Best 4 Traditional Pita Breads Recipes

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**Traditional Pita Breads: A Culinary Journey Through Different Cultures**

Pita bread, with its delightful pocket and soft, chewy texture, is a culinary gem that has graced tables across cultures for centuries. Originating in the Middle East, pita bread holds a special place in various cuisines worldwide, serving as a versatile canvas for a myriad of dishes. Embark on a culinary adventure as we explore traditional pita bread recipes from around the world, each with its unique flavors and preparation methods.

Our journey begins in Greece, where the classic pita bread, known as "psomi pita", is a staple in Greek cuisine. Made with simple ingredients like flour, water, yeast, and salt, this bread is often served warm and fluffy, perfect for dipping in olive oil, tzatziki sauce, or hummus. Next, we head to the vibrant streets of Istanbul, Turkey, where "pide" is a beloved street food. These individual-sized pita breads are typically topped with various savory fillings such as minced meat, cheese, vegetables, and spices, creating a symphony of flavors in every bite.

Our exploration continues to the heart of the Middle East, where "khubz" is a fundamental part of the culinary landscape. This versatile flatbread is a staple in many Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Made with a combination of wheat flour and semolina, khubz is often used to scoop up stews, dips, and grilled meats. It serves as an integral part of traditional meals, adding a delightful touch to every dish.

Finally, we venture to India, where "naan" is a beloved flatbread with a rich history. Traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven, naan is characterized by its distinctive smoky flavor and soft, chewy texture. This versatile bread is often served with curries, kebabs, or simply brushed with garlic butter and herbs, making it a culinary delight that complements a wide range of dishes.

Join us on this tantalizing journey as we delve into the world of traditional pita breads, discovering the unique flavors and preparation methods that make each recipe a culinary masterpiece.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

CHEF JOHN'S PITA BREAD



Chef John's Pita Bread image

Unlike lots of other baked products which are better from a bakery, this is so far superior to the stuff you get at the grocery store, it's not even close. And in addition to being delicious to eat, it's also extremely easy to make!

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Bread     Yeast Bread Recipes     Flat Bread Recipes

Time 3h15m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (90 to 100 degrees F/32 to 38 degrees C)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ¾ teaspoons salt
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

Steps:

  • Place yeast into the work bowl of a stand mixer and add 1 cup warm water and 1 cup flour. Whisk together and let stand 15 to 20 minutes for mixture to rise and make a loose sponge. Mixture will bubble and foam.
  • Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and salt into sponge; add 1 3/4 cup flour. Mix at low speed, using a dough hook attachment, until dough is soft, supple, and slightly sticky. If dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a little at a time.
  • Knead dough with machine on low speed until slightly springy and still soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a ball.
  • Wipe inside of bowl with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Turn dough around in bowl to cover with a thin film of oil; cover bowl with foil and let sit until dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  • Remove dough from bowl and place onto a floured work surface. Lightly pat into a flat shape about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut dough into 8 pieces.
  • Form each piece into a small round ball with a smooth top, pulling dough from the sides and tucking the ends underneath the bottom.
  • Cover dough balls with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
  • Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a work surface and top of a dough ball; gently pat dough ball flat with your fingers, forming a flat, round bread about 1/4 inch thick. Let dough round rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
  • Brush a cast-iron skillet with remaining 3/4 teaspoon olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Lay pita bread into hot skillet and cook until bread begins to puff up and bottom has brown spots and blisters, about 3 minutes. Flip, cook 2 more minutes, and flip back onto original side to cook for about 30 more seconds. Pita bread will begin to puff up and fill with hot air. Stack cooked breads on a plate; when cool enough to handle, break breads in half and open the pocket inside for stuffing.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 186.6 calories, Carbohydrate 33.1 g, Fat 3.6 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 4.8 g, SaturatedFat 0.5 g, Sodium 510.9 mg, Sugar 0.1 g

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD RECIPE



Homemade Pita Bread Recipe image

My family's authentic, fool-proof pita bread recipe is easy to make and requires a few ingredients you may already have on hand! Mix up the very simple dough, let it rise, and experience the magic of fresh, warm, perfectly puffy homemade pita bread. Baking and stovetop instructions included!

