The Softest Pocket Pita: Oven Method

Homemade pita pockets are superior to any store-bought variety. They're soft, fluffy, aromatic, and the most delicious pita that you will ever eat. Pita dough is the easiest to make and very inexpensive. This recipe makes 10 pitas to use for filling with your favorite things: gyro, chicken, falafel, and even tuna fish. Set them out alongside dips and veggies and enjoy!
Print this recipe here: www.dimitrasdi...
INGREDIENTS
The Dry Ingredients:
• 4 and ¼ cups (648 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
The Wet Ingredients:
• 1 cup (250 ml) lukewarm water
• 1 cup (250 ml) lukewarm whole milk
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that is fitted with the dough hook attachment, add all of the wet ingredients except for the olive oil. Allow the yeast to activate for 8 minutes. As soon as a puffy cloud forms at the top of the mixture, the yeast is active.
Add the olive oil along with all of the dry ingredients and knead on low speed for 12 minutes.
Lightly grease a large bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Toss to coat in oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in the warmest room of your home to rise until doubled in volume. About 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 525 °F, 270 °C.
Cut the dough into 10 equal portions.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll each portion of dough out into about 6-7-inch circles. Keep their thickness even. Use as much flour as needed to roll them out evenly.
Line 3 baking trays with parchment paper and sprinkle some semolina flour on top if desired.
Place 3 pitas on each baking tray.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.
Bake the trays in the preheated oven for approximately 4 minutes or until the pockets are formed.
Transfer the pitas to a plate and serve immediately.
Leftover pitas can be stored in an airtight bag or container and kept in the freezer or the refrigerator until ready to use.
NOTES
To make whole wheat pitas, substitute 2 cups of whole wheat flour for 2 cups of all-purpose flour. This dough can be kneaded by hand. Knead it until it is no longer sticky. It should stay soft and tacky.
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Thanks for watching! I'd love to see your recreations of these dishes so please share pics with me on social media :)
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and spread the word so that we can make the world more delicious!

[@gladysvazquez8693]

Just made these. This is the third recipe I tried and the only one to produce perfect Pita with pockets. Thank you

[@morehn]

The trick is the difference between why you would hand stretch or rolling pin press the dough. Hand stretching stretches the dough and it makes it crispy. Rolling pins press the dough and create vertical tension which then springs out due to the moisture in the dough when it bakes. Without using enough flour, you're effectively stretching it, not pressing it.

[@sherrysoong94]

Made these last week and they were phenomenal! I put them on the pizza stone to bake them and it took 2 min first side, 1 min second side. No duds, all puffy and beautiful! Thanks for the best recipe :)

[@DianeHasHopeInChrist]

I just made these Pita pockets, both ways. And they came out beautifully! My husband loves a good, soft, moist bread. We no longer buy Store bought bread, because of the "chemical" taste. And store bought bread all tastes the same because of all the preservatives in it. We use your recipe for Pita Bread & Flat Breads to make sandwiches, hotdog buns, and even as bread with soups & stews! I just made myself a Roast Beef with Creamy Horseradish sauce....it was delicious as the Pita bread was the best sandwich bread you can make!

[@ginaswanger8657]

Follow up: So last time I measured flour I grams 648 per your instructions and dough came out very dry lumpy; this am I measured flour in cups 4 1/2 according to my scale equals 517 grams >>dough came out great just like your video. Thank you

[@lmlmlmlm7627]

Thank you for this comment! I tend to go with weight, not volume, so your comment was helpful!

[@cathys949]

I see now I have always overcooked my pitas! I will remove them immediately after they puff from now on! Thanks!

[@pacogimanes]

This is some great tutorial video right here. The wrong way demonstration and the hot air from the oven parts are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much lady, instant sub

[@diananoonen2262]

Dimitra your a blessing! That "wrong way" demo was my Aha moment!!! Brilliant demo. Your helping to keep our culture alive and I can teach my children as well. Thank you. PS The dryer trick works. It entertains the family when I put the dough into the dryer. It works so well, the dough seems very happy when I take it out. Have a Blessed Day.

[@DimitrasDishes]

You're so welcome! That dryer trick is pretty entertaining. Isn't it? haha!

