I love my bread machine, it makes homemade bread so easy! I am positive that if I didn’t own it, we would be purchasing significantly more bread products at the store instead of making them at home.
Last week I tried making pitas in the bread machine. Now when I say I made pitas in the bread machine, this means I used the bread machine for the beginning steps of the recipe. The forming of the pita shape as well as the baking were done in the oven.
Bread Machine Whole Wheat Pitas
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour used whole wheat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water roughly at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Add ingredients to your bread machine as directed in the manual. For my machine I add all the wet ingredients first and then the dry ingredients, adding the yeast last.
- Set your machine to the dough setting.
- After the machine has finished the dough cycle your dough is ready to be shaped into balls. I actually doubled this recipe, so I have twice as much dough in my machine as the recipe would normally make.
- Take your dough and divide it into eight pieces and roll with your hands into balls. They will be roughly the size of a racquetball.
- Cover with a damp towel and let them rest for about 20 minutes.
- While the dough is resting preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make sure whatever you will be baking your pitas on is in the oven during the preheat cycle. You want to put your pitas on a hot surface when you are ready to bake them.
- After 20 minutes roll out the balls into circles.
- Place pitas on the hot stone or cookie sheet and bake for about 5 minutes.
- The pitas will puff up in the oven while baking.
I cannot tell you how much better these taste than store bought pitas. The difference is amazing.
For those of you who have asked in the past about my bread machine here are a few quick facts:
I have a Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine. I purchased this machine for several reasons. First if you want to bake your bread in the machine it comes out like a normal loaf, not a super tall funny looking loaf. It also has a whole wheat cycle, and since most of the bread I make is whole wheat, this was a necessity.
I also like that it is has several programmable settings so you can create your own cycle and save it in the machine. The 13 hour timer function allows me to start my dough when it is convenient for me and finish my bread when it is convenient. Many times I will put the ingredients in at breakfast but not bake the loaf until right before dinner. This allows me to leave the house, or become engrossed in other activities throughout the day.
This machine is not cheap, the best price I have seen is about $199. I do use it almost every day and have been very happy with it.
Joelle says
What a great idea! I shall have to put this on my list of recipes to try. I love Middle Eastern food and this will be great to try with my tabbouleh, hummus, and falafels.
Anne-Marie says
Looks yummy! I’ll have to try this soon.
Dana says
oh i will never forget the fresh (still warm) pita bread we would eat while i was at school in Jerusalem. this would be such a treat!
i may have to start petitioning for one of those awesome bread machines.. mine’s been out of commission for years (lol), maybe i can convince the hubby to give up fixing it and just get this one! 🙂
Jenny says
The dough was easy to work with. Some of the pitas did not puff up well. I am mostly disappointed in the flavor though. They tasted extremely salty to me. I have had good look with regular pitas in the past but was looking for healthier ones with whole wheat. Maybe I did something wrong.
Margaret says
Toni,
I just saw you and your family on t.v.! Cute kids! I read your blog every day and truly enjoy it! I have really been trying to save money on our food bill, and you have been a great inspiration! We have 5 children and live in Leesburg, VA (outside D.C.) so that isn’t always easy!! Very exciting to see you on t.v.!!
Frugalmama says
wow! i’m going to dig my breadmaker out of the depths of the pantry and give it a go!
Kira says
They look great. Is this the recipe you use for sandwich bread? If not could you share you recipe for that?
I have been making my own bread and am not sure happy with the sandwich bread recipe I have been using
Charlotte says
I can’t wait to try. THanks for sharing!
Sherry says
Wow, those are some huge pitas! 😀
Heather says
My Christmas present this year was a bread machine. I haven’t bought a bread product since. Not only does it taste so much better but it really helps with the budget. I also love that I can control what I put into the bread that I make. So I am not buying separate bread for the kids with their dairy and soy allergies. Thanks for the recipe, I will have to try it out soon.
Wendi says
I love making pita pizzas for lunch, we’ll definitely have to this recipe!
Keesha@We Eat Cheap says
I love my bread machine, but have never used it for pita bread. I’ll have to I’ll have to give this a try soon!
Amy says
I can’t wait to make these. My husband loves pita bread and hummus. Another reason for justifying my bread machine purpose. I can never have enough of those 🙂
Lisa@BlessedwithGrace says
Wow, that is great.
Jerri says
This looks yummy! I love seeing all the great stuff people make with their bread machines.
mub says
I tried to make whole wheat pitas once and they were terrible *L* I’m going to try this recipe and see if I can get better results! Thanks for posting it =)
Miranda says
I was wondering if you double your recipe for other types of bread and allow the machine to knead it.
The pitas look wonderful. Thanks for posting, I really want to try this!
TheHappyHousewife says
I do double some recipes, but my machine cannot handle more than about 3 pounds of dough. I can usually get about two loaves out of my machine max.
Toni
Buffie says
I so need to get my bread machine out and try this. Your pitas look delicious.
Wendy says
Oh! How I wish I had a bread machine! But, I’m saving for one! I am curious about something….I have been told you can only use “Bread flour” especially made for the bread machine and it is rather expensive. Do you use regular flour? Thanks for the info.!
Brenda says
I’ve made pita before but never used the bread maker, this is a great idea.
Kara says
I loved pitas when I was growing up but tried a recipe years ago that failed. These look wonderful, I think it’s time for me to try again!
Mary says
Do you grind your own flour or use store bought? What equipment do you have if you do grind?
Kim @ Forever Wherever says
That’s a really cool recipe! Thanks for sharing! I have trouble with my bread machine, but you make it all seem easy!
