1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

I started making pita when I was 14; now I am 58.

-Ana Arapovic

Homemade pita bread isn’t THAT hard to make, but this quote cracked me up so I had to use it!

With tailgate/football season around the corner, I thought it might be a good time to pull out some of my favorite creative party treats…starting with an Orrell tailgate classic: mini chicken salad pitas from Zoe’s Kitchen! 

No really, my mom orders these chicken pitas every single game day. I would literally not eat all day before a game just so I could eat 50+ of them when I got to the tailgate. If you have never tried these, go now & pick up some, you won’t regret it! 

While I am still trying to perfect Zoe’s chicken salad, making homemade pita bread is something I can help show you how to do. This pita bread can easily be made in 1 hour & is the perfect accompaniment any kind of stuffing you want to add to it!

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

How to make this simple 1-hour homemade Pita Bread:

To begin, preheat your oven to 450 degrees then heat 1/4 cup of water (either by faucet or microwave). 

Add 1 tbsp of active yeast to the warmed water, give it a good whisk & allow the yeast to activate for 5 minutes.

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

While your yeast is activating, grab your stand mixer and begin adding in your ingredients. Start by adding 4 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp sugar & 1/4 cup of olive oil.

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

Next, add in your yeast-water mixture. 

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

Attach the dough hook to your mixer & begin to mix the ingredients on a low-medium speed. 

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

While your mixer is going, slowly add in your remaining 1 cup of water. When all water is in the mixer, add in 1 tsp of salt.

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

Begin to mix again at a medium speed & continue for 7-8 minutes until a sticky dough is formed. 

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

When your dough is ready, remove it from the mixer and cover it with a kitchen towel. Allow your dough to proof for 30 minutes. 

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

When your dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 12 even pieces & form each piece into a ball. 

Cover your dough with a towel & allow it to rise for another 10 minutes.

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

When your dough is ready, roll the dough into a flat circle that is 1/4 inch thick. 

You can cook 2 pieces of pita bread at a time. To do this flip a piece of pita onto a pizza stone or parchment lined baking sheet so that the side that was once in the air is now faced down. Slightly wet the top of the pita bread & shut the oven door. 

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

Bake your pita bread for 5-6 minutes in the oven until it is puffy & slightly browned on the top.

When your pita is ready, remove it from the oven, allow it to cool. Serve & enjoy!

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread
1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread
1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread

Your pita bread didn’t puff? No problem! Some of mine puffed perfectly, some only halfway puffed & some not at all. You can use the flat pieces as a flatbread if you can’t get the pita to open in the center!

This incredibly delicious 1-hour homemade pita bread will stay good for 3-4 days in a sealed container.

If you are looking for the perfect game day treat, cut open the pita bread and slather a large helping of chicken salad inside. Cut the pita into 4 pieces, then serve to your friends and family! You will be the hit of the tailgate/gathering!

ENJOY!

1-Hour Homemade Pita Bread
Prep Time
14 mins
Cook Time
6 mins
Proofing Time
40 mins
Total Time
37 mins
 
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 12 pitas
Ingredients
  • 4 cup flour, all purpose
  • 1 1/4 cup water, warm
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp active yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp water** for last steps
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

  2. Dissolve yeast into 1/4 cup of warm water. Allow it to “activate” for about 5 minutes. 

  3. Into a stand mixer add: flour, sugar, oil, salt & yeast water. 

  4. Add dough hook attachment & “knead” ingredients together while slowly adding in the rest of your warm water.

  5. Once all water is in the bowl, add in your salt. Knead on medium speed until all ingredients are completely incorporated & sticky dough is seen. 

  6. Cover mixing bowl with kitchen towel & allow to “proof” for 30 minutes until dough has doubled in size.

  7. When dough is ready, onto a floured surface, add dough & divide into 12 balls.

  8. Cover dough again & allow to proof for 10 minutes.

  9. When dough is ready, roll out your dough into a 1/4 inch disk. 

  10. **Using a finger, dip it into the water & slightly wet top of pita disk. 

  11. It is now time to bake your pita, to do this flip the disk to the opposite side you rolled it out on. Place it onto either a pizza stone or a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (You can bake up to 2 pitas at a time).

  12. Bake your pitas for 5-6 minutes. When they are done they will be lightly browned on top & puffy.

  13. Repeat steps until all 12 pitas are baked. Allow to cool, serve & enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Not all pitas will perfectly puff. I had some that puffed completely, some only had 1/2 a puffed side & some not at all. 

Get creative with them. You can always use the non-puffed bread as a flatbread!

**Store pita in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature.

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