[@Melindalot]

I know this video is 4 years old but I just made these today and following her technique every single one of them puffed up and gave me a great pocket!

[@66wildrose]

i've made it twice now and EVRYONE loves it - thank you SO much for this recipe... we call them "lepinja" where i come from, and i've been missing them ever since i changed continents... now i can have them anytime i want...

[@DimitrasDishes]

Yay!! This makes me so happy 🤗

[@jonbaum]

I've just finished making these and they're perfect. I grew up in Israel where the Palestinian pita breads are always sofe and puffy like this, never flat breads. This is by far the best recipe I've ever tried. I'd love to send you a picture.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Glad you like them!

[@rachaelnikkola8257]

Made these today. Each and everyone puffed up beautifully in the oven! Thanks so much for reworking this recipe!

[@DimitrasDishes]

You are so welcome!

[@katherinekornahrens167]

Thank you for the delicious easy recipe. The cast iron pan method didn’t work so well. So,with the last 3 balls that I had for 2 days in fridge I put in oven and wow, what a difference. Puffed up beautifully.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Wonderful! It gets easier each time that you make them :)

[@retiredlogman]

My wife made these tonight. They were fluffy and light, excellent recipe.

[@epacki]

Used your recipe today and was very satisfied - good pockets & soft. I had tried making pita bread in the past and was disappointed. Thanks for the recipe!

[@sfreddy]

Also, I dropped the rolling pin on the floor and my downstairs neighbor asked, later in the day, if I was bowling. Interesting to note she heard that but not the outragiously loud alarms that went off. This from a 95-year-old woman! I love her.

[@tanvav]

TY sweet Dimitroula mou! I know there's pros & cons to everything we do in life. I'll be making these this week. I love pocket pitas. Stay safe!

[@DimitrasDishes]

You are so welcome!

[@rachaelnikkola8257]

Crazy thing is that 50% of my homemade pita’s turned out beautifully with the other 50% delicious but without a pocket. Didn’t want to hurt your feelings with a bad review! Thanks so very much for doing this recipe over. I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow!

[@eli-jl9hm]

you probably put the other pitas in the oven directly without waiting the oven to heat up again! try it out next time!

[@MEmneina]

THANK YOU FOR THIS!! You could tell in your last video some of us wanted more information on how to execute the recipe in an oven :-)) thanks for hearing us!

[@DimitrasDishes]

Yes!! I'm paying attention :) Hope you enjoy this one!!

[@grassburner]

Yes, you are awesome! These are perfect. Yummo's with kababs.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thanks so much for being here today :)

[@genevievechoghari5987]

🌸 Am so happy to have found you….you are a excellent teacher…you make things look so easy and after watching you am always hungry….Much love 💕 New Orleans 🎭🎶🎭

[@GodsObedientChild-Deuteron6262]

Very nice recipe as ALWAYS😊💫👍✨👌🌟🙌💃💕!

[@excaliber90887]

Just made these today…absolutely lovely! Out of 10, I had two end up not puffing up properly (I know where I messed up) but I just turned those into such delicious flatbread pizzas! Wonderful recipe!

[@mariadiantherese9663]

This is a great recipe. With two tries, I still get nan, maybe it's the heat in my cast iron pan not being right. They're very very good - but I don't have the pocket working yet. Thank you for your amazing recipes!

[@marche49]

Excellent! Thank you

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thank YOU for being here :)

[@poketube6224]

Wow this is taking home made food to a whole new level

[@chefcookie6695]

Thank you 😊 For teaching us your Greek food With out going.to.Greece ; even though I would like go one of these days ☺️

[@naji2naji]

This is awesome 👍, if you don't have restaurant yet, you should get one, five stars!

[@johnmal801]

You taught me to make gyro meat now I get to learn how to make pita pockets. Thank you very much for the lesson..

[@DimitrasDishes]

My pleasure 😊

[@mariehodgeman6563]

I’m trying this new version of the recipe ASAP. My kids love a pita pocket! Thank you so much for showing how not to as well as how to.. it really helps a lot! I can see where I went wrong last time.. tho they were still delicious… nothing went to waste. Thank you so much.

[@tsitsidzumbunu2149]

Lovely make it mine came out nice and fluffy now im not buy again i will make my own .thnk u so much with e good and delicious recipe.God bless yu.