-Kim
Jerri says
Those look sooo good. I do have a bread machine so maybe I’ll give it a try.
Jane says
This looks really good.
I just made pita pockets for the fist time last fall. Only a few of mine actually puffed up in the oven, so the others I just used like regular pita bread by folding it over.
I know I didn’t put them on pre-heated pans. Could this have been my problem?
It makes me want to try making them again, because they were SO GOOD! They don’t even compare to store bought.
Kelli says
Wow, great idea. Thanks for the recipe!
susieshomemade says
What a yummy tackle!!
Angela says
Thank you for sharing! My husband has been getting into bread-making so I know he’d love to try this!
Gayle says
I am definitely going to try this! I love making bread and dough in my bread machine! I never thought of making my own pitas.
Shawn says
My manager at work gave me my bread machine and 2 cook books to go with it. I love it. :o)
Lara Gallagher says
This is on my list of things to learn to make. I think I’m going to try it with sour dough and see how it turns out. Thanks for the recipe!
Suzanne Balvanz says
Hi:
I found your blog through somewhere else (don’t recall where). Your ideas are great! We have lots in common it seems. Both of us are frugal and both MilSpouses! I also own the very same bread machine….(love it!)
I was thrilled to see your pita recipe. I plan on trying it this weekend.
You don’t have to post this part but I am getting ready to unveil a HUGE event that I am hosting for Moms in our area. I would love to include you….
Shannon says
I just tried these, or am trying actually. The dough is extremely sticky! I followed the recipe exactly. Do you add a lot of extra flour later, or am I just having difficulties? I have tried other pita recipes and they didn’t work, I was really hoping this one would be good.
Sonya says
I made these both yesterday and today and LOVED them!! thank you so much for the super easy recipe. Mine also came out super sticky so I needed to add alot of flour but other then the fact that mine came out in funky shapes( I guess I have issues with round circles) these are A+. Im going to make these often. My two sons ate one each for lunch and came back later on and asked to eat them plain for a snack.
Amanda says
I tried these without a bread machine and they turned out really well. However, one question how long does your machine let the initial dough rise? I too live on Fort Meade. Couldn’t believe how close you were when I stumbled upon your website. Thanks.
Jeanie says
I tried baking bread for years, then someone threw away a bread machine, and I liberated it from the trash heap (it was brand new, too!) The machine taught me how to bake bread! I got the manual online; it tells you how long each cycle is, and has all kinds of recipes.
I use the dough cycle to make dinner rolls, small loaves, and now I’m going to make some pita bread!
Gold Party says
I love my bread machine – it makes party prep so much easier. I was thinking about hosting a party with a middle eastern theme. This recipe will make it so much easier! Thanks!
Rachel says
I’m new to making bread although I set a goal for myself to make all of our own bread by the end of summer. I’d love to try these pitas but I don’t have a bread machine. Any ideas on how to adapt the recipe to make it old school?
TheHappyHousewife says
Yes, just use the same ingredients but make in a mixer. You’ll want to knead for about 10 minutes and let rise until doubled (I think…).
Applie says
Wow. Pitas in the breadmachine! How did I miss that. Making these today. THANKS!
Donna Moore says
Just made these and aside from the fact that they are whole wheat, they are almost exactly what I had in the Old City of Jerusalem. Soft, fluffy, and being whole wheat, full of flavour! Now to see how they freeze and thaw, so I can take them to our daughter’s!
Applie says
I have tried this recipe three times and I cannot get the pitas to puff up. It’s like they are thick round flat breads. They taste like pitas, but they do not puff up and there is no space between the layers. Do you have any suggestions?
Getting ready to try this again. There must be something I am doing wrong here.
Thanks for the help.
Leah says
The whole wheat recipe is amazingly delicious! And the dough is so easy to use with no mess. However, My husband and I have tried this recipe with all purpose flour twice and the dough comes out terrible. Very loose and sticky. I’m not sure how to adjust the recipe, maybe just add more flour? But you cannot form it into flat circles, or much of anything, it is that loose. So I’ll just stick with the whole wheat recipe. Thanks!
Amanda says
Do you use whole wheat bread flour, white whole wheat or regular whole wheat? Thanks!
Kat in Boise says
I actually have the same Zojirushi bread machine, and got it used on eBay for $100!! I also have an amazing K-TEC grain mill that I got on eBay for $99 (normally over $400!), which I use to make my own flour. Both were like brand new!! It’s not uncommon for people to purchase these type of appliances with great intentions, and then realize they rarely use them. I use both of mine all the time! I haven’t purchased a loaf of bread sine I got them (my hubby won’t eat any other bread now!) – I also use the grain mill to make flour for cookies & other baked goods, as well as breading for fish, meat, etc. My personal tip: hard white wheat berries have a much lighter flavor & color over hard red wheat berries (most commercial wheat flour & bread uses red) & appeals to even those who normally don’t like wheat bread, but has the same nutrition! >^,,^<
Jenn says
I tried this and am excited to eat them but they have not puffed up and the inside is still raw. I’ve done two additional cycles of 5 minutes and still the same. Any ideas? I did whole wheat too.
Nidhi says
It came out brilliant. Thank you so much for the recipe. I’ve been looking for recipes with healthier flour and will also try this with a mix of local flour (Nachni/ragi and jowar/sorghum).
I used 1 1/2 cup water and the dough was sticky and not easy to work with so I may try a little less water next time. But Bread same out so soft… maybe it should better that way!
Cheers
Ragna Russo says
I got my SWEET Zojirushi at the Goodwill store. It was basically brand new. It’s one of my prized possessions.
Ryan says
Thank you again for this great article.