6-Ingredient Einkorn Flour Pita Bread Recipe | Foodal (2024)

Lemme tell you… I consider myself to be quite the seasoned expert when it comes to pita bread. I’ve eaten my weight in pita bread, I kid you not.

It’s a natural outcome when you make it your mission every summer for over a decade to attend all the Greek festivals in the area.

Or when you drunkenly stumble into your favorite late-night gyro shop at two in the morning after one of many typical weekend nights bar hopping in college, in order to sober up with a hefty sandwich before the long trek back to campus.

Or when you know some of the cooks who work at a restaurant that specializes in the most amazing gyros with the creamiest of tzatziki sauces. And you get free food whenever you visit.

See, I know this bread.

So it’s only natural that I should know how to make it at home. I owe it to the tired manager of that little late-night gyro shop.

No one should have to repeatedly endure a 4’11″ drunk chick, along with her equally sloshed gal pals, dancing and screaming nineties Disney songs at the top of their lungs while waiting in line for a gyro.

Good thing pita is easy, and actually really fun, to make from scratch.

With just a few ingredients, the soft einkorn flour dough comes together easily. Once you divide the dough into little balls, flatten them into discs, and proof, you bake them on a very hot baking sheet in a very hot oven.

They puff! They fluff! Like little clouds of carbs!

After you let them cool down for a little (a caution for all of you: the steam inside each freshly baked disc is HOT!), cut them open along the seam and fill with whatever tasty food you like.

Have your gyro and eat it, too. Disney songs optional.

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 2 cups of einkorn flour, salt, and yeast until completely combined. Pour in the warm water and honey.

Using the dough hook, mix for 8-10 minutes until a soft, slightly elastic dough forms.

Sticky dough? Gradually add in more flour. You don’t want the dough to become firm and dry by adding too much – it should still be soft without being too sticky.

If you need a little assistance with this step, read our thorough article on the process of making bread, as well as how to knead it properly. You can choose to knead entirely by hand, if you can’t keep your floured hands off this beautiful dough!

Step 2 – Ferment

Coat the bottom and sides of a large bowl with one tablespoon of olive oil.

Form the dough into a large ball and transfer to the oiled bowl, rolling the entire surface of the dough in the oil. This will prevent the surface from drying out as it rises.

Tightly cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the yeast do its amazing work – ferment until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3 – Shape

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and gently punch it down to flatten. Divide into 12 equally sized pieces with a sharp chef’s knife or a metal bench scraper.

With your hands, shape each piece into an even ball. Learn the importance of properly shaping bread dough.

Step 4 – Proof

With the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, very lightly brush the tops of each ball with a thin layer of oil. This will prevent the tops from drying out. Cover the dough balls with a large towel and let proof for 20-30 minutes on your work surface, until slightly expanded.

Step 5 – Flatten

At this point, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place an empty baking stone or a baking sheet in the oven to heat as you prepare the dough.

Transferring the dough to a hot baking sheet, rather than a cold one, kick-starts the rising process of the dough rounds. It helps them puff up during the few minutes they are in the oven.

With a rolling pin, roll the balls one at a time into a flat, 1/4-inch-thick circles that are about 4-5 inches in diameter.

Step 6 – Bake

Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, and close the door. Quickly place 3-4 discs on the pan with a little space between each. Immediately return to the oven.

Bake for about 4 minutes, until the dough rounds become very puffy. Repeat with the remaining discs.

Some of the discs may not puff up, and may remain flat – this is totally fine! You will still get a delicious flatbread to enjoy, it just might be a little harder to fill.

Don’t overbake! The bread can easily become hard and brittle if overbaked – it only needs just a few minutes in the hot oven.

Step 7 – Cool and Serve

Promptly remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Do NOT try to open the bread right after removing it from the oven! The steam will rapidly escape from the inside, potentially burning your skin.

Once you’ve let them cool for the appropriate amount of time, slice them open, fill with your favorite sandwich ingredients, and eat!

Cut them one of two ways: leave whole by using a small knife to gently make an incision along part of the seam on the side, or divide in two by cutting completely in half across the diameter.