Provided by Suzy Karadsheh

Categories     Pita Bread

Time 1h48m

Number Of Ingredients 6

Water
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided (or 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 to 2 tsp kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil), more for the bowl

Steps:

  • In a large mixing bowl add 1 cup lukewarm water and stir in yeast and sugar until dissolved. Add 1/2 cup flour and whisk together. Place the mixing bowl in a warm place, uncovered to form a lose sponge. Give it 15 minutes or so, the mixture should bubble.
  • Now add salt, olive oil and almost all the remaining flour (keep about 1/2 cup of the flour for dusting later). Stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass (at this point, the dough has little to no gluten development and just looks like a sticky mess and you can easily pull bits off). Dust with a little flour, then knead the mixture inside the bowl for about a minute to incorporate any stray bits.
  • Dust a clean working surface with just a little bit of flour. Knead lightly for a couple minutes or so until smooth. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then knead again for a couple more minutes. The dough should be a little bit moist, you can help it with a little dusting of flour, but be careful not to add too much flour.
  • Clean the mixing bowl and coat it lightly with extra virgin olive oil and put the dough back in the bowl. Turn the dough a couple times in the bowl to coat with the olive oil. Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap then lay a kitchen towel over. Put the bowl in a warm place. Leave it alone for 1 hour or until the dough rises to double its size.
  • Deflate the dough and place it on a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 7 to 8 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Cover with a towel and leave them for 10 minutes or so to rest.
  • Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle that's 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. It helps to lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll so that dough doesn't stick to your counter too much. (If dough starts to stick, sprinkle a tiny bit of flour). If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get going, you can be cooking one pita while rolling another, if you like). You have two options for baking the pita from here.
  • Heat the oven to 475 degrees F and place a heavy-duty baking pan or large cast iron skillet on the middle rack to heat. Working in batches, place the rolled-out pitas directly on the hot baking baking sheet (I was only able to fit 2 at a time). Bake for 2 minutes on one side, and then, using a pair of tongs, carefully turn pita over to bake for 1 minute on the other side. The pita will puff nicely and should be ready. Remove from the oven and cover the baked pitas with a clean towel while you work on the rest of the pitas.
  • To cook pita on stovetop: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (Test by adding a couple drops of water to the skillet, the skillet is ready when the beads of water sizzle immediately). Drizzle a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil and wipe off any excess. Working with one pita at a time, lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until bubbles start to form. Using a spatula, flip the pita over and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita is ready when it puffs up forming a pocket (sometimes, with this method, the pita may not puff or may only form a small pocket. Try pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel). Keep baked pita covered with a clean towel while you work on the rest.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 whole pita, Calories 205 calories, Sugar 0.4 g, Sodium 1.6 mg, Fat 4 g, SaturatedFat 0.6 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 36.4 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 5.2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

TRADITIONAL PITA BREAD



Traditional Pita Bread image

My husband taught me how to make pita bread when we were first dating. He always has his eye out for good recipes. -Lynne Hartke, Chandler, Arizona

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 25m

Yield 6 pita breads.

Number Of Ingredients 4

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
2 teaspoons salt
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in salt and enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Do not let rise. , Divide dough into six pieces; knead each for 1 minute. Roll each into a 5-in. circle. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 500°. , Place upside down on greased baking sheets. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 231 calories, Fat 1g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 789mg sodium, Carbohydrate 48g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 7g protein.

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD



Homemade Pita Bread image

Is it worth making pita at home? Absolutely. Store-bought pita (like store-bought sandwich bread) is often several days old. Warm, fragrant home-baked pita is obviously superior, and there's a bit of a thrill when the breads puff up in the oven. And once you get the hang of it, it's not difficult. For the best flavor, try to get freshly milled whole-wheat flour. Even though only a little is called for in the recipe, it makes a difference.

Provided by David Tanis

Categories     appetizer, side dish

Time 2h

Yield 8 six-inch diameter breads

Number Of Ingredients 6

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
35 grams whole-wheat flour (1/4 cup), preferably freshly milled
310 grams unbleached all-purposed flour (2 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Steps:

  • Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
  • Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup). With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.
  • Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)
  • Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.
  • Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat diskc with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)
  • Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 189, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 33 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 5 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 110 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams

Tips:

  • Use the right flour. Bread flour is the best choice for pita bread because it has a high protein content, which gives the bread a chewy texture. If you don't have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour, but the bread will be less chewy.
  • Activate the yeast properly. Before adding the yeast to the dough, make sure it is activated by dissolving it in warm water with a little sugar. This will help the yeast to grow and produce carbon dioxide, which will give the bread its rise.
  • Knead the dough properly. Kneading the dough helps to develop the gluten, which gives the bread its structure. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
  • Let the dough rise in a warm place. The dough should rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size. This will give the yeast time to produce carbon dioxide and the dough time to develop flavor.
  • Cook the bread in a hot oven. The bread should be cooked in a hot oven to create steam, which will help the bread to puff up. Bake the bread at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, or until it is golden brown.
  • Serve the bread warm. Pita bread is best served warm, when it is soft and fluffy. You can serve it with dips, spreads, or sandwiches.

Conclusion:

Pita bread is a delicious and versatile bread that can be enjoyed in many different ways. It is a great choice for sandwiches, wraps, and dips. With a little practice, you can easily make pita bread at home. So next time you're looking for a delicious and easy-to-make bread, give pita bread a try.

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