Pita Bread Without Yeast - The Easiest Homemade Pita Recipe (2024)

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There’s something about puffed-up pita bread that makes me very happy. I refer to it as “poofy pita.”

Whether you want to call them pita pockets, fluffy pita, or pita pillows, they get that beautiful puff from yeast.

Well, they used to.

With this recipe, we’re going to accomplish the fluffiest pita bread without yeast!

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That’s right: absolutely no yeast is required for this recipe.

And don’t worry, we don’t need to substitute any wild ingredients here, either. This recipe is made with a simple 2-ingredient base, much like my protein bagels or breakfast bagel bombs.

Each pita is very impressive nutritionally, too: 120 calories, 0g fat, 23g carbs, and 6g of protein!

What ingredients do you need to make pita bread without yeast?

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This pita bread without yeast is a play on the “2 ingredient dough” that I’ve used in many recipes before.

Essentially, if you combine flour & Greek yogurt, it creates a dough that puffs up as if you had used yeast.

The major benefit to doing this is:

  1. You don’t have to wait for the dough to rise.
  2. The Greek yogurt adds extra protein to the dough, making the overall nutrition more favorable.

Recipes like this often call for self-rising flour, but that is not a staple in everyone’s kitchen. But don’t sweat it; self-rising flour is simply all-purpose flour that has been pre-mixed with baking powder and salt.

In this case, we’re just going to use all 3 of those ingredients instead. But if you have self-rising flour, it will be even easier for ya.

This “hack” is great to use for any bread recipes you may be wanting to make, and I use it as a starting point for many of my recipes before spicing them: Pretzel Biscuits, Pizza Bagel Bites, and Everything Bagel Pull Apart Bread, to name a few.

How do you make pita puffy without yeast?

There is one very important aspect of this recipe that you cannot overlook if you want to accomplish fluffy pita pockets.

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Once you mix the dough up, you need to let it sit for one hour.

This dough isn’t going to rise (since we are using no yeast) and after one hour, it is going to look exactly the same.

But this rest time is critical.

When the dough sits, the gluten relaxes and the dough becomes stretchier. It’s going to make it easier to roll out into circles, and it’s going to be the secret to the “poof.”

You can make this pita bread without letting the dough rest, and it will still be delicious, but it won’t accomplish those wonderful pita pockets.

PS: I experimented with letting the dough sit for one hour when I made my protein bagels, and they puffed up SO much to the point that they did not look like bagels anymore. The proof is in the poof.

How to make pita bread without yeast

This pita bread without yeast is so incredibly easy that you’re going to want to make these all the time.

Step 1

Add your dry ingredients to a bowl, then add the Greek yogurt and mix until it forms a dough ball.

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Step 2

Separate the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces. The sizes don’t have to be exact if you just want to eyeball it.

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Step 3

Lightly knead each ball of dough and roll them in your hands until smooth (you don’t want there to be any large gaps in the dough).

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let sit at room temperature for one hour.

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Note: the dough is not going to rise during this hour and it is going to look exactly the same. Trust the process!

Step 4

Place one dough ball on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle some additional flour on top. This will help prevent the dough from sticking when rolling it out.

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Step 5

Using a rolling pin (or any round object if you do not have one) roll out the dough ball into a flat circle.

I estimate that it is probably 1/8″ thick, but you can estimate based on my photo below. We want the pita to be nice and thin to allow it to puff up in the oven.

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Continue for all of the pita bread, then add to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

I could only fit 4 on my baking sheet, so I made this pita bread in 2 batches.

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Warning!

Do not bake these directly on a baking sheet- be sure to use parchment paper or a silicone mat. If you bake directly on the sheet, the bottoms of the pita bread are going to crisp up way more than we would like:

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Step 6

Bake at 500 degrees F for 8 minutes

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Check on the pita bread after 5 minutes. In my oven, it was clear that I had “hot spots” in my oven, as certain pita was puffing up more than others.

At the 5 minute mark, rotate the baking sheet to help the pita bread bake evenly.

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They won’t all puff up exactly the same, but that’s just the nature of baking sometimes.

Even if the pita bread doesn’t completely puff up in the oven, you should be able to open it up into a pita pocket, and that is a beautiful thing.

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Enjoy this pita bread without yeast in any number of ways: stuffed pita pockets, pita wraps, or cut up and eaten as an appetizer with your favorite dip!

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Pita Bread Without Yeast

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 13 minutes

No yeast? No problem! We can accomplish some beautifully fluffy pita bread with absolutely no yeast required.

Ingredients

  • 180g (1.5 Cups) All-Purpose Flour (can also use self-rising flour)
  • 180g (2/3 Cup) Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
  • 2Tsp Baking Powder (omit if using self-rising flour)
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions

  1. Add all your dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix them up.
  2. Add the Greek yogurt to the bowl, then use a silicone spatula to mix everything up. Once it starts to come together, use your hands to form it into a ball of dough in your bowl.
  3. Add the dough to a lightly floured surface.
  4. Break the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces. You can weigh the dough out and divide that by 6 if you want to be exact, but I typically just eyeball it because I don't mind if they are slightly different sizes.
  5. Knead each piece of dough for just one minute and roll them in your hands until they become smooth balls.
  6. Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil (I use oil to help retain moisture, but you can use cooking spray as well if needed) and add your dough balls to it. Cover with a towel or saran wrap and let sit for one hour.
  7. The dough will NOT rise in this hour, but it's the secret to relaxing the dough and creating that "poof" that we want to achieve.
  8. After the dough has rested, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
  9. Flour a surface and place on dough ball on the flour, then sprinkle a little bit of flour on top to prevent sticking while rolling the dough out. Take a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a flat circle. We want these to be nice and thin!
  10. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and continue until all of the dough has been rolled out. I was only able to fit 4 on my baking sheet, so I baked these in 2 batches.
  11. Add to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. After 5 minutes, I find it very beneficial to rotate the pan. This isn't absolutely necessary, but I find parts of my oven to be hotter, so certain areas will poof up better.
  12. After 8 minutes, remove from the oven. Each pita will puff up different amounts, so they may not all get super fluffy, but that is okay! They will still be very light and able to be split into pita pockets.
  13. Continue with your second batch if needed, then enjoy.

Notes

  • Parchment paper on your baking sheet is necessary for these. If you bake directly on the baking sheet, the bottoms are going to overcook and become hard.
  • You can cook these pitas in a skillet instead of baking in the oven, but they will not puff up the same amount.
  • You can store leftover pita at room temperature in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 6Serving Size 1 Pita
Amount Per ServingCalories 120Total Fat 0gCarbohydrates 23gProtein 6g

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Pita Bread Without Yeast - The Easiest Homemade Pita Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pita and Greek style pita bread? ›

Greek pita bread is one of those lesser-known flatbreads that is often referred to as “Mediterranean Pita” or as “pocket-less pita”. Whereas the more common pita bread (sometimes called “Arabic pita”) has a hollow “pocket” that is usually stuffed, Greek pita bread is soft, slightly thicker and has no pocket.

What is pita bread made of which flour? ›

This soft and light Pita Bread is made from whole wheat flour and also has the trademark pita pocket perfect for stuffing with tahini, hummus, falafel or anything else you'd like! One of the easiest breads to make, it is also versatile and can be used for so much more than a pocket to put yummy things in.

Why is my pita not fluffy? ›

That's because the puff is steam-powered. For it to work, the dough must be neither too thick nor too thin, and be sufficiently hydrated so that the blast of heat from the oven quickly turns the moisture to steam that inflates the bread. One of the best ways to get this right is a kitchen scale.

What makes the pocket in pita bread? ›

The pocket in a pita is made by steam, which puffs up the dough during the baking process. When the bread cools, it becomes flat again but a pocket is left in the middle of the bread. The pockets in pita bread make them perfect for making sandwiches, wraps, and other types of recipes you can hold in your hand.

What is the healthiest pita bread to eat? ›

Best: Ezekiel 4:9 Prophet's Pocket

The Ezekiel 4:9 pita is one of the healthiest pita options on shelves. Its first ingredient is organic 100% stone-ground whole wheat flour, which helps the pita provide 4 grams of filling fiber per serving. For only 100 calories, you get 5 grams of protein with zero grams of sugar.

Why is pita healthier than bread? ›

Pita bread is a light, delicate bread that is less dense, low-calorie, and has fewer carbohydrates than many other types of bread. When made with whole-grain wheat flour, it also contains more fiber and antioxidants than regular bread (especially white bread).

How do you make pitas not dry? ›

Rule 6: Wrap Baked Pitas in a Towel

It's because they've dried out too much. To prevent that, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel as soon as they come out of the oven. The cloth traps just enough moisture, while also allowing the pitas to breathe; use plastic, and they'll sweat and get soggy.

How do you keep pita bread soft and fresh? ›

Simply dampen a paper towel and wrap it around the flatbread or pita. Place it in the microwave and heat on high for 10-20 seconds. The moisture from the damp towel prevents the bread from drying out, keeping it soft and pliable.

Can you cut pita bread to make a pita pocket? ›

If the pita bread is perfectly round, you can make your cut from any side. Cutting through the long side of the pita makes the pocket deeper so you're able to put more ingredients inside.

What does Greek pita mean? ›

In Greece the word pita means "pastry" and is usually used for various cakes and pastries like spanakopita (spinach pie) and karydopita (walnut cake) unrelated to the English language "pita" flatbread.

Does Greek-style pita have a pocket? ›

Greek-style pita doesn't have a pocket--it's more of a fluffy flatbread, perfect for scooping your favorite dips or wrapping savory proteins, like Lamb Meatballs and Minted Yogurt.

What is Greek pita made of? ›

👩‍🍳 How to Make Fluffy Greek Pita Bread

Whisk in the sugar first and then the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until it becomes frothy. Whisk in the olive oil and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

Is Greek pita flat bread healthy? ›

Yes, pita bread can definitely be a healthy food to include in your meals. For regular bread and pita bread, I recommend whole wheat varieties which contain more fiber and nutrients.

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