If you would have asked me I thought I could whip up some pitas for my family a few years ago, I would have told you no. I have had this recipe in my collection for so long that I don’t even know where it originated from, but I decided to dust off the old recipe collection and see if these could come together for me. After all, if it was a complete failure…well, at least I tried!
This dough is incredibly easy to work with, especially for a novice! It is not too dry and it is not too wet so you don’t have to use a lot of flour to roll these out.
These pitas are so yummy and the whole wheat flour adds a yummy dimension to the flavors. The kids loved these and my husband could not get over that I had made them because they looked just like the store-bought variety.
Now that I have made them though, there is no turning back. I will never buy these at the store again. In fact, I am whipping up my second batch for the week today! I hope your family will enjoy these as much as we have!
Pita Bread (for the Bread Machine)
1 1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons yeast
Put ingredients into the bread machine in order listed. Run the dough cycle on your machine. When the bread machine beeps, pull the dough out of the bread machine and divide the dough into ten pieces. Roll each piece into a six inch circle. Place these on a baking sheet (or your pizza stones) and let them rise for twenty minutes (I can fit about four rounds per pizza stone or three pitas per baking sheet). Bake at 500 degrees for three minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pitas and cook for another three to four minutes on the flip side.
Amy’s Side Notes:
- When you pull the pitas off of your baking sheet, wrap them into a damp kitchen towel for a few minutes. This helps keep them from drying out. Once they are cool, you can store them in a food storage bag.
- Freeze extras for a rainy day! After the pitas have cooled, slip a piece of wax paper between them and store in a freezer bag. You can take out what you need…when you need it!
I have to try this recipe! Thanks,Amy.
[Reply]
Oh, thank you! I finally broke down and got a bread machine- I can’t wait to use it!
[Reply]
I know just what you mean! I started making whole wheat pitas just a couple of weeks ago, and just can’t keep up with the consumption! But I make mine with my Bosch mixer instead of the bread machine. I am going to double the recipe next time. My recipe is just slightly different, but the results look quite the same. I never get ANY into the freezer:-)
[Reply]
Thanks for posting the recipe. I just purchased a bread machine on saturday and have been contemplating all the things i can make in it. I had read that others have success with making pita, which we love, and so i had noted in my head to find a good recipe. So thanks! Good timing!
[Reply]
Good job, Amy! Monica sent me a recipe for homemade tortillas years ago when I was in France for the summer and craving Mexican food! =) I’ve yet to make them . ..
[Reply]
Wow, what a great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
[Reply]
I have a question about letting bread rise. I’ve read that it should be at least 75 F for bread to rise properly. We keep our house cooler than that (about 68-70) to save money. Do you have any problems with bread not rising?
[Reply]
You know, I had some issues with that in the past. One thing you can do is set your oven to 200 degrees while you are prepping the dough, and then turn it off before you stick the dough into the oven. Let it rise inside of the oven and it will work beautifully. I was less concerned about the pitas rising, but sometimes I have had issues with bread rising and this seems to solve them.
HomeEc101.com has also been doing a bread-making tutorial that might help too!
That is just one thing that has worked for me since we try to keep our house cooler to save money!
[Reply]
Spiffy! I think I’ll try these (sans bread machine) for sandwiches for our upcoming trip.
[Reply]
Well, my bread machine managed to wiggle it’s way off the counter and hurl itself against the floor on Saturday when I was making pizza dough. Although there are bits of plastic missing, and the back hinge is broken, it apparently still works (as long as you put the top on just right!) AT least I didn’t have to resort to duct tape (the badge of a true frugal household-how many things are held together with duct tape)
I can’t wait to try this pita recipe. Since we are heading out of town on Fri, I don’t want to have any extra bread hanging around, so I’ll probably wait till next week.
[Reply]
oooh looks like fun. I think I’ll give them a whirl next week. I just need to buy more flour.
[Reply]
I finally tried this, and although they were delicious, they didn’t have a pocket in the middle. Did I do something wrong? Or do I just have to cut an opening?
[Reply]
great recipe! we’re loving it!
[Reply]
Thanks for sharing your review about cooking a homemade Pitas..I have a Bosch Mixer at home and i used it everytime in cooking and in baking.
[Reply]
So glad you dug this up, can’t wait to try it!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
March 9th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
They were a hit again. I don’t think I have made them since this post, sadly enough. The kids were so excited and they were perfect for dunking in soup
I hope you guys like them, Nancy!
[Reply]
Pingback: March Table Talk Cards and Weekend Links