Description
This Best Ever Greek Pita recipe yields soft, fluffy, and flavorful pitas perfect for stuffing with your favorite fillings or serving alongside Mediterranean dishes. Made with simple ingredients like flour, yeast, and olive oil, these homemade pitas come together easily with a quick rise time and stovetop cooking in a cast iron pan, delivering authentic texture and taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (plus more for surface)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup milk (warm)
- ⅓ cup water (warm)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for the bowl and cooking)
Optional Topping
- Melted garlic and herb butter
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, active dry yeast, and kosher salt. Stir together to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Add Liquids: Pour the warm milk and warm water into the dry ingredients and mix until they begin to come together.
- Add Olive Oil and Knead: Add the olive oil to the mixture and knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes until it forms a cohesive ball.
- Prepare for Rising: Lightly oil a clean bowl with olive oil by brushing or rubbing it on the sides. Place the dough ball in the bowl and coat it lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
- Let Dough Rise: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for about one hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Portion the Dough: Dust a clean surface with flour. Remove the risen dough from the bowl and cut it into 8 equal-sized pieces for rolling.
- Shape the Dough: Using your hands, gently stretch each piece into a small circle, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thickness, approximately 7-8 inches in diameter.
- Heat Pan: Heat a cast iron pan over high heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to coat the surface.
- Cook Pitas: Place one rolled pita in the hot pan. Cook for about one minute until bubbles form and the bottom is golden. Drizzle a little olive oil on top, then flip and cook the other side for about one minute until golden and puffed.
- Serve: Repeat cooking with the remaining pitas. Optionally brush the warm pitas with melted garlic and herb butter for extra flavor before serving.
Notes
- Use warm milk and water to activate the yeast properly, around 105-110°F (40-43°C).
- For fluffier pitas, be careful not to roll the dough too thin.
- The cast iron pan must be well-heated to create the characteristic pita bubbles and quick cooking.
- You can store unused pitas in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Melted garlic and herb butter is optional but adds a delicious savory note.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Greek pita, homemade pita bread, stovetop pita, easy pita recipe, Mediterranean bread, soft pita bread
