil, oregano and sea salt!

Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, every time is Pita time!

Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5.75 cups (800 g) bread flour
  • 2cups+2tbsp (500 ml) water
  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 0.25 oz (7 g) dry yeast
  • 1.5 tbsp sugar
  • 1.5 tbsp table salt

Instructions

GREEK PITA DOUGH

  1. First of all, pour the lukewarm water into a bowl, then add and dissolve the dry yeast along with the sugar.
  2. Now, add half of the flour amount into the bowl, stirring, then add the salt and the extra-virgin olive oil.
  3. Continue to add flour stirring until the mixture becomes dense enough to be worked on a wooden board.
  4. Knead the dough adding more flour if necessary, at least 10 minutes more until the Pita mixture becomes smooth and elastic. Finally, let the dough rest on the board, covered with a dampened kitchen towel a couple of hours, until double its size.
  5. Now, divide the Pita dough into 16 to 24 portions, depending on the size of Pita you desire, and shape them into balls. Then, cover again the balls with the kitchen towel until they double their size (about 1 hour)

COOKING PITA

  1. A cast iron skillet is the best choice to cook Greek Pita. Place the skillet over medium heat and grease the bottom with a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil.
  2. After that, pour a little amount of flour on a board and shape the first dough ball into a circle 1/4 thick, letting the other balls covered. Once flatten, you want to cook Pita as soon as possible.
  3. Now, place the Pita on the hot skillet and cook about 1 minute per side.
    If this is the first time you prepare Pita, probably you need a couple of Pitas before guessing the right heat intensity and cook timing.
  4. Repeat the process with the other pieces of dough, and pile the cooked Pitas to maintain their moist.

STORING GREEK PITA

  1. If not served immediately, close the Pitas in a plastic bag and store in the fridge up to a couple of days.
  2. Alternatively, freeze up to 3 months. Once you need pita, just reheat in the oven a few minutes.

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 198Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 655mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 5g

The writers and publishers of this blog are not nutritionists or registered dietitians. All information presented and written within our blog are intended for informational purposes only. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. The writers and publishers of this blog are not responsible for adverse reactions, effects, or consequences resulting from the use of any recipes or suggestions herein or hereafter. Under no circumstances will this blog or its owners be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on nutritional information given by this site. By using this blog and its content, you agree to these terms.

© Filippo Trapella - philosokitchen.com
Cuisine: Greek / Category: bread

 

GREEK PITA BREAD RECIPE - easy and tasty!

Comments

  3. This recipe was read very user friendly. I cannot wait to make this. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  4. Thank you for your recipes. As a second generation Greek Cypriot, born in Australia it wasn’t easy to learn to make Breads and Deserts. At 76yrs old I am still learning thanks to sites like yours. God Bless

    Reply

  5. This is so delicious!!! My kids love it!!! I didn’t have bread flour; so, I used unbleached wheat flour. It came out good. The recipe is very easy to follow! Thank you!

    Reply

  6. Love the simplicity of the recipe! Just finished making them to go with a Greek chicken dinner. Next time I will spray the parchment with pan spray so that the balls won’t stick to the parchment . Damp cloth over the dough to rise worked great!

    Reply

  9. Going to make these today with greek meatballs. Can’t wait to see how they turn out. Will let you know tomorrow how everyone likes. Taking to a cookout.

    Reply

  10. Great recipe! Thanks. I will definitely make now..
    We tried these with oil, salt and oregano at a Greek restaurant yesterday… and the kids loved them.
    So I must try!

    Reply

    • Hi Laura,

      It’s hard to say, because the right temperature is depending on your stove and skillet. I suggest you to start with medium heat, then modify the intensity if necessary. If it is your first time, you want to prepare more dough for the first attempts.

      Happy cooking 🙂
      F.

      Reply

  13. Thank you for this recipe! It makes amazingly delicious pita bread. The flour and water measurements are perfect; I didn’t have to make adjustments like I sometimes have to do with some bread recipes. I used organic unbleached all purpose flour since I don’t have bread flour. It was my first time making pita bread and it was so easy!

    Reply

  15. Amazing recipe! Very easy to follow and detailed enough for someone who’s never made pita before to follow along without messing it up!

    Reply

  16. Great recipe. The dough was silky and a bit sticky, which was perfect. The first two I rolled out were a bit thick. It helps to let the dough rest a few minutes and reshape. I rolled mine very thin, made 18 flatbreads and the size and thickness were perfect. Thank you!

    Reply

  17. Great breads, easy to make and very tasteful too.
    I’m thinking of making the next batch with a few chopped olives or semi-dries tomatoes. It may not be very greek, but I’m sure it will be good.
    I also tried sprinkling on a few nigella seeds on the breads when baking – probably not very greek either, but very aromatic.

    Reply

  21. This was my first attempt at Pita bread, have only had store bought before. Wow I will not be going back to those. The texture was great. My hubby loved them. I added some garlic powder to the recipe and resulted in a tasty garlic flavour. They cooked easily. I am a seasoned baker but even a novice would have no problem. The only negative, I cannot stop eating them

    Reply

  22. They turned out soooo good! Very tasty, soft, … highly recommend. I will do again in the near future. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  23. My sister cannot process white flour because of a stomach surgery she had to get a few years ago, so I made the recipe with whole wheat flour and a gluten additive. Came out awesome! We ran out of pita before running out of the gyro meat because everyone kept snacking on the bread!

    Reply

    • Nice!

      I’m very happy you made my recipe with a flour type variation: your comment will be useful for people with the same needs of your sister. Thank you Shawn!

