Homemade Pita Pockets

The yeast rolls I made turned out so well. I got really brave and researched pita pockets! I'll be making them again. I think it turned out pretty well. They could have puffed a little better, but these will do for the first time making them! 

1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3 ½ cups (426 to 497 g) all-purpose flour (see note)


In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the water, yeast, salt and 1 1/2 cups flour. Using a dough hook, beat to form a soft batter-like consistency. Add additional flour 1 cup at a time until the dough starts to come together. Scape down the sides if necessary.  Add enough flour to form a soft dough that clears the sides of the bowl but is still slightly tacky to the touch and knead for 4-5 minutes with an electric mixer or 8-9 minutes by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll the dough pieces into a ball shape. Lightly cover the balls of dough and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. Roll each dough ball into a thin disc, about 1/4-inch thick, keeping an even thickness. That helps the dough puff in the oven. Let the pita rounds rest, lightly covered, for 30-40 minutes until they are slightly puffed.

Well, the one on the left is a little wop sided. 

While the pita rounds are resting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  

When the pitas have rested, gently flip two of them onto a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Again, make sure you flip them so the side that was resting on the counter is now facing up. Spritz with water, if needed.

Bake the pitas for 10 minutes, until they are starting to brown very lightly on top and they have puffed several inches high. Don't get discouraged if your pitas don't all puff. I had two that didn't puff very well because they stuck to the paper where I had them resting. Totally my fault. The baked and cooled pitas can be frozen or stored covered at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Homemade Pita Bread... Chicken Gyros

For the Pitas:

1 cup warm water
1 pkg dry active yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil

In a small bowl, add the yeast to the water and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Pour the yeast and water into the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Add the oil. Slowly add the flour and salt while kneading the dough. The dough should be tacky. Knead the dough in the mixer until it is smooth, about 5 minutes. Brush a little oil over the dough Cover and let rise for an hour or until it has doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured working surface. Cut the dough into 6-8 pieces. Using a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle a little oil into the pan before adding the disks of dough. Cook the pita until bubbles start to form. Flip the dough over and cook until lightly browned. Flip the dough back over and cook for about a minute, until the pita puffs up. Remove from heat and cover with a clean dish towel. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Chicken For the Gyros:

8-10 Chicken Tenders

2 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Cavendar's Greek Seasoning
2 tsp Lemon Juice

Pan fry the chicken until done. Add the butter and seasoning. Cook until lightly browned. Set aside.

Tzatziki Sauce for Gyros:

16 ounces Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 cucumber
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 teaspoon basil
3 tbsp lemon juicesalt and pepper, to taste

Peel the cucumber. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Grate the cucumber and squeeze in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess water.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the Greek yogurt, cucumber, red wine vinegar, dill, basil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop.

To assemble the Gyros:

Spread tzatziki sauce over a pita. Top with chicken. Add whatever veggies you like... Lettuce, tomatoes, black olives or green olives.