Traditional Pita Breads

4.6
(43)
30 Reviews
15 Photos

This is a great pita bread recipe I got from a friend who works at a great Greek restaurant here in my town. Slice pita in half and fill pockets with your favorite filling, or for dipping, cut into wedges and pan fry in a little olive oil.

Submitted by Dennis Morazan
Updated on May 20, 2022
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Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
10 mins
Additional Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
1 dozen pita breads
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

  • 1 package active dry yeast

  • 1 ¼ cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees F/40 to 45 degrees C)

  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed - divided

  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

  • ¼ cup vegetable shortening

Directions

  1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a mixing bowl and allow to stand until the yeast forms a creamy foam, about 5 minutes. Mix in 2 cups of flour, salt, and shortening; beat for 2 minutes with a fork. Stir in as much of the remaining 1 1/2 cup flour as needed.

  2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, kneading in more flour if dough is sticky. Form into a ball, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest in a warm area for 15 minutes.

  3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

  4. Divide dough into 12 equal portions; flour your hands and roll each piece into a ball. Cover dough balls with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Flatten the balls into rounds on a floured surface, cover with kitchen towel, and let rest 10 more minutes. Gently roll each dough ball into a circle about 6 inches in diameter on a floured surface. Place pita breads in a single layer on ungreased baking sheets.

  5. Bake in preheated oven until the pita breads puff up, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip breads over with a spatula, return to oven, and bake 2 more minutes. Let cool on wire racks before cutting pita breads in half and gently separating tops and bottoms to form pockets for filling.

90 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

172 Calories
5g Fat
28g Carbs
4g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 172
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Sodium 292mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 4g 8%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 51mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.