Pitta Bread

My Favourite Breads

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_3248What is the correct spelling for Pitta bread? is it Pita or Pitta? I spent some browsing and reading and finally decided to use the spelling I liked most. Either can be used. Pitta bread is great for quick snacks and meals. You can fill them with savoury fillings like: bacon, egg and lettuce or sweet fillings like peanut butter, chopped apples and sultanas. I prefer cutting them into two D shapes which means I can have both savoury and sweet fillings at the same time.

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_3247Pita bread can also be cut into small triangles and baked into crispy pitta chips. The triangles should be placed in a single layer, brushed lightly with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, and baked at 400°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes. Be sure to turn them once. You can also make sweet chips by sprinkling with cinnamon and granulated sugar. The chips can be eaten warm or cold or in combinations with dips like hummus or roasted eggplant. The possibilities for filling the breads are endless. I leave it to your imagination. I wish you a very happy weekend!

  • Ingredients 
  • 375g (3 cups, 13oz) all-purpose flour (bread flour recommended outside Canada)
  • 5ml (1 teaspoon) salt
  • 1¼ teaspoons Fleischmann’s instant yeast
  • 300ml warm water (1¼ cups) warm water
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4993Please always remember to assemble all ingredients before you start

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4423Sift the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and make a well in the centre.

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4994Add the water and olive oil into the well and mix with a metal spoon to a soft but not sticky dough.

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4424Turn onto a lightly floured surface

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4426and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. (if the dough feels sticky, add a little more flour)

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4430Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cling film, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4434Knock back the dough and divide into seven equal pieces and shape into balls. Lightly dust with flour, cover with a tea towel and let rest for 5 minutes.

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4435Roll out each dough into an oval about 5 inches long and ¼ inch thick (6mm thick). Place on a lightly floured surface, cover with a kitchen towel or transparent polythene and leave to rise at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Please make sure the dough is at least 6mm thick.

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_4428Place pitta breads on each baking sheet and bake 4-6 minutes, or until puffed up, they don’t need to brown. Pizza stone takes 3-5 minutes. The oven needs to be very hot for the pitta breads to puff up. I used four square pizza stones so made 4 breads each time. Transfer the pittas to a cooling rack and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them soft.

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_2969These ones were made from all-purpose flour. They were lighter but did not tear easily

Pitta Bread myfavouritepastime.com_3249These were made using Durum Atta Flour. They were nice and heavy but tended to tear easily

Pitta Bread

Preparation time: 40 minutes + 1½ hours resting time; Baking time: 4-6 minutes on a baking sheet; Makes: 7 5-inch round pittas

Ingredients

  • 375g (3 cups, 13oz) all-purpose flour (bread flour recommended outside Canada)
  • 5ml (1 teaspoon) salt
  • 1¼ teaspoons Fleischmann’s instant yeast
  • 300ml warm water (1¼ cups) warm water
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Sift flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
  2. Add water and olive oil into the well and mix with a metal spoon to, a soft but not sticky dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cling film, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  3. Knock back the dough and divide into seven equal pieces and shape into balls. Lightly dust with flour, cover with a tea towel and let rest for 5 minutes.
  4. Roll out each dough into an oval about 5 inches long and ¼ inch thick (6mm thick). Place on a lightly floured surface, cover with a kitchen towel or transparent polythene and leave to rise at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Please make sure the dough is at least 6mm thick.
  5. Meanwhile place 2 baking sheets in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). (If using a pizza stone place it in the oven and preheat it oven to 500°F (240°C).)
  6. Place pitta breads on each baking sheet and bake 4-6 minutes, or until puffed up, they don’t need to brown. Pizza stone takes 3-5 minutes. The oven needs to be very hot for the pitta breads to puff up.
  7. Transfer the pittas to a cooling rack and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them soft.

Points to Note:

  1. Make sure the rounds of dough have an even thickness of at least 6mm.
  2. I tried to make the bread using Durum Atta Flour but the texture of the dough was not strong so they tended to tear easily.
  3. The best flour is all-purpose (in Canada) or bread flour. I used all-purpose. (dough is 700g)
  4. Last Updated: May 17, 2018

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Author: Liz

I love everything food: eating, cooking, baking and travelling. I also love photography and nature.

73 thoughts

  1. Liz have you ever tried to make these with wheat flour or a combo… I am hoping to try them but I am on a restricted diet these days and need to use less white flour??? any thoughts???

    Reply

    1. Yes you can make them with whole wheat flour or a combo of wheat and white. It will work. Only the taste is different of course. I never use whole wheat. Ha ha! I’m addicted to white flour….Have a pleasant day!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Janey
      I see it does have a good chance. My “try list” is almost 1Km long….I’ll get there sometime, someday. Thanks and do have a fantastic week!
      Liz

      Reply

  5. I love the idea of lighter and fluffier pitta bread! I guess it would be interesting to pair ith with Asian cuisine such as the Peking Duck. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hari do you have the recipe for Peking Duck? Let me tell you a secret. I’ve never made duck, ever. I don’t know why. I have German friends who make duck all the time. Maybe I should take a lesson from them. Has Sinabung stopped smoking? Have a great evening!!!Liz

      Reply

      1. Hi Liz,

        I do not have the Peking Duck recipe.
        It is a Northern Cuisine, while my ancestors came from the South of China.

