Homemade Pita Bread Recipe (Vegan, Easy)

Best Homemade Pita Bread Recipe | Greek Vegan Pita Bread for hummus, falafel, sandwich, gyros.

5 from 85 votes

Homemade Pita Bread Recipe (Vegan, Easy)

The homemade pita bread recipe is an easy-to-make, soft, and fluffy Mediterranean flatbread that is vegan and prepared using only six basic ingredients.

Prep Time3

Cook Time30

Total Time3 30

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: arabic, greek, lebanese, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: breads

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Kushi

Equipment

Skillet

Ingredients

1 cup Warm water
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 ¼ teaspoon Active dry yeast
1 cup + 1 ½ cups+ ¼ cup All purpose flour divided
2 tablespoon + 1 ½ tsp Olive oil divided
1 ½ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Making of Pita Bread Dough

In the bowl, add warm water, sugar, active dry yeast, and 1 cup of flour and mix. Let it sit for about 15 minutes till the yeast activates. This mixture will bubble.
1 cup Warm water, 1 teaspoon Sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoon Active dry yeast, 1 cup + 1 ½ cups+ ¼ cup All purpose flour
Add 2 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and stir using a wooden spoon/spatula till dough is formed.
2 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoon Olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 cup + 1 ½ cups+ ¼ cup All purpose flour
Dust the working surface. Transfer the dough and knead it for at least 5 to 6 minutes till you get a soft, smooth, and elastic dough. You can add additional flour while kneading only if the dough sticks to your hand or working surface.
Coat the bowl with ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Transfer the dough to this bowl and turn it around so it is coated with oil. Cover it and keep it in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it is doubled.
2 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoon Olive oil

Roll into pita bread

Now, transfer the dough onto the working surface and lightly pat it to a flat shape that is about 1 inch thick. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
Make each piece into a small round ball and sprinkle some flour on top of each ball. Cover this with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Dust the working surface. Pat the dough balls flat with your fingers, and roll them to round bread about a quarter-inch thick using a rolling pin. Let each of these round breads rest for about 5 minutes even before cooking it.

Stovetop Pita Bread or Pan Pita

Brush the cast-iron skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil and place it over medium-high heat.
2 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoon Olive oil
Lay the pita bread and cook till the bottom has some light brown spots for about 2 minutes. Then, flip and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side, and then flip and cook on the original side for 30 seconds. Pita bread will puff up at this point.
Transfer the cooked pitas to a towel while you cook the remaining pita bread.
Serve and enjoy.

Notes

How do you get proper pita pockets or pita to puff?

If you cook the pitas in the oven, turn it to the highest setting possible and preheat the oven with baking stone or steel. This is done so that the heat is retained and gets that burst of steam inside. This helps the bread to puff up during the baking process. As the bread cools, it flattens, but a pocket will be left in the middle.
You will have to follow a similar method on the stovetop, too. The cast-iron skillet should be hot enough, or else the bread won't puff up. So make sure you preheat the skillet before cooking the bread.

Store, Reheat, and Make ahead

Make ahead pita: Once the dough is prepared, place it in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight. This allows the bread to leaven slowly. If you are still not ready to use by then, punch the dough, tightly wrap the dough in plastic, and refrigerate it for 2 to 5 days.

Store: Leftover pita bread can be stored in plastic wrap or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. I would not recommend refrigerating it as this is going to make your bread drier. You can freeze it for longer storage and use it for up to 2 months.

Reheat: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the pitas on a baking tray and heat it for 3 to 5 minutes or till it is heated through. You can also reheat in a microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute each or on a cast iron skillet or tava for a minute on each side till it's heated through.

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