This easy Pita bread is a great flatbread that can be used anywhere. Fill up the flat breads with patties, roasted veggies or blackened tempeh, slice the bread into bite size pieces to use with soups and dips and just about anything.
I like the with yeast Pita as it rolls out much easier, puffs up easier and stays soft! This dough can also be baked into dinner rolls or buns. Shape into rolls after the first rise. Spray water on the rolls. Sprinkle sesame seeds and le tit rise for 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 17 to 19 minutes.
See a Yeast-free Flatbread here.
Steps:
Roll the dough balls out. Cook over a hot skillet until bubbly.
Flip and cook the other side for a few seconds.
Then place on the gas stove to puff up.
Vegan Pita Bread Recipe
Allergen Information: Free of Dairy, egg, corn, nut, soy. See Yeast-free Flatbread here.
Ingredients: Makes 10 or more pita breads
½ tsp active yeast
¾ cup warm water
¼ tsp sugar
⅓ tsp salt
½ cup wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour or all purpose flour
1 tbsp oil
Wheat flour for dusting and rolling
Method:
In a bowl mix the yeast with warm water and sugar. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
Then mix salt in the flours and add to the yeast bowl. Add oil and knead into a soft dough. Knead only until well combined. 1 to 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise until doubled. 1 hour or longer depending on ambient temperature.
Use a tablespoon of flour, punch down the dough and knead for a few seconds to smooth it out. Divide the dough into 10 or more equal sizes balls. Using flour, roll each of the balls out to 5 to 6 inch circles. Cover with a towel.
Cook on the skillet:
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Place the rolled out flatbread on the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbles start to appear. Flip and cook for another ½ to 1 minute. Then place the flatbread on the open flame. Keep moving it and flipping it every few seconds until puffed and golden.
Bake in oven:
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F and place a large pizza stone or thick baking sheet in the oven to heat up for atleast 20 minutes.
Place the rolled out breads 3 to 4 at a time depending on the size of the stone. Bake for 3 to 6 minutes or until the breads puff up and get just about golden on top. Switch the oven to high broil if your oven doesnt get hot enough and pita breads take too long to puff up.
Remove carefully from the oven and place the next batch on the stone. The baked breads will puff up if they were rolled out evenly. Store wrapped in kitchen towel for the day and refrigerated for upto 5 days.
Recipe Card
Vegan Pita Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) active yeast
- ¾ cup (187.5 ml) warm water
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) sugar
- ⅓ tsp (0.33 tsp) salt
- ½ cup (62.5 g) wheat flour
- 1 cup (125 g) unbleached white flour or all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp oil
- Wheat flour for dusting and rolling
Instructions
- In a bowl mix the yeast with warm water and sugar. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Then mix salt in the flours and add to the yeast bowl. Add oil and knead into a soft dough. Knead only until well combined. 1 to 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise until doubled. 1 hour or longer depending on ambient temperature.
- Use a tablespoon of flour, punch down the dough and knead for a few seconds to smooth it out. Divide the dough into 10 or more equal sizes balls. Using flour, roll each of the balls out to 5 to 6 inch circles. Cover with a towel.
- Cook on the skillet:
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Place the rolled out flatbread on the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbles start to appear. Flip and cook for another ½ to 1 minute. Then place the flatbread on the open flame. Keep moving it and flipping it every few seconds until puffed and golden.
- Bake in oven:
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F / 230ºc and place a large pizza stone or thick baking sheet in the oven to heat up for atleast 20 minutes.
- Place the rolled out breads 3 to 4 at a time depending on the size of the stone.Bake for 3 to 6 minutes or until the breads puff up and get just about golden on top. Switch the oven to high broil if your oven doesnt get hot enough and pita breads take too long to puff up.
- Remove carefully from the oven and place the next batch on the stone. The baked breads will puff up if they were rolled out evenly. Store wrapped in kitchen towel for the day and refrigerated for upto 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Alaina
I made these pitas tonight for dinner and they were amazing!! I baked them and they puffed up perfectly. They looked so professional and tasted delicious. Thank you Richa!
Richa
Yay
LilVegan
Hi so I like to make my meals weekly so I would eat them throughout the week. Is there a way I can make these last the week without freezing them?
Richa
Refrigerate for upto 6 days. Freeze for any longer than that
Amanda
Hi Richa, would you say I could prepare the dough in the morning to be cooked in the evening? Is there any special prep I need to do? I like to prepare dinner early so my family can easily have dinner ready before I return from work. Thank you, this recipe looks delicious.
Richa
You can prep the flatbreads ahead and reheat. Or roll them out and store between parchment paper and place in ziploc, freeze for upto a month. Take them from the freezer and directly cook on skillet as needed
Sudha
If I make all whole grain wheat and/or add some ground up flax seeds(some of the flour quantity), do I need to change up anything? Will this work with roti atta instead of western whole wheat?
Richa
Yes. Witb any changes flour you’ll need more or less water. So adjust while kneading
Kent Jones
Cool! Now I never have to buy pita bread again. Local supermarket doesn’t carry it, anyway. These turned out great, despite the fact they did NOT puff up. Grrrrrrrrr. I assume that comes with practice. And maybe a gas range, not electric… Still yummy. Thanks!
Richa
Yea roll out evenly and use gas flame
LilVegan
What if you don’t have gas flame you only have electric stove?
Richa
Just cook on the skillet by pressing with a spatula
Karen
So yummy and easy to make! Worked perfectly with instant yeast and at high altitude (7,000 feet). Loved the stovetop method so I don’t have to turn on the oven in the summer!
Nimisha
Hi Richa…love your recipes…just wanted to know can we use Instant yeast instead of Active yeast and also how much?
Thanks 😊
Richa
Same amount
Tracie
Hi Richa! Can I use only all-purpose flour instead of wheat flour?
Richa
Yes
Zena Chatila
Can I use oat flour instead of the white flour?
Richa
Not in this recipe, use my gluten free flatbread recipes
Dipika
Thankyou Richa for your recepies. can you pls let me know a yeast substitute. My child has a yeast allergy. Why do we need to use yeast?
Dipika
Sorry typo error on your name. Apologise. Kindly let me know a yeast substitute. Why is it necessary?
Dipika
Thankyou Socha for your recepies. can you pls let me know a yeast substitute. My child has a yeast allergy
Richa
try this one https://www.veganricha.com/2015/04/vegan-yeast-free-flatbread-and-pita-bread.html
Dipika
thanks. And substitute to gluten in this recwpie would be? she has gluten allergy too
Richa
try this. no yeast and no gluten https://www.veganricha.com/2019/01/gluten-free-cauliflower-flatbread-grainfree.html 🙂
Dipika
Amazing! Thanks a ton. Just curious. why is yeast needed in recepies?
Katie
I made this once before on the stovetop and I really liked it! This time I’ll be trying in the oven. Just a quick question: after I roll the breads out can I stack them on top of one another or will they most likely get stuck together? I have very limited kitchen space but would like to roll out in advance. I don’t generally use parchment paper, so I don’t have any of this on hand.
Richa
They can be stacked if you dust them. Dust them lightly with flour after rolling and stack.
Katie
Great I’ll try this Thanks.
Sarah
Can one commit the sugar?
Richa
yes, use 1 tsp flour instead with the yeast. Yeast needs some carbs to activate.
TIFFANY
Is there an alternative way to “puff up” these breads if I dont have a gas burner?
Richa
Yes, use a kitchen towel and press on the flatbread when it has bubbles on the skillet. The pressing will allow the bubbles to keep moving and expanding , see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDftiXWkdOg
Tiffany L Balagna
That was really helpful, thank you!!