This is THE BEST gluten free pita bread you’ll ever try – and it’s super easy to make! It’s wonderfully soft and it puffs up beautifully, creating a large pocket perfect for filling. You need just 8 ingredients to make it and the dough is a joy to work with, you can knead it and roll it out without any problems whatsoever. The recipe includes both a stovetop and an oven cooking option – both work great and your pita bread will puff up every time.
I’ve been making this gluten free pita bread weekly (and often several times per week) for months now – and I deeply apologise for not sharing the recipe until now. Because it’s AMAZING and you absolutely need it in your life.
It puffs up beautifully, forming the perfect pocket just waiting to be stuffed with all sorts of deliciousness, and it’s incredibly easy to make. The texture is spot on: wonderfully soft and just chewy enough, so you’d never know that it’s gluten free. In fact, it’s a huge hit even with non-gluten-free folks!!
The dough handles beautifully thanks to the addition of the psyllium husk: you can knead it, shape it and roll it out without any issues – you definitely don’t have to worry about it tearing or crumbling. And the dough also has enough flexibility and extensibility to it so that it can easily expand without cracking when the pita bread puffs up.
And best of all, there’s both a stovetop AND an oven option when it comes to cooking the pita breads, and they’ll turn out perfectly puffy, golden brown and super delicious either way. This really is a 100% reliable recipe and I’m ridiculously excited to share it with you.
Before we get to the bits and bobs of making this AMAZING gluten free pita bread – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
PRE-ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK!
The book that will teach you how to make ANY recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan (and still taste spectacular)
PRE-ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK!
The book that will teach you how to make ANY recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
What is pita bread?
Pita bread (or pitta bread in British English) is a yeast-leavened flatbread that puffs up during cooking, resulting in an interior pocket perfect for stuffing and filling with all sorts of deliciousness, such as falafel, hummus, yoghurt, salad leaves and sliced tomatoes. It’s widely prepared in the Middle East, Turkey and Greece – but note that in the Greek version, the pocket tends to be absent and it’s instead used as a wrap.
It’s cooked either on the stovetop over high heat or in a very hot oven. In both cases, the high heat rapidly transforms the moisture within the dough into steam, which makes the thin pita bread puff up, resulting in the formation of the characteristic pocket.
How to make THE BEST gluten free pita bread
Making your own homemade gluten free pita bread is incredibly straightforward: you need just 8 ingredients and the dough is super easy to prepare, either by hand or using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
The dough also handles beautifully (thanks yo the magic that is psyllium husk!) so you can easily knead, shape and roll it out without any issues – you definitely don’t have to worry about it tearing or cracking.
The ingredients
- Psyllium husk. This acts as a gluten substitute and it’s what gives the pita bread its pliable, slightly chewy texture and it’s also what makes the dough flexible enough so it can puff up during cooking (without cracking). Without psyllium husk, you won’t get a dough that you can actually handle and shape, and the pita bread also won’t be able to puff up. You can’t substitute the psyllium husk with another ingredient. This recipe uses WHOLE psyllium husk, but you can also use psyllium husk powder – if you use the powder form, use only 85% of the amount listed in the recipe below. I also recommend using “blond” psyllium husk, as it won’t add any colour or flavour to your pita bread or other bakes. You can read more about the role of psyllium husk in gluten free baking here!
- Lukewarm water. You’ll use the water to make a psyllium gel: just mix the psyllium husk and water together until evenly combined. The mixture will form a gel within about 30-45 seconds.
- Olive oil. I like to use olive oil for the flavour, but other oils such as sunflower or vegetable oil will work too.
- Tapioca starch. (For substitution options, check out the substitutions section or the recipe below.)
- Millet flour. (For substitution options, check out the substitutions section or the recipe below.)
- Sugar. You can use either caster/superfine or granulated sugar for this recipe. The sugar makes the yeast more active and it helps with browning but it doesn’t actually make the pita bread sweet.
- Yeast. I used instant yeast, but you can also use active dry yeast instead. In the latter case, you’ll need to activate it first: see the substitutions section or the recipe below for more details.
- Salt. It’s important to add salt to any bread recipe, as it brings out all the flavours.
Making the dough
You can make the dough by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
To make it, you first need to prepare the psyllium gel by mixing together the psyllium husk and water, and allowing the mixture to stand for about 1 minute. Then, add the olive oil and the rest of the ingredients, and knead everything together into a smooth, supple dough that shouldn’t be too sticky to the touch.
Shaping & rolling
Once you have the dough ready, divide it into equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. (Note that the recipe makes 6 pita breads, in the photos below I made a double batch of 12 flatbreads.)
Then, roll each dough ball into a round pita bread about 6 inches (15cm) in diameter and just under ¼ inch (about 5mm) thick.
If you intend to cook your pita bread in the oven, I recommend rolling them out on squares of parchment/baking paper, this makes it much easier to transfer the pita bread into the oven.
Proof for 15 minutes
To ensure that your pita bread will puff up during cooking, you need to proof it for at least 15 minutes (but no more than about 30 minutes). Just arrange your rolled-out pita breads on the counter, cover them with a clean dish towel and allow them to proof at room temperature.
Cooking gluten free pita bread
The great thing about this recipe is that you can cook it either on the stovetop or in the oven, and you’ll get perfect results either way. In both cases, you’ll get delicious gluten free pita breads that puff up and form a large pocket – every single time.
I’ve made this recipe countless times both on the stovetop and in the oven, and I’ve NEVER had a pita bread not puff up. Yes, that’s how reliable this recipe is.
The main thing in either method is that your pan/skillet or oven (and baking steel, baking stone or baking tray) are thoroughly preheated