Description
This Fluffy Greek Pita Bread recipe yields soft, pillowy pitas with a slightly crispy exterior, perfect for stuffing or dipping. Made with simple ingredients like bread flour, warm water, milk, yeast, sugar, olive oil, and salt, these homemade pitas puff up beautifully when cooked on a skillet, delivering authentic Mediterranean flavors right at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 3/4 cup warm water (very warm to the touch, but not too hot)
- 6 tbsp warm whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a medium bowl, combine warm water and warm whole milk, ensuring the temperature is very warm but tolerable to touch. Whisk in sugar first, then sprinkle in the active dry yeast. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes until it becomes frothy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Add Oil and Salt: Whisk the olive oil and salt into the frothy yeast mixture to incorporate the flavors evenly.
- Form Dough: Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the bread flour until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer it onto a floured surface and knead vigorously for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the kneaded dough into a clean bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Divide Dough: Once risen, place the dough back on a floured surface, shape it into a circle, and divide into 6 equal pieces. If sticky, wet your hands and dust the dough with flour as needed for easier handling.
- Second Rise: Shape each piece into a circle and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough circles to rest and rise for 1 additional hour.
- Roll Out Pitas: After the second rise, roll each dough piece into a 5-inch wide circle, preparing them for cooking.
- Cook Pitas: Heat a cast iron or heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place one rolled-out dough circle in the pan and cook for 30 seconds on one side, then flip and cook another 30 seconds. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over both sides of the pita, then continue cooking for 5 minutes, flipping every minute to ensure even browning and puffing. Pitas should be deep golden brown and puffed up.
- Repeat Cooking: Repeat the cooking process with the remaining dough circles until all six pitas are cooked. Serve warm, optionally topped with fresh oregano and your favorite tzatziki sauce.
Notes
- Use bread flour for best texture, but all-purpose flour works as a substitute.
- The temperature of the water and milk is crucial; too hot can kill the yeast, too cold will prevent activation.
- Kneading the dough thoroughly for 10 minutes develops gluten for a soft and elastic texture.
- If the dough is sticky during shaping, wet your hands and sprinkle a little flour to prevent sticking.
- A cast iron skillet or a heavy non-stick pan ensures even heat distribution and proper puffing of the pitas.
- Drizzling olive oil during cooking helps develop a crispy exterior and rich flavor.
- Allowing multiple rises contributes to the fluffiness and lightness of the pita bread.
