This Greek pita bread recipe is super delicious, easy, and fairly quick. It is like a flatbread, has no pocket, and is great for scooping sauces or dips and wrapping souvlaki.
This recipe has been updated with a new copy, images, and clarification on some of the ingredients and cooking method.
If you love papoutsakia, you will also love this roasted giant beans in tomato sauce, Greek beef ragú pasta or feta cheese puff pastries with leeks and dill!
Why this recipe sings
Anything you make yourself at home is tastier and healthier. This Greek pita bread tastes delicious; it is fluffy, hearty, and perfect for wrapping chicken souvlaki, pork gyro, or just scooping up dips like tzatziki, fava, and whipped feta. We love them warm with a drop of honey on top for a sweet treat.
Cook the pita on a hot cast iron skillet or on the grill with a brush of extra virgin olive oil and bring it warm to the table next to salads, dips, and sauces.
Here is what you need
- All-purpose flour.
- Sea salt.
- Fresh thyme leaves. Substitute with dried thyme or oregano.
- Active dry yeast.
- Sugar. I have used both white sugar and brown with the same results.
- Milk. I prefer whole milk. You can use skim milk if that is your preference. Plant milk also will work just fine to make vegan pita bread.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
How to make Greek pita bread
In a large cup or bowl, combine the sugar, yeast, water, and milk.
Set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture starts to froth. Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir well.
Combine the flour, salt, and thyme leaves in a large bowl.
Gradually add the yeast mixture to the flour mix. Mix well each time you add the yeast mixture.
Transfer the dough mix to a lightly floured working surface.
Knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
Brush a bowl with some olive oil and add the dough. Cover with a damp, warm towel and let the dough rest for 40 min to an hour.
Add a little flour to your working surface.
Cut the pita dough into eight equal-sized pieces.
Turn them into balls and flatten them up.
With your hands, gently stretch each piece of dough to a circle about 7 -8 inches wide, just as you would for pizza dough.
Place a cast iron (or regular skillet) over high heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil.
When the oil is hot, add a pita and cook for 1 minute on each side until it puffs up a little and starts browning. Add a little olive oil to the pan every two pitas.
The pitas will develop some charred parts, which in my opinion, add great favor.
Alternatively, you can cook Greek pita bread on the grill. Brush the pitas with a bit of olive oil and grill for a minute or so on each side.
Pair Greek pita bread with salads, cut them up, and add them to your grazing board, or enjoy wrapping a sandwich.
I love some warm cut-up pitas in a bowl with tomato wedges, olives, a bit of cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil all over.
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How to make Greek pita bread
Equipment
- Cast iron pan
- 2 medium-large bowls
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
For the yeast mixture
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup water at room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
You will also need
- extra virgin olive oil for the bowl and for cooking
- all purpose flour for surface
Instructions
- Combine the sugar, yeast, water, and milk in a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture starts to foam.
- Combine the flour, salt, and thyme leaves in a large bowl.
- Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir well.Gradually add the yeast mixture to the flour mix.
- Transfer the dough mix to a lightly floured working surface. Knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
- Brush a bowl with some oil and add the dough. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 40 minutes to an hour, until it rises and doubles in size.
- Cut dough into 8 equal-sized pieces.
- With your hands, gently stretch each piece of dough to a circle about 7-8 inches wide.
- Place a cast iron pan over high heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil.
- Cook each pita bread for 1 minute on each side in the pan, until it puffs up a little and starts browning. Add some olive oil to the pan after cooking 1-2 pitas.Enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh thyme, use fresh oregano or sage. If none is available use dry oregano, thyme, Italian seasoning or even herbs de Provence.
- Alternatively, you can cook Greek pita bread on the grill. Brush the pitas with a bit of olive oil and grill for a minute or so on each side.
Nutrition
OMG this pita was sooooo yummy. I made it with my 10 year old daughter this afternoon and it was so easy and the whole family absolutely loved it. Thank you!!
Thank you so much Julie! You made my day!
Perfect!!! Your recipes are always spot on!
Sean Henry
Thank you For sharing your recipe. This pita is by far the best recipe and the taste is amazing.
Thank you so much Estie! So happy you liked it.
This is the best pita recipe I have ever tried! I did not expect it to be so unbelievably tasty and fluffy and delicious! I cheated a bit because I didn’t have much time. It was past momma juice o’clock so I after making the yeast mixture, I chucked all the ingredients in the Ninja bowl, whizzed for 3′ until it combined and then in the oiled bowl and in the oven, setting: proof, bam! 15′ later perfect!
Thank you Jenny!! You rock!!
Thank you, Eri! You made my day. I love those pitas and it’s so good to know they come out alright even rushed!. I am actually going to try your method! xo Jenny
Gotta love how simple and easy this recipe looks! Going to try this out on the weekend! I have a dairy sensitive so I’ll try with a plant milk – hopefully all goes well 🙂
Plant milk will work fine! Thanks so much, Christa!
These are such great pita. So light and fluffy…and super easy to whip up. Thank you for this great recipe!
Thanks so much, Bernice!
I have always wanted to make my own pita bread, but was too afraid that it would be extremely difficult haha. You make it seem so manageable, I am definitely going to give this a try! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Hope you like it, Cathleen!
Thanks so much!
So glad that I’ve found a great pita bread recipe. I love making a big batch to enjoy over the week but wanted to find a new recipe to enjoy. This one is perfect!
This was my first time making homemade pita bread and honestly, I never wanna go back to storebought again! So good!
Love pita bread, but I’ve never made it at home! Thanks for sharing!
This was my first time making homemade pita bread, and I loved it! It was so easy, and my whole family loved them, we served them with some homemade curry, so delicious!
I love making my own flatbreads. I’ve not tried pita bread though. Yours looks so soft and sounds so delicious with the thyme mixed in.
This is such a great recipe! My pita bread came out so delicious and it was easy to make! Thank s for the recipe!
I have always wanted to try making pita bread at home and I finally tried it because your recipe looked pretty easy. I’m so glad I did because the steps were super simple to follow and the pitas came out perfectly!
I’ve wanted to make pita bread for ages. So happy I found your recipe, the step by step instructions are so helpful. Definitely going to give this a go, thank you so much for the recipe!
I’ve never made my own pita bread but this recipe looks pretty easy and your pita looks really really good. Definitely want to give this a try!
Just made it! Brilliant! So simple to make. Just a few ingredients.
Love this website as the instructions are so clear.
This is an authentic pitta.
You will not be disappointed.
Wow Jeff! Thank you! x Jenny
Perfect! Way better than store bought and super easy, Thank you!
That’s so amazing to read! Thank your so much Sean! x Jenny