Pan pita bread
This delicious Pan pita bread is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of dishes, from tapas dishes and vegetable spreads, hearty stews to light salads.
Pita bread is a classic flatbread known for its signature pocket—perfect for stuffing with spreads, veggies, or whatever you’re craving.
Thought to be one of the oldest types of bread, it’s a fun and tasty way to switch up your usual bread routine. It shines on mezze tables and pairs beautifully with dips. And let’s be honest, store-bought pita can be pretty dry and bland (at least the ones we’ve tried!). That’s why you’ve got to give this pan-cooked version a go. Homemade pan pita bread is a game-changer.
This dough needs to be raised two times, so you’ll need to start making it about 2.5 hours ahead of your eating time.
This pan pita bread pairs perfectly with:
- Beetroot hummus (with fermented chickpeas)
- Curried Butter Beans
- Beet and cucumber salad (with roasted garlic yogurt sauce)
- Vegan bacon
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Water
- White sugar
- Dried yeast
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions and tips for success
Make the sponge
- Heat water to 37 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit). This will help to activate the yeast.
- Add the warmed water, sugar, and dry yeast to the bowl with water and stir. This is called a sponge.
- Leave the sponge aside until it has blossomed, for about 15 minutes.
First rise
- Mix all ingredients, including the sponge, in a stand mixer with a hook attachment, or knead by hand. If using a mixer, start low and mix for 10 – 15 minutes until the bowl is clean and the dough is non-sticky.
- Take a clean bowl and lightly oil its inside.
- Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl and cover tightly with cling foil.
- Set aside to raise. This normally takes around 1 hour, but it will depend on the temperature in your kitchen. The higher the temperature, the faster it will rise. If your oven has a dough-raising function, use that for the best results.
Second rise
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface and push down to flatten out. You want to avoid folding the dough because it needs to be as smooth and wrinkle free as possible.
- Cut it into about 20-22 pieces, around 40 g each, and cover with a dampened cloth.
- Roll each piece into a small ball. As you are making the dough balls, make a cage for the dough with your hand and spin in inside of it. Cover each ball right after you’ve rolled it, and keep going until you’ve made the balls out of each piece of the dough.
- Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
Cook the pan pita bread
- Warm up an iron cast, or a heavy large pan, on medium-high.
- With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough balls into flatbreads. Make sure to lightly flour the surface and the rolling pin. You need to roll them as thin as possible, as that is the only way to get them to puff up. Try not to have any cuts or wrinkles in the dough, as that might let the steam escape and thereby prevent it from puffing up. We’d roll an individual bread, cook it, and roll the next one while that one is cooking. But you can also roll out a few in advance, just make sure to cover them.
- The pan should be so warm that the bubbles start forming almost immediately as the dough hits the pan. Wait till it stops puffing before turning to the other side and repeat until it has stopped puffing. It is going to deflate soon after taking it off the stove, but it will keep the pocket.
- Don’t worry if your pita isn’t puffing, they will still be delicious and practice makes perfect!
Pita bread storage
- You can refrigerate the dough after the first rise.
- The baked pita bread also keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. To prevent them from drying and becoming hard, you need to cover them with an air-tight wrap, such as a bee-wax sheet or cling foil.
- Freezing pita bread is also a great option. You can freeze baked bread in a zip bag for up to three months.
Read about the history of pita bread here.
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Pan pita bread
This delicious Pan pita bread is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of dishes, from tapas dishes and vegetable spreads, hearty stews to light salads.
Equipment
- 1 Skillet pan
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Medium bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Baking scale
Ingredients
- 280 grams water
- 420 grams flour
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 10 grams dried yeast
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
Make the sponge
- Heat water to 37 C / 100 F and pour it into a bowl. Add sugar and dry yeast to the bowl with water and stir. This is called a sponge.
- Leave the sponge aside until it has blossomed, for about 15 minutes.
Make the dough
- Mix all ingredients by hand or with a dough hook. If using a mixer, knead on low for 10–15 minutes until smooth and non-sticky.
- Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, and cover with cling film. Let it rise for about 1 hour, or use your oven’s dough-proof setting if available. The higher the temperature, the faster it will rise. If your oven has a dough raising function, use that for the best results.
Make dough balls
- On a floured surface, flatten the dough gently (don’t fold – the dough should be wrinkle free).
- Cut it into cca 20-22 pieces, around 40 g each, and cover with a dampened cloth.
- Roll each piece into a smooth ball by cupping your hand over it and spinning.
- Cover the balls and let rise for about 30 minutes.
Roll out the pita dough
- Heat a cast iron or heavy pan over medium-high heat.
- Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin, then roll each dough ball as thin and smooth as possible—wrinkles or tears can prevent puffing.
- Cook one while rolling the next, or prep a few in advance (just keep them covered).
Cook the pita bread
- No oil needed. The pan should be hot enough for bubbles to form right away as the dough hits the pan.
- Cook until puffing stops, flip, and repeat. They’ll deflate off heat but keep the pocket. No puff? No worries—still delicious!
Notes
- Roll dough balls as thin and smooth as possible—no folds or tears.
- Thinness is key for puffing up.
- Roll one at a time while the previous one cooks, or roll a few in advance and keep them covered.
- If this portion is too big for your purpose, you can refrigerate the dough after the first rise.
- The pita breads also keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days, they just need to be well covered with an air-tight wrap, such as a bee-wax sheet or cling foil. It also freezes well.
Nutrition
Calories: 83kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 234mgPotassium: 27mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.5gVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
I’ve made this recipe many times and it always turns out fantastic. I hope you give it a try and love it as much as we do. If you do, I’d love to hear your thoughts – please leave a comment and a star rating to let me know how it turned out! Your feedback not only makes my day but also helps other readers decide if they want to make it too. Happy cooking!