Traditional Greek Pita Bread 

Freshly baked Greek pita is one of life's simplest pleasures. Soft, fluffy and slightly chewy, it's the bread you'll find wrapped around souvlaki, served alongside mezze, or piled high with fresh salads and authentic Greek spreads.

Unlike the pocket-style pitas found in many supermarkets, traditional Greek pita is thicker, softer and made for sharing. Warm from the pan with a drizzle of olive oil, it's the perfect companion to melitzanosalata, bouyiourntí, tapenade and grilled vegetables.

Once you've made it yourself, you'll never look at shop-bought pitas the same way again.

Serves 

Makes 8 pita breads 

Perfect For

• Summer lunches

• Greek mezze nights

• BBQs 

• Wraps and sandwiches 

• Dipping into authentic Greek spreads

• Family sharing platters

Ingredients 

For The Dough 

• 500g strong white bread flour

• 7g fast-action dried yeast

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1½ tsp sea salt

• 300ml warm water

• 2 tbsp Greek extra virgin olive oil

To Finish

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Dried oregano (optional)

• Sea salt flakes (optional)

Method

Step 1: Make The Dough

Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil before mixing into a soft dough.

Knead for around 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic.

Step 2: Leave To Rise

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave somewhere warm for around an hour, or until doubled in size.

Step 3: Shape The Pitas

Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and roll each into a circle around 18-20cm wide.

Leave them to rest for 15-20 minutes while heating a heavy frying pan or griddle over a medium-high heat.

Step 4: Cook

Cook each pita for around 2 minutes on each side until golden with characteristic toasted spots. They should puff slightly while cooking and remain beautifully soft inside.

Stack the cooked pitas beneath a clean tea towel to keep them warm. 

Why Greek Pita Is Different 

Traditional Greek pita isn't designed to split into a pocket. Instead, it's soft, flexible and perfect for wrapping around grilled meats, scooping up dips or serving alongside a generous mezze spread.

The addition of Greek olive oil gives the bread its rich flavour and wonderfully tender texture.

Serving Suggestion 

Serve warm with melitzanosalata, bouyiourntí, Greek salad tapenade, marinated mushrooms and grilled vegetables for an authentic taste of a Greek summer.