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The BEST Homemade Pita Bread

Feb 08, 2025

I used to work doing pastry in a very popular Israeli restaurant in Denver when I first moved to the front range.  We made a ton of different types of baked goods each day, but the one that stayed consistent was pita.  On average, we would make anywhere from 700-1000 pita balls each day to keep up with the demand at the restaurant.  Each day the line cooks would pull bins upon bins of dough stacked and ready for the wood-fired oven.  The high heat of the oven gives them the perfect pouf before they collapsed back down to be torn and dunked into the beautiful array of freshly made salatim. They are still some of the best pita I have ever eaten.  If for some crazy reason you have leftover pita that goes stale, they make EXCELLENT pita chips too. This recipe is best measured by weighing the ingredients with your food scale and also saves you a ton of trouble with dirtying dishes.

Ingredients:

2ā…¯ cups (622 grams) water
½ cup (111 grams) olive oil
½ teaspoon (2 grams) yeast                                                                                                                                1 tablespoon (13 grams) sourdough starter (optional)
7 cups (854 grams) all-purpose flour
1½ cups (187 grams) whole wheat flour, I love using fresh milled red fife flour
2 teaspoons + ā…› teaspoon (37 grams) kosher salt

Instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer with a dough hook), combine the water, olive oil, yeast, and sourdough (if using).
  2. Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour. Mix on low speed (or by hand) for 5 minutes until combined.
  3. Add the salt and mix on medium-low speed for another 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and mix for 7 more minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  4. Transfer the dough into a greased container, cover, and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  5. Refrigerate the dough for 8 hours or overnight.
  6. Portion the dough into 12 equal pieces (150 grams each). Shape the dough into round balls. Place on a greased tray covered with plastic wrap. Make sure to space them apart as they will flatten out slightly as the dough relaxes. Let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
  7. If not baking immediately, refrigerate for up to 2 days. Before baking, bring the dough back to room temperature.
  8. Preheat the oven to its highest setting (500°F/260°C or higher) with a pizza stone or baking steel inside. Make sure to give the stone around 45 minutes to warm up before baking on it.
  9. Roll out each dough portion into a thin round using a small rolling pin or a regular size one if you don't have a small one.
  10. Bake in the hot oven until the pitas puff up and turn golden brown, about 2–3 minutes.
  11. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Tip: Store pitas in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage. Reheat before serving for the best texture. If your pita gets stale before you get a chance to eat it all, use my pita chip recipe to make delicious pita chips with the leftovers.

Hey there! Just a heads-up—this recipe includes some affiliate links. That means if you buy something through one of my links, I might earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I only recommend products I truly love and use myself. Your support helps me keep creating delicious recipes and sharing them with you. Thanks so much!

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