      Happy cooking 🙂

      F.

      Reply

  24. O my god, I followed the recipe to the letter. AMAZING doesn’t come close. Even my daughter who barely stays from supermarket bread (only)! Ate two with grilled halloumi and tzatziki! Epic recipe time consuming but well worth it! Thankyou!!

    Reply

  27. Hi Dear,
    Thank you for this amazing bread,, I did the recipe many times.
    But if I need to get a strong , thick and dense bread after half baking to keep it in fridge.
    I got a soft and little bit thin.
    Thanks

    Reply

  29. Hi, I was wondering
    Could i use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour
    Thanks for the recipes I will make it tomorrow

    Reply

  30. Very easy to make and turn out delicious. I used a herb infused olive oil which turned out well.

    Reply

  32. I made these yesterday. The directions were clear and they turned out great. I am addicted!! Made some tzaziki and kofta to put inside, but they were outstanding on their own. Thank you for posting.

    Reply

  35. Amazing recipe!! Made to have with chicken gyros, but after I couldn’t stop eating them just with tzatziki!! I’ve always been interested in Greek cuisine ever since I went to Paphos, Cyprus on holiday and I will definitely be looking on your blog for more recipes!
    Thank you so much

    Reply

  38. Wow. I will never buy pita again. My first time, and it came out soft, flavorful, as good as I could imagine. Thank you! Excellent recipe.

    I’m just wondering for next time if I could refrigerate the dough at any time of I need to slow down the process?

    Reply

  40. Filippo, my hungry sons asked me if I could try some Gyros (prk and halloumi) for them this lunchtime. I used your recipe for the pitas and got lots of praise – all down to you! Very impressed. Thank you. Ben

    Reply

  41. I have made these a 3 times over the past two months (COVID-baking) and they get better and better. With the flour shortages I could only find AP flour and they turned out great. Not sure if they would be better with bread flour – when I can get my hands on some I can experiment. However, I have also read that our AP flour in Canada has more protein so it is a bit closer to bread flour. Not sure it that is true but nevertheless they are yummy.

    I have not been able to yield 16-24 pitas. I have yielded 10-12 balls. We like them big for a souvlaki pita sandwich. 10 balls rolled out to about 8″ discs at 1/4″ thickness. I have also divided into 12 balls and rolled out to 8″ discs but thinner.
    Today I ended up rolling out all my balls after the 2nd rise. I covered each disc with plastic wrap so that I could focus on the cooking of the pitas – they turned out even more soft, fluffy and yummy. I do not have a cast iron skillet but used a heavy duty non-stick frypan that looks like cast iron – it worked well.

    So thanks so much for this recipe – will never go back to store bought pitas again!

    Reply

  42. 5 Stars for Sure!! This was an immediate family favorite that is requested weekly!!!
    Tried it on a whim after sick of trying to find a comparable to Yanni’s in Columbia, OH!!!
    I sooo miss his food and warm, fresh pita bread!
    SOOOO EASY!!!!! Let a dough hook on the mixer do the work for you!!

    Reply

  43. Tried this out for lunch today; I found that the easiest way of cooking was to oil up the kitchen table, roll the dough ball around in it, and then flatten it with extreme prejudice until very thin, and then fry it in the unoiled pan. Worked a treat! Was left with 16 largish pitas!! And 1 minute per side worked perfectly for me, over medium heat. I also accidentally misread the recipe and put 2.5 tablespoons of sugar in, instead of 1.5, and it still tastes perfectly fine 🙂

    Also with regards to dividing up the original dough ball, I weighed mine, and found it was nearly 1.5 kg, so I divided it up into 16 balls, each weighing 93/94 grams.

    Reply

  44. This recipe is amazing!! I have only tried making pita bread one other time and I was put off by the recipe and how they turned out. I tried this recipe and it was so simple and the bread came out so soft and tasty! Thank you so much for the recipe! My family and I are so happy

    Reply

  45. 5 starsI am Greek, but I made them yesterday, For the first time,not perfect shape, but delicious, my husband loved them, made souvlaki with my homemade tzatziki, thank you very much , Lily

    Reply

  48. These were great! We all loved them. I made 24 and so I will be freezing some for a future dinner. I put a little flour on a sheet pan while the dough balls were resting. They still stuck a little but no big deal. Next time I will use the parchment. I made tzatziki, souvlaki, Greek potatoes and grilled veggies. The pita put the whole meal over the top. Thank you for the recipe. I will make it often.

    Reply

  49. This pita was easy and delicious! I planned to make gyros for dinner, and I typically get the pita from our local Greek market. But it has closed since I last made gyros! I’m generally intimidated by making bread from scratch, but this recipe was simple and my family and I loved it! I chose to divide the dough into 16, not 24, and still found them on the small side for gyros. But by rolling them out fairly thin, I was able to get a good result. I will definitely make these again!

    Reply

  51. Very, very good indeed, thank you for sharing your recipe. I have been making pita with different recipes for years, trying to get the breads just right, and this one really hits the mark. Made this for my family the other day and everyone was gushing about how simple, yet amazing, these pita were. I doubled the recipe because a little extra pita never hurt anyone, thinking I’d have leftover pita for a couple of days. I couldn’t have been more wrong however, because it was all gone within two days.

    I’m seriously debating whether I should just make pita once a week with this recipe.

    Reply

  52. This is a delicious and rather easy recipe. I end up with 24 pitas that fit perfectly in my cast iron skillet. We have made them for both gyros and spiedies, and the grandkids love them. I have tried various pita recipes, but this one is the best.

    Reply

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