My recipe for no-knead 4 ingredient pita is super easy to make and budget-friendly too. Made using just 4 basic ingredients, you can have soft fluffy pitas on your table in under 40 minutes.
Perfect for sandwiches, wraps or just a pizza base, this is one amazing recipe.
If you just want to skip that 8 to 10 minutes of kneading that comes with yeast-based bakes, then this recipe comes to the rescue. Super simple, all the ingredients are mixed in one bowl.
Leave to rise for 10 minutes, shape, and cook. This is a great recipe especially if it is your first time making pita, so go ahead and give it a try.
INGREDIENTS USED IN THE RECIPE
FLOUR: Use all-purpose, plain or cake flour
WATER: The water added to the dry ingredients should be just warm, not too hot or too cold.
Too cold and the yeast will not enable the dough to rise and very hot water will kill the yeast.
If you have a thermometer, it should read between 100°F – 115°F ( 37°C – 46°C).
YEAST: I prefer using the fast-acting or quick rise yeast which is added directly to the dry ingredients. There is no need to dissolve the yeast in warm water.
SALT
WHAT TO SERVE WITH PITA
Pita is a versatile bread with many culinary uses. Here are just a few ways in which to serve your homemade pita.
- Serve instead of regular sliced bread. Just split the puffed pita in half and fill with your favourite ingredients.
- Use as a wrap filled with veggies, falafel, and halloumi or any filling you prefer.
- Cut into bite-sized wedges and use as a scoop for hummus and dips.
- Use as a pizza base. Top the pita with your favourite pizza flavours. Pop it into the oven, to allow the cheese to melt and enjoy your delicious homemade pizza.
OVEN OR STOVETOP?
These can be baked in the oven or cooked on the stovetop. Either way has amazing results.
STOVETOP ( MY FAVOURITE 🙂
Stovetop pita is soft, doughy and fluffy, with toasty spots and a slightly charred taste that is just amazing.
These are cooked for 3 to 4 minutes on a heavy-based pan.
OVEN-BAKED
Oven-baked pita has a softer texture and a pale colour
Bake the pita in a preheated oven of 356°F / 180°C for 12-15 minutes. Once baked remove from the oven, allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then slit the top of the pita to make a pocket.
MAKING 4 INGREDIENT PITA BREAD
Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl.
Add water and mix to form a soft dough. Sprinkle with a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Cover the bowl and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour.
Divide the dough into portions depending on the size you prefer.
Roll out the dough into circular shapes about 1 cm thick.
Place one pita at a time on a non-stick or cast iron pan. Cook on medium heat for about 1 ½ minutes on each side. Turn every 30 seconds to prevent burning.
Cover the cooked pitas to maintain the soft texture, until you are ready to serve.
TIPS FOR PERFECTION
Ensure that the water added to the dry ingredients is just warm, not too hot or too cold. Too cold and the yeast will not enable the dough to rise and very hot water will kill the yeast. If you have a thermometer, it should read between 100°F – 115°F ( 37°C – 46°C).
Leave to rise for at least 10 minutes before cooking. This will ensure that the pitas puff up perfectly.
Cover the cooked pitas to maintain the soft texture, until you are ready to serve.
Enjoy ♥
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other amazing bread recipes
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4 Ingredient Pita Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups / 240g all-purpose flour/cake flour
- 1 cup / 250ml warm water SEE NOTE 1
- 1 Tablespoon / 10g instant yeast / fast-acting yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add water and mix to form a soft dough. Sprinkle with a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Cover the bowl and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour.
- Divide the dough into portions depending on the size you prefer.
- Roll out the dough into circular shapes about 1 cm thick.
- Place one pita at a time on a non-stick or cast iron pan. Cook on medium heat for about 1½ minutes on each side. Turn every 30 seconds to prevent burning.
- Cover the cooked pita to maintain the soft texture, until you are ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Ensure that the water added to the dry ingredients is just warm, not too hot or too cold. Too cold and the yeast will not enable the dough to rise and very hot water will kill the yeast. If you have a thermometer, it should read between 100°F – 115°F ( 37°C – 46°C).
Linda, Kefalonia says
Could you freeze them?
Would they work as a sort of Naan Bread to have with a Curry?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Linda, yes these pitas can be frozen,
To freeze the cooked pitas, place a sheet of parchment/wax wrap between each cooked pita. Place the stack of pitas in a ziplock or airtight container and into the freezer.
Defrost in the fridge or microwave for a few seconds. Keep them covered loosely with a kitchen towel while in the microwave. This will keep the pitas pliable.
Avoid moving the pitas back and forth between frozen, to thawed and then frozen again as this can negatively impact the texture of the tortillas.
These could work as a naan bread with curry. You could also try these easy to make flatbread recipes on my blog: 3 ingredient yogurt flatbread
Toasted Sesame and Garlic filled Naan
3 Ingredient Spicy Garlic Flatbread
Yeast Free Stove Top Pita Recipe
I hope this helps answer your question 🙂
Lisa says
If I want to double this recipe do I just use 2 times the ingredients or do I have to change the amount of yeast?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Lisa, to double the recipe, all the ingredients need to be doubled, including the yeast.
I hope this helps answer your question 🙂
Happy baking 🙂
roberto says
hi too much water for flour 2 cups flour equals 480 gr not 240
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Roberto, The ratio of flour to water in this recipe is correct.
When you measure flour and liquid in a cup, remember that flour is way lighter than liquid.
So, while 1 cup of liquid weighs around 250 ml or grams, flour, being lighter, only weighs about 120 g.
That means if you put 2 cups of flour on a scale, they'll be around 240 g. On the other hand, 2 cups of water will weigh about 500 ml or grams on the scale.
I hope this helps 🙂
Corinna says
I made these for dinner tonight and stuffed them with an italian-style salad. They were out-of-this-world good!!! I used bread flour because that's what I had on hand, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Outstanding result, and everyone was SUPER impressed! Thank you!
The Gardening Foodie says
Hello Corinna,
Thank you, and you're very welcome😊
It must have been a wonderful enjoying these pitas with the salad. I'm thrilled to hear that you and everyone else found them delicious. While the use of bread flour may have provided a slightly different texture, I'm glad to know that the overall outcome was exceptional😊