Greek Pita Bread
Homemade Greek pita bread is incredibly delicious and surprisingly easy to make. You can make the pitas as large or small, thick or thin, as you like.
Servings: 8 pieces
Ingredients
- 600 grams all-purpose flour divided
- 1 tbsp flaky sea salt
- 3 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 300 ml warm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 300 grams/ 0.66 lb of the flour, the salt, yeast, olive oil, Greek yogurt, honey, and warm water. Mix until you have a smooth batter with no lumps remaining. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. It's easiest to prepare the dough the night before.
- The next day, add the remaining 300 grams / 0.66 lb of flour and knead with a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes until a smooth dough forms. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and feel slightly tacky, but it shouldn't stick to your hands. Knead by hand for another minute, adding a little extra flour if needed.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll each dough ball into a circle about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick. Prick each pita several times with a fork and cover loosely. Let them rise for another 30 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and lightly coat it with olive oil. I like to use a paper towel to spread a very thin layer of oil across the entire pan.
- Cook one pita at a time for about 2 minutes per side, or until cooked through and lightly golden. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Serve the pita bread warm, or reheat it briefly in a skillet before serving.
Tips
- As you can see, I made my pita breads in different sizes. The smaller pitas were cooked exactly as described above. They puffed up nicely and became fairly thick, making them perfect for slicing open and stuffing like pita pockets.
- Before cooking some of the others, I gently flattened them a little more. They turned out larger and thinner, making them ideal for folding around fillings like gyros, souvlaki, or grilled chicken. The cooking time stays the same.
How to store
Once baked, the pita breads will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.