Traditional Pita Bread

Homemade Pita Bread Tips

Why is my pita bread not puffing up?

Homemade pita bread depends on super high heat to activate steam in the dough, which puffs up the bread. Make sure you allow for plenty of time to preheat your oven, and use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven has heated to the right temperature before you put your bread in. (Here are other possible reasons your bread is not rising.)

What goes well with pita bread?

Pita bread, with its unique pocket, makes terrific sandwiches. For ideas, check out these recipes that use pita bread. Pita bread is also wonderful paired with hummus or vegetable dip, or baked up into pita chips as appetizers or snacks. Spice up your homemade pita bread by adding a little bit of za’atar or garam masala to the recipe.

How do you make pockets in pita bread?

The pockets in pita bread occur when the water in the dough quickly turns to steam from the high heat of the oven, forcing the bread to expand. To help encourage these pockets, roll the dough thinly so the heat can hit the center of the dough quickly and force the rise. After rolling out your pitas, be careful not to tear the dough, which could compromise it from fully expanding. Finally, keep your pitas from drying out by wrapping them in a clean kitchen towel after you take them out of the oven.

Research contributed by Mark Neufang, Taste of Home Culinary Assistant