Pita pockets really are the original convenience food. Think about it: pitas are their own edible travel containers and you can eat them with one hand. Not to mention the fact that pita rounds can go on to become anything from crispy chips to an instant pizza. Brilliant! What do you make with pitas?
Pita is a Middle Eastern flatbread made primarily with wheat flour, water, and yeast. Small rounds of dough are rolled flat and then quickly baked either in a hot oven or on a griddle. As water in the dough turns to steam, it puffs the thin bread sky-high and creates that pocket we all know and love.
Rounds of pita can be sliced in half to create two pockets or the whole pita can be wrapped around the filling burrito-style. Either way, it becomes a vehicle for everything from traditional falafel and shawarma to our deli lunch sandwiches and fresh salads.
Baked pita breads keep best wrapped in a loose plastic bag and are usually good for several days. Refrigerating will cause them to stale more quickly, but you can freeze pita to use as needed. Place a square of parchment between each pita before freezing so they don't stick to each other and seal them in an air-tight bag for up to three months. Reheat them in an warm oven or toaster oven, or for a few seconds in the microwave.
A few of our favorite things to do with pita bread:
• Easy Homemade Pita Bread
• Turkey Koftas with Toasted Pita Bread
• Pan-Fried Falafel and Homemade Pita
• Salad-Stuffed Pita Pockets
• Za'atar Pita Chips with Yogurt Sauce
• Five Minute Breakfast Pita Pizza
What's your favorite brand of pita? Or do you usually make your own?
Related: Why Does Pita Bread Mold So Fast?
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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Neat. For some reason I have never thought of using pitas as a vehicle for leftovers.
I guess it depends on what part of the world you are in, huh? There are tortillas and bread too.
Can anyone recommend a good brand pita bread? I've tried Trader Joes, but the ones I got there were dry like cardboard and fell apart at the slightest stuffing.
Sarah, I would try treating them like you do tortillas; that is, wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave briefly (maybe 30 seconds for two pitas?) to soften them up. The Kangaroo brand seems to be pretty soft, but pitas in general get stale really quickly.
I haven't been able to find pitas lately in my usual local grocery store and was getting frustrated, then finally a bell went off in my head: duh, I bake all of our other bread, why not bake pitas, too? So will have to try this soon; I'm really craving felafel.
melted cheddar cheese in a pita... there's something magical that happens here. the sum is infinitely greater than the parts.
STH is right. Making your own is the way to go. They're easy. Easier than regular bread. And SOOOOOOO much tastier. There are a million recipes available online.
I live right near an awesome Middle Eastern bakery (slash grocery store slash deli slash restaurant), Holy Land, and they carry so many different styles of plain pita - greek, white, wheat, Roghani, Lebanese, discounted day olds, etc.- so we always get our pita there.
My favorite quickie pita snack is a pita drizzled with olive oil and copious amounts of za'atar shaken on top, a few sprinkles of hot pepper flakes, and if I have it, feta or fresh mozzarella placed over it all. I throw that into the toaster oven until everything gets heated through or melty. And then more za'atar, usually.