Only 5 ingredients and 30 minutes to fresh, soft, warm pita bread. Use homemade pita bread in any recipe that calls for flatbread or naan.
Easy Homemade Pita Bread is a flatbread recipe you can make with just 5 ingredients in 20 minutes!
Homemade pita bread can be made in any size you need, large or small. Make mini pita breads for appetizers and dips and larger ones for wraps and sandwiches or even a super large pita to use as a pizza crust.
You don’t even need to break out your rolling pin. Part of the charm of homemade pita bread is being uneven. Just use your palms and pat out the size you need.
The key to making a tasty homemade pita bread is using a good quality olive oil. Not all olive oils are created equal and as you can see, there aren’t many ingredients with much flavor, so the olive oil is key.
Look for rich tasting oils that are made in the United States. Unless you know otherwise, many coming from overseas are supplemented with vegetable oil.
Those made in the states are guaranteed to be 100% olive oil or disclose other ingredients on the nutrition label. It is a total myth that quality olive oil must come from Italy or Spain. My favorite one from California is listed below.
You can also substitute whole wheat flour for all purpose flour. To add flavor, mix in fresh or dried herbs and/or spices or garlic. Char your homemade pita bread on the grill and rub with fresh lemon or garlic or baste with an herb infused olive oil mixture to add pizzazz.
Tools for making Homemade Pita Bread:
Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil– A good olive oil will taste like, well, olives, while a poorly made one will taste like vegetable oil. Gross. While people tend to favor Italian and Greek olive oils, I prefer to buy mine domestically. They are some great ones out there from all over the world, but the reporting of ingredients isn’t always the same and you could find that your super expensive olive oil was actually cut with vegetable oil.
Mixing Bowls– make sure to check out my article on Using the Right Mixing Bowl, you’d be surprised how many people aren’t!
Here are some recipes that you can make to accompany your homemade pita bread!
- Spicy Hummus with Harissa
- Chipotle Hummus
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp Salad
- Roasted Eggplant Dip
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- Pork and Potato Stew
Easy Homemade Pita Bread is a flatbread recipe you can make with just 5 ingredients in 20 minutes. Doesn't require yeast!
- 2 cups whole wheat or all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir in the water and olive oil and knead to form a moist dough. Form into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 5-30 minutes.
- Roll out dough into a long loaf on a very lightly floured work space.
- Cut dough into 16 equal parts. Using a lightly floured rolling pin or the palm of your hand flatten each dough knot. Shape is not important, in fact a variety of shapes can make them more interesting.
- Heat skillet at a time for approximately 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Bubble may form, allow them to continue, do not pop or you will have uneven cooking. Re-spray pan in between each batch.
- Remove from heat and serve or allow to cool to store for later. Store in an airtight container or bag at room temperature to prevent drying.
If you've tried this recipe come back and let us know how you liked it!
Variations: After completing, baste with olive oil, rub with lemon slices or garlic (or both). Place on the grill for a quick char and grill marks.
I tried making this with all purpose flour and it didn’t work at all. How long am I supposed to knead the bread for, if at all, and what consistency should it come out to?
Then, when I rest it, should I expect it to grow in size? My dough ball did not grow at all.
Also, what thickness should I roll the dough balls out to?
Hi Raja, I am sorry it didn’t work out for you. The bread doesn’t rise at all since it doesn’t have any yeast. The resting time is to allow the gluten to soften and activate. The consistency is slightly sticky, but not overly floured, I will add this to the instructions. The balls roll out to about 1/4 inch thick- the same thickness you would expect a flatbread to be.
It’s very good. A+, nice soft bread. Will make this often.
Thank you!!! Have a nice day!
I make my husband’s lunch sandwiches on whole wheat pitas every single day and these ones look so much better! Plus, I think I’d win wife-of-the-year award if I made him sandwiches every day on homemade bread 🙂
They are so easy! No reason to not make homemade!
These were the best. We used them for greek wraps and they were wonderful. I wanted to make
them again to just enjoy. Thanks for the great recipes, I hope to get to the Carmel Apple Cookies.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to let us know !