Soft and delicious this Yeast Free Stove Top Pita Recipe, makes the perfect pocket for your favorite filling. Made in under an hour, using 4 basic ingredients, this is my quick and easy recipe for a stack of soft and fluffy pita breads. The perfect sandwich bread, especially if you do not want to or cannot have yeast in your diet.
I love working with yeast and using it in baking, like in my other recipe for pita which has yeast as an ingredient. However there are times when I, don’t have the time to knead the dough or wait an hour for it to rise.
That is when this Yeast Free Stove Top Pita Recipe comes to my rescue. Made by combining flour, baking powder, sour milk or buttermilk and salt and then cooked on a pan on the stove, it really is so easy.
These pita breads can be used, for gyros, a pizza base or cut in half and split with a knife, creating a pocket for your favorite filling.
I just love it grilled with cheese, tomato slices and chopped green onion. It tastes absolutely amazing. Or spread on hummus and fill with roasted chickpeas and veggie strips. The deliciousness is endless.
MAKING THE YEAST FREE STOVE TOP PITA RECIPE
Buttermilk or sour milk is added to the flour, baking powder, and salt. It is combined with a fork and then just gathered to form a soft dough. To make the sour milk, just add a teaspoon of lemon juice into a cup of whole or full-fat milk.
Allow it to stand for 5 minutes before adding to your flour. I have tried both, either buttermilk or sour milk in the recipe and it turns out perfectly delicious and soft. So use what you have, because both give great results.
After the dough is formed, you can leave it to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. This will help the gluten in the flour absorb the liquid and make rolling out easier. Divide the dough into six equal portions. Using a rolling pin, roll it to about ¼ inch / ½ cm thickness.
Place one pita at a time on a nonstick or cast iron pan. Cook on medium heat for about 1 ½ minute on each side. When cooked, the pita will puff up to a thickness of about 1 cm
Since this recipe does not use yeast, the pita is not going to fill up with air and pop up. But it going to bubble and puff up, enough so that you can slit it with a sharp knife to create a pocket.
After it cooks and when you remove it from the pan, remember that it is not going to be soft immediately. To soften it place the hot pita bread under a clean kitchen towel and cover it, the steam will soften them and they will be flexible.
To serve with filling slice each pita in half through the center. With a very sharp knife, slit open the center of the pita and fill with veggies, spreads or meat of your choice.
These pitas are best eaten on the day that it is made. If you do have any leftovers then store them for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
To soften and warm, reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds and cover with a kitchen towel for a few minutes to allow the steam to soften it. You could also warm it in a pan on the stove, remove from the heat and cover for a few minutes to soften.
The perfect Yeast Free Stove Top Pita Recipe creating the perfect sandwich bread, easy and delicious, from start to finish
ENJOY ♥
- 2 cups / 240g all purpose / cake flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup / 250ml warm buttermilk or sour milk SEE NOTE 1
-
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
-
Add the warmed buttermilk or sour milk to the flour mixture and mix with a fork.
-
Gather the mixture to form a soft dough.
-
Leave to rest for about 10 to 20 minutes ( SEE NOTE 2 )
-
On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to about ¼ inch / ½ 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. When cooked, The pita will puff up to a thickness of about 1 cm ( SEE NOTE 3 )
-
After it cooks and when you remove it from the pan, remember that it is not going to be soft immediately. To soften it place the hot pita bread under a clean kitchen towel and cover it, the steam will soften them and they will be flexible.
-
To serve with a filling slice each pita in half through the center. With a very sharp knife, slit open the center of the pita and fill with veggies, spreads or meat of your choice.
1.To make the sour milk, just add a teaspoon of lemon juice into a cup of whole or full fat milk. Allow it to stand for 5 minutes before adding to your flour. You can add an extra 1 Tablespoon / 15 ml more buttermilk or sour milk if you feel that the dough is not soft enough.
2.After the dough is formed, you can leave it to rest for 10 to 20 minutes.This will help the gluten in the flour absorb the liquid and make rolling out easier.
3.Since this recipe does not use yeast, the pita is not going to fill up with air and pop up. But it going to bubble and puff up, enough so that you can slit it with a sharp knife to create a pocket.
I love that these don’t require yeast AND you can make them in the stove top!! There definitely wouldn’t be leftovers here hehehe
These pita bread looks so puffy! I am loving those huge pockets inside of it. Great recipe!