        Maybe one day I’ll learn it as a challenge. 😀

        Sinabung is less active now but the villagers who live nearby are not allowed to go home yet. The environment is too poisonous to live in.

        I have some duck recipes but mostly are stewed or fried. Lemme look around for Peking Duck recipe. Who knows my friends or neighbors have it. 😀

        Reply

        1. No problem, Hari if you don’t have it. I’m glad to hear Sinabung is less active. Poor villagers where are they living now? I’ve never eaten stewed duck. Only roasted. Thanks and have a good week!
          Liz

        2. The villagers are living in the temporary camps. They are waiting for the government to help them. They do not want to be moved because this is their ancestral land. They are staying even though the air is toxic.

          I hope they will reconsider to move temporarily to somewhere safer.

          Thank you for your kind concern. Every good thoughts and prayers count, Liz. 🙂

        3. I know that kind of dilemma. nobody ever wants to leave their ancestral land unless you can fully convince them the land is safe and they can come back to it. But toxic air is no good either, It shortens your life and you can’t go back to the land. I hope the air clears soon so they can go on with their normal life. I wish them all the best and will certainly keep them in my thoughts and prayers. Have a good evening, Hari!
          Liz

  6. I’m lazy and just buy mine from the store, and use them with dips. I didn’t realise they were so versatile. I guess if you get in a habit, it’s hard to break. Have a great week ahead, Liz.

    Reply

  9. Good for you Liz, you made your own “Pita Bread” – that’s the way I have always spelled it 🙂 I will have to try this as it looks simple. I like the idea of a pocket so none of the filling falls out – good for kids too!

    Reply

  11. Love Pita bread but never thought about cutting them into triangles for chips. The cinnamon and surgar sounds especially yummy but alas, I’m doing well going sugar free. I’ll have to keep this in mind for the future though.

    Reply

    1. You can have them savoury or sweet. I am also trying to reduce the amount of sugar I ingest. A chip or two wouldn’t hurt at all. Enjoy your day!
      Liz

      Reply

  12. Just the other day I was thinking about Pita Bread – and now here’s a recipe!! I’m so excited !! Get this – I don’t have a pizza stone but I bought one for one of my sons not long ago – I think I’m going to have to ‘treat’ myself to one. As always – I LOVE YOUR RECIPES !! (I feel so cold right now… I think my body got used to a week of 85 F and 100% humidity – but – the sun just came out here in good old Massachusetts – hurrah !!)

    Reply

    1. I am freezing. It’s about 40 F right now. I am sitting three metres away from the gas fire…it gives me a headache, if I sit too close. Lucky you, you even have sunshine. I haven’t seen real sunshine for sometime now. I am making some Fajitas for dinner tonight with some black beans. I have a round stone and four small square ones. Thank god I bought them they are so handy especially for making pizza. I am planning some pizza this week! Have a lovely evening. I am off to make my dinner, a bit late but kids were out most of today. Enjoy the new week!
      Liz

      Reply

        1. I hate doing it too, if it has to be done on a griddle pan because it takes a long time to make a batch of twenty. The oven baked ones are a blessing for lazy human beings. Have a wonderful week ahead!
          Liz

        1. What do you use it for? does it fit in the grill? perhaps you can use it there or just get some small ones. I like the small ones, they are very handy!!! have a great weekend!
          Liz

        2. I actually have two ovens, I use more often the small one, because it consumes a little less electricity. But my pizza stone fits only in the big one,therefore,I don’t use it very often 🙂 Enjoy your Sunday Liz!

        3. I wish I had a smaller oven. I always light up the big one and sometimes I wonder how wasteful it seems. My kitchen is rather small I don’t really have space to fit another one…I am enjoying my grey and cold Sunday. Sitting by the gas fire. Have a great one too!
          Liz

        1. Oh thank you for trying, giving feedback and most of liking them. You’ve made my cold dreary day very warm and worthwhile!
          Liz

  28. You make this look so easy. I live pita bread no matter how it’s spelled, spelt…..the English language is such fun sometimes. One of my favorite snacks for lunch is chicken or tuna salad in a pita half. Gee, I might even try this recipe. I even am lucky enough to have a pizza stone! Enjoy your weekend.

    Reply

    1. It’s easy Sandy. I love pita bread too. Great for snacks, lunch, dinner and breakfast. I had some lovely tuna sandwiches in Paris many years ago. The sandwiches there are stupendous. I am so glad you have pizza stone. I am planning pizza this week! Enjoy Sunday!
      Liz

      Reply

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