[@dizziechef9502]

I set my dough bowl in warm water to help rising. Not hot but nicely warm. I’ll change it once if I want to. Works great

[@johns.9819]

lebnah and pita my favorite

[@ultimateillusion]

You read my mind! I just went to the market last night and they had no pita, and I was thinking "I bet Dimitra has a recipe for that" and here we are! - Side note: Maybe you should do a new whole chicken video, at my market a lot of the other varieties were sold out because of the meat shortage/people bulk buying.

[@Raul28153]

There's a little more to the pocket than the care in rolling. Water. Your dough is a very wet dough. Maybe 85% water. When you ball it you are forming a gluten lattice - a skin, if you will, that is a little tougher than the dough beneath it. So it holds water inside. That water turns to steam inside the cooked-off skin, and when it expands it tears the softer dough apart creating the pocket.

[@hickbilly8925]

Yup. You're. Right. Just like making butter. I'll never buy pitas again! Thank you! Awesome channel.👍

[@MT-kb8df]

Thank you. I had great success with your pita recipe.

[@DimitrasDishes]

yay!! This makes me so happy. I'm working on. an air-fryer version that will be up very soon :)

[@SanenyahJordan]

I want to say thank you for mentioning the speed and time limit on the mixer! It takes so much out of the guesswork!!

[@carlomakinano764]

Im addicted watching ur video. Not only because of ur recipes also becauce ur relly beautiful 😍😍

[@kanshow7412]

Thank you so much, I tried it and was amazing, God 🙏 bless you

[@donnieg.6976]

I've made pita bread before, but my pockets were inconsistent. The next time I make pita bread I'll definitely use more flour when rolling them out Great video!

[@charlainemarkesen4708]

Thank you.

[@tsitsidzumbunu2149]

This is good thnk u i make mine waal nice and fluffy big ballon came out thk you so mucu

[@liarfreek]

Its perfect demostration.

[@SimplicityofShaheen]

Wow bread 🥯 look yummy very soft I will definitely try thanks for sharing

[@andreaandrea8888]

I did everything wrong with this recipe and it STILL worked! Light, fluffy, and pockets. Yay. Any tips for trying a 1/2 whole wheat mixture?

[@NardeBanks]

Thank you for this recipe and technique. It is the only recipe one could ever need for pita. You are awesome beyond belief

[@catecurl3790]

Hi Dimitra 🙄 you know, a little tangent between friends (even those without eye lashes) is always a good thing 😅thanks for this recipe. We have a bakery here in Victoria which makes suspiciously similar little pitas....SO good we have to make sure they are portioned out so we ALL can enjoy them but we get out there only once a year. This recipe looks like it will remedy the problem. Can't wait ⚘

[@danielflam4037]

thanks for making the "wrong way" was wondering why mine are so inconsistent! This is probably the best pita tutorial I have seen so far

[@DimitrasDishes]

You're welcome!

[@Hozay1228]

I made your gyro meat recipe, I messed up and used 1 pound of ground lamb and one pound of Kobe beef. It shrunk to about half the size of the pan it was in and made a ton of dripping. Like 2 cups. lol It was still really delicious though. Thanks for these awesome recipes. You rock!!!

[@thetotster670]

Hopefully you saved the drippings for sauces & soups.

[@LilGregLT]

LoL @11:30 I'm gonna throw some rice and shawarma in mine. Thanks for the help! Stay positive!

[@Glitter221]

Great teacher and so pretty…..delicious recipe!

[@michellehill3838]

I LOVE this channel.

[@sfreddy]

Thank you for sharing. I just did a batch and they came out AWESOME. Some are a bit misshapen but all puffed up. For my oven and the way I like them I would give them 5 minutes next time. I also made your American Gyros and that came out great as well. Also kind of figured out the rolling and flattening technique on my own. Next time I go into it with more skill. Going to make a nice sandwich now. Thank you, again!

[@sfreddy]

The somewhat distressing and funny side of it is that I did not close off my kitchen door which resulted in both my smoke detector and C02 detectors going off. Not a big deal and somewhat funny but definitely a lesson for next time.