I made these this evening. They were gorgeous and so easy to make. Thank you for the recipe and the tip of adding lemon juice to the milk – worked brilliantly. We ate them with homemade roasted beetroot hummus. I will be making them very often, I think!
Can you define “all purpose / cake flour”. — is it all purpose OR cake flour?
Hi, it is either all-purpose OR cake flour 🙂
They are the same. All purpose is the American term. Self raising is British.
Sorry, cake flour is the European name.
Sorry to be pedantic but all purpose flour equates to plain flour in thexUK. It is flour without raising agents.
It sounds great! I’m going to make it soon! Thanks!
Hi Elena, :)that’s great, I would love to know how it turns out too 🙂
Amazing Recipe! Simple household ingredients as well!
Hi Kristen 🙂 Thank you, I am glad that you enjoyed this recipe too 🙂
Does the sour milk required the milk to be slightly warm or at room temperature?
Hi Shruti, the sour milk needs to be warm which makes it easier to combine with the dry ingredients.
I hope that this helps answer your question 😃
Okay. Thanks. Also, please let me know that in order to make sour milk , should we use raw milk or milk that has been boiled once and cooled? Please let me know
Hi Shruti 🙂 you can use shop-bought milk or milk which has been boiled and cooled.
Easy. Perfect this ecq/lockdown time.
Can we make pita bread with whole wheat flour without yeast?
Hi Sunakshi, yes you can use whole-wheat flour in this recipe as well. The texture might however be different compared to that of cake or all purpose flour. If you want a soft texture then ensure that you cover the pita with a clean cloth as soon as you remove it from the stove. This will help to trap the steam and keep the pita soft
I hope that this helps answer your question 😃
Hello I’m Elizabeth from Malta can I use Soya milk with this recipe thank you
Hi Elizabeth 😃,yes you can use soya milk with this recipe.
I’ve made these 3 or 4 times and they come out perfect every time. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Sabrina 🙂 Thank you and you are welcome. I am glad that you are enjoying this recipe too 🙂
First time making pita and it was so fun and easy! I didnt have sour milk, so made it from 1% milk and lemon juice, and it still worked great!
Hi Sara 🙂 Thank you for giving this recipe a try. I am so glad that you enjoyed it too 🙂
HI
I have buttermilk with me. Do I need to warm the buttermilk as well and if yes for how many seconds
Thanks
Hi, yes it should be warm… not cold from the fridge. Just lukewarm about 1 minute in the microwave should be fine
Have you any idea why my mixture is really really runny? Not dough like at all. I used 250ml of milk and 240g of flour – Any idea where I’ve gone wrong? Thank you!
Hi Nikki… I am sorry that you are having a problem with this recipe
To try and help answer your question: You mention that you used milk. Milk might be the reason that your dough is weak and runny. As mentioned in my recipe, you need buttermilk or a substitute( mentioned in the notes of the recipe card) This has a is thicker consistency compared to milk and will make a firm dough.
If you want to give this a try to your dough right now: Just add more flour to your dough now to try to help thicken it. If you are going to add another full cup ( 120g) then I suggest that you mix in a teaspoon of baking powder into it first.
I hope that this helps answer your question and please let me know how it turns out 🙂
I made these last night. Doubled the recipe. Added only 2 tsp baking powder, and also added 2tbsp sugar to the dough. I used more liquid to form the dough, it was a very soft and slightly sticky dough. All the pitas puffed up pretty good! Tasted awesome.
Hi Virda…Thank you 🙂 Doubling the recipe is a great idea as these are eaten up very quickly 🙂 I am glad that the recipe turned out well for you.
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for this recipe. I will admit I was a tiny bit sceptical as to whether they’d work & actually taste like pita but they came out really well 🙂 I will definitely be making these on a regular basis now. No more packet pita for me! 🙂
Hi Sophie, Thank you for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe too 🙂
LOL… I am also glad that my recipe has convinced you to quit store-bought pita 🙂
Made these tonight when I was looking for a way to make these quick and at the last minute. I used AP flour and buttermilk, just as specified. I did add Nigella seeds for flavor. However, the one thing that was different was that they did sit for another 20 minutes after I rolled them out. And when I cooked them they did puff up like yeasted ones. They made perfect pocket pitas. I will definitely use your recipe again. So easy and such a life saver in a pinch.
Hi JDauray, Thank you for giving this recipe a try. I am really glad that it turned out well for you too 🙂
I make these so often now as well, really the perfect busy day recipe 🙂