BEST GREEK PITA BREAD
Greek pita bread is a delightful flatbread, very versatile and incredibly delicious! The authentic Greek pitas are always made with hard white flour for a rich and more indulgent taste. This recipe is easy to make and produces great-tasting, aromatic and fluffy flatbreads that you can enjoy with any meal, and is certainly worth trying it!
HISTORY AND VARIATIONS OF PITA BREAD.
Archaeological evidence shows that bread, similar to pita, was made from wild cereal grains by the Natufian people in the territory of today’s Jordan since the Stone Age, more than 14000 years ago. Wheat and barley were among the earliest domesticated crops. The earliest records of pitta bread recipes date 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Pitta bread was a staple food for farmers and desert dwellers in the Middle East and North Africa for many centuries.
Pita flatbreads can be found in many cultures. Some examples include West Indian naan bread, Middle Eastern lavash, Greek and Turkish pita bread, and Jewish matzah. All of these flatbreads differ in ingredients and their method of preparation. For example, Indian naan contains egg and butter and has a softer and more airy texture. The lavash is a thin flatbread that resembles a pancake. The Jewish matzah looks like a cracker, it does not contain yeast and is more crunchy. Turkish and Greek pitas are similar in taste and texture, although most Turkish pitas are often made with yoghurt and this recipe uses milk.
HOW TO PREPARE GREEK PITA FLATBREADS?
📋 INGREDIENTS IN THIS RECIPE
Yeast: Originally pitta flatbreads were made only with flour and water, but today most pita recipes call for fresh or dry yeast because it makes the bread soft and fluffy. This recipe contains dry yeast. Always check if the yeast that you will be using is fresh and hasn’t expired. To activate the yeast faster always use lukewarm water.
Flour: Although you can make pita bread with multigrain flour and it is healthier, in my opinion, white pitas always taste so much tastier. In this recipe, we use strong white bread flour.
Milk: The high-fat content of milk produces softer bread with a finer texture. Use lukewarm full-fat milk in this recipe.
Sugar: When making bread with yeast, we need to add sugar which feeds the yeast, so it can grow and make the bread rise. White granulated sugar, also known as crystal sugar, is the best one to use.
Olive oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil, for it adds beautiful flavours to the bread.
📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1:
Heat the milk and water in a saucepan on the hob or pour the liquids into a microwave-safe bowl. Warm them for a few seconds in the microwave to become lukewarm.
STEP 2:
Add the yeast, sugar and oil to the bowl and whisk them lightly, cover with plastic wrap and leave the bowl aside for 15 minutes to allow time for the yeast to get active. You will notice froth appearing on the surface when the yeast starts working.
Step 3:
Gradually add the yeast mixture to the flour and stir continuously until the ingredients are fully integrated and a soft dough is formed. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for 40 minutes and double in size.
STEP 4:
Make 8 equal-sized balls with the risen dough.
STOP 5:
Lightly oil your working surface. Roll each dough ball into a 2-3mm thick piece, roughly about 20cm in diameter.
STOP 6:
I cook these pitas on a lightly oiled cast iron plate. If you do not have a cast iron plate, use a wide heavy-based pan. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a hot pan and heat the oil before placing the flatbread inside.
Cook the pitas on moderate heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until they puff up slightly. Use a spatula to turn the bread.
🍲 SERVE DELICIOUS GREEK PITA FLATBREAD
You can serve pita bread with virtually any dish! You can brush it with butter and sprinkle spices on top and just have it like that as a snack. Pita bread is great to dip in dips or serve as a wrap stuffed with grilled meats, pull pork and different garnishes. My favourite way to eat pita is spread with garlic yoghurt or garlic mayo sauce and topped with juicy pieces of grilled meat and a fresh salad.
Try my recipes Best Turkish Falafels and Serbian Cevipi with pita bread. For more suggestions on how to serve pita bread view the featured authentic recipes below.
Enjoy!
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Featured Authentic Recipes
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Best Greek Pita Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Cast iron plate or a flat pan for cooking the bread
Ingredients
- 60 ml milk lukewarm
- 80 ml water lukewarm
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 320 g strong bread flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano (optional)
- cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Combine the lukewarm milk and water with the sugar, yeast, and oil in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes for the yeast to get active.
- You can use a stand mixer or make the dough by hand, according to that, use a stand mixer bowl or a large mixing bowl. Place the flour and the salt in that bowl and whisk to combine them.
- Gradually add small quantities of the active yeast mixture to the flour and stir continuously with a bread whisk until you have used all the yeast mixture and have a soft dough formed.
- Transfer the dough on your working surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
- Brush a large bowl inside with oil and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let the dough rest for 40 minutes until it rises and doubles in size.
- Press on the dough to remove air and cut it into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball.
- Place one ball of dough on a lightly oiled working surface and use a rolling pin to roll it to a round dough piece, roughly about 20 cm in diameter in size.
- You can cook the Greek pitas on the hob or on a live fire. Heat a cast-iron plate or a large heavy-based pan on moderate heat. If using a cast iron plate, brush it with oil, or pour one tablespoon of oil into the pan, and cook the pitas on each side for 1-2 minutes until the pitas puff up slightly.
- Cut the Greek pitas into small pieces and serve with a dip as a snack, or make wraps with the pita bread stuffed with grilled meat or falafels, garnished with salads and sauces..
