Pita Bread Pockets Recipe Homemade From Scratch

Fresh, warm pita bread pockets made in a bread machine from scratch, are perfect to go with any Mediterranean sandwich or to dip in hummus.

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If you’ve ever had a Greek gyro then you’ve probably had pita bread pockets before. Fresh pita bread is commonly served with hummus. Meditteranean cuisine commonly uses pita bread. Pita bread pockets are made similar to regular bread but are baked at a high temperature. This turns moisture into steam and separates the sides forming its characteristic pocket.

Pita bread can also be cut into smaller pieces and baked again to make pita chips for dipping. I’ve had storebought pita chips before, but haven’t tried making them myself (yet) from this recipe. If I do get adventurous next time, I’ll update and let you all know how it goes.

I’m a cheater when it comes to making bread and dough because I use my bread machine (or the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment). This could definitely be done by hand. But I’ll be honest, I just don’t have time for that. Especially when I have a perfectly good bread machine sitting in the cabinet just waiting to be used. 

Seriously, if you enjoy bread, you should consider investing in a bread machine. I use mine at least once a month, if not more often than that.

For this recipe, I am going to assume you have a bread machine. Partly because that’s how I make it. Also because I’ve never made it by hand. I wouldn’t be able to fully instruct you. As with almost all baking recipes, make sure you use exact amounts for everything so your dough comes out the way it should.

Pita Bread Variations

There are a few things you can change while making this homemade pita bread recipe. 

For whole wheat pita pocket bread, substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. 

You can also add seasonings to the pita dough before it cooks. Since this is Greek pita bread, I suggest some dried dill weed or oregano. 

Preparing on the Stove Top

Instead of baking the pita pocket recipe in the oven, it can also be prepared in a cast iron skillet. 

1. Heat it over medium-high heat and add a small amount of olive oil. 
2. Place a pita pocket in the cast iron pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side, until it starts to puff up. 
3. Continue with each pita puff until they are all done. 

Pita Bread Pockets Step by Step

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cup warm water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Preparation

Dough

Pour all of the ingredients into the bread machine. Set it on the dough setting and let it do its thing.

Once the machine is done making the pita bread dough, turn it onto a lightly floured working surface. Gently roll and stretch the dough until it forms a 12-inch rope. It doesn’t have to be perfect at this point. It just needs to be stretched out a bit. This should feel similar in texture to pizza dough. 

Divide the dough into eight equal portions. I like to use a dough slicer for this since it easily cuts through.

Roll each chunk of dough into a small ball. Make sure you don’t use too much flour or they won’t cook properly. The dough needs moisture for the pita pockets to rise when cooked. 

Use a floured rolling pin (or your hands) to flatten out each of the dough balls into a circle about 6-7 inches in diameter. This will be the size of your pita pockets. You don’t want to stretch them too far, otherwise, they won’t rise properly. 

Keep these flattened pieces on a heavily floured countertop and cover them with a tea towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 45 minutes until it gets slightly puffy.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 500F and place the pitas on a baking sheet or hot stone. I can’t ever fit them all on at once, so you will have to cook these in batches. I can fit three on my pizza stone, so it takes me about 30 minutes in total.

Cook the pitas on the top rack in the hot oven for 7-10 minutes, until they puff to form the perfect pocket and are golden brown. Remove the pitas from the oven and immediately place them in a sealed brown paper bag or in a large bowl covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Keep the baked pitas in here until they are soft, adding the next batch as you go.

After they are softened and cooled, the pitas are ready to eat. You can cut them in half to form two sandwich pockets or tear off the end if you want to stuff the entire pita. I like to use them for hummus so often end up just tearing them to pieces to dip.

Pita Bread Pockets Leftovers

Storage: For best results, store leftover pita pockets in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you live in a humid climate, watch for mold as they will mold quickly.

Recipe

Pita Bread

Fresh, warm pita bread pockets made in a bread machine from scratch, are perfect to go with any Mediterranean sandwich or to dip in hummus.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Resting Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Course:

Snack

Cuisine:

Mediterranean

Keyword:

bread

Servings: 8 pieces

4.89 from 9 votes

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cup warm water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Recommended Equipment

• Bread Machine
• Rolling Pin
• Scraper
• Baking Stone

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in bread machine and set to dough
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface
• Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope
• Divide dough into 8 pieces
• Roll each into a smooth ball
• With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6-7 inch circle
• Set aside on a heavily floured countertop and cover with a towel
• Let pitas rise about 45 minutes until slightly puffy
• Preheat oven to 500F
• Place pitas on baking sheet and bake 7-10 minutes or until puffed and tops begin to brown
• Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover with a damp kitchen towel until soft

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Nutrition Facts

Pita Bread

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 196 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 295mg12%

Potassium 72mg2%

Carbohydrates 37g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 6g12%

Calcium 7mg1%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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