[@SkylinersYeti]

I tried this last night with all purpose flour, for the fist time it turned out good. Next time it will be better just need practice. Today is real challenge. My wife is gluten and lactose intolerant. I substituted Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour and lactose free milk. Bummer the pita did not raise the second time and was very dry and fragile. It was nearly impossible to transfer them to the frying pan without them cracking. When cooking with gluten free flour one must reduce temperature and cook longer. Have you ever tried gluten free cooking, a real challenge? .

[@hamidhamiyanji]

Hi dear i tryed with semolin 1 thay come out very beautifuly gogeuse n testy thank you so much dear

[@ginaswanger8657]

I made the pitta bread last week; it was hit!!! Thank you

[@malcolmlewis5860]

A very strong video. Well done. Soon you will ah e 100 k subs,. I remember when I discovered your channel with 1 k subs and could not get over why you were such secret. I knew you were good enough to have a massive channel.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thank you so much 😀 I really appreciate your support :) Say hello to your daughter!

[@mariehodgeman6563]

Sooooo excited!! It worked!! Thank you!!

[@shacheb]

Love this. I made the other ones and I didn’t get much pockets but they were delicious 😋

[@texas-red538]

Sweet thanks for sharing!!! Im gonna try them!! Today!!!

[@rachaelnikkola8257]

Making your Greek Style Yogurt Chicken for dinner tomorrow, these will hopefully work perfectly!

[@DimitrasDishes]

Hope you enjoy

[@sfreddy]

Thank you, dear, Handing down great knowledge.

[@georgepelekoudis]

Thanks goodness you posted this right before supper 😂 They looked amazing, Dimitra. Have a good evening. Stay safe :)

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thank you! You too!

[@satanking35]

Thanks

[@margopregers9427]

Dimitra, I am from Suriname ( South- America) I have try the pita's. They where soft and fluffy. Awesome recipe. Thank you

[@ginaswanger8657]

Very good video Thank you so much ! looks delicious and I will be making it very soon

[@DimitrasDishes]

You are welcome 😊

[@Damian.D]

Great!! 🤗 You inspire us to be brave and creative. Stay safe!

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thank you!

[@jeniferjack-george6248]

Hi Dimitra good morning. I just found your channel and I am so thankful. I am from the caribbean Islands. Mediterranean cooking is new to me and I am enjoying your videos very much I habe been binge watching for several hours and have learned alot. Being from the islands we normally make bread by hand. Can I use a hand mixer with the dough hook or mixer blades attachment. Thanks.

[@user-il2zt6lw1x]

Looks 😊great

[@giftsforwomenatwork6177]

Very good 😌 thanks 🙏

[@catfish542]

why didnt i know about you great stuff

[@TheHoracioestrada]

Great explanation to create the pocket 👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thanks for watching

[@nanno8483]

Your oven is a great draft free place to raise yeasted doughs! Place dough in a oiled boil, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in a cold oven. Turning the oven light on adds just the right amount of heat to proof the perfect dough

[@HooknCookbyDespinaTrina]

Hi dimitra!I tried this came out amazing thank you!..when you say that you put your dough mix in the dryer do you mean the clothes dryer ?I may try that next time if so ☺

[@yohanaarifin8434]

thank you for the recepe, I made it

[@ceciliapalacio2846]

Thank you for a WONDERFUL RECIPE 💥💫💫💫💫💫💥 I have an electric oven that only goes to 500 F Unless I put it on broil it will go to 525 F What do I do?

[@8nansky528]

I ADORE READING

[@SimpleEnglishHub-]

very nice, thank you!

[@mariaribeiro9825]

Thank you, I thank u. Yr Awesome

[@anthonyhitchings1051]

I have made pita pockets twice. Oven cooking beats stove top cooking. Keep the dough sticky like a Begneit dough (Begneits also puff up, when deep fried). My second time with sticky dough and oven method got 8 out of 8 pockets. My 2nd time I ised 20% whole wheat flour. Now I want to experiment with thickness.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thanks for sharing!

[@NOHANDLE25]

Yum, nuff said.

[@priyankavarughese4774]

Hey... I've tried your shawarma recipe... Turned out better than any I've had. Thanks for that. Question with regards for this bread: would adding whole wheat flour work for a pita bread????

[@AussieAngeS]

Omg you roll out perfectly round circles 🥺🤣 I cant roll a circle, mine come out looking like a weird square lol thanks for showing how you make yours, I hate when dough sticks to rolling pins and boards 😩

[@DimitrasDishes]

Haha! been there with the square shape too. Keep making them and it will get easier :) You got this!

[@AussieAngeS]

Dimitra's Dishes ok I’ll keep trying lol

[@esoteric_teachings]

Delicious

[@petethefeet1461]

beautiful mmmm

[@BearMeat4Dinner]

Tekanis??? Great video!!

[@nbacino2147]

Good recipe

[@rachaelnikkola8257]

With Tzaziki Sauce of course!

[@DimitrasDishes]

Absolutely ;)

[@Jess-ne6fw]

Hi there, thanks for the recipe! Looks delicious. I'm going to try this to dip in humus. It's pretty similar to our Lebanese bread/pita. Quick question, if I double the recipe, do I have to also double the amount of yeast? I appreciate how showed us the wrong way to do it. I've done a similar recipe and some didn't create pockets but I didn't know why. Now I do!

[@DimitrasDishes]

Yes, double all of the ingredients :) Enjoy!!

[@aheartofworship27]

Hello Dimitra, I love your cooking & teaching style. Would I be able to masked this if I dig have a Kitchen Aide? All I have is a hand mixer and food processor??? Thanks

[@marisamariecourt9047]

Can this be made Keto/diabetes friendly? I love Greek food thank you for your help and videos.

[@BethyKable]

Looks like it’s worth all the work to have an exceptional pita pocket. They are the best especially when stuffed with such good stuff! Could you stuff them with fruit as in a dessert ?

[@DimitrasDishes]

Why not?!! That sounds so yummy :) Will add that idea to my list. I'm thinking along the lines of a fig jam and cheese panini. maybe with some walnuts. YUMMMM

[@BethyKable]

Dimitra's Dishes Oh yes! Figs and dates with a light cream sauce! Sounds heavenly! Love 💕 ya

[@DimitrasDishes]

@Sabine de Vos Oh my Lord!!! Give me some right. now...haha!

[@nayeemaiqbal9039]

Love it 🌹 and subscribed

[@andrexadoh]

Thank you for this vid. And you are such a gorgeous woman. Two good things about your channel. Pleasing palet and my eyes. 🥰🥰

[@aaronkastriotiseni1406]

These are great they look delicious but my crazy mind is never satisfied. I had to find a way to make my pocket pitta the same thickness on both side when you open it, I don't like one side paper thin, and other side thick, it kinda makes the thin side soggy when you add your stuffing inside especially if you have tzatziki or tomatoes inside. So what I did is I used the exact same recipe but doing them in the pan, very hot pan and once I lay pitta on it, I leav it not more than 10sec that way i create a soft still not fully cooked crust on the bottom, and then i flip it on the other side to create same sort of crust thickens and then keep flopping it until is fully cooked. That way I got sides of pitta bread equal in thickness. I never used milk for my pitta before so thanks for the recipe.

[@hanaaboutrus9840]

You can Put it under the broil for a minute to have a golden colour on top

[@diananoonen2262]

I love my pizza stone but its too small for this. What type of tile did you use? Thats a great solution.

[@DimitrasDishes]

Any ceramic tiles will work. You can go to your local tile shop after measuring your oven rack and purchase a few. It is such an inexpensive alternative and I always like to have extra just in case they crack :)

[@mnamous9823]

Did I miss the “dryer trick”? I went back to check, but couldn’t find it, and I don’t see any other comments about it. What is the dryer trick?!?

[@MiroBG359]

Would a pita/tortilla press work the same as rolling or no? I'm guessing no? I made the previous recipe, my first time ever, some rose some didn't how you roll them definitely affects what happens

[@ginaswanger8657]

ok so I made these pita bread before this is like my 4th time andI loved it. this time around the dough did not come together it is just crumbs ! what did I do wrong ? will do this again tomorrow am. thank you

[@MacKenziePoet]

This could not be more comprehensive. The science of pita! What is the best stuffing for the pitas?

[@DimitrasDishes]

Thank you for that!! As for the stuffings, there are so many!! Leftover lamb or chicken with some tomato, onion, and bell peppers and tzatziki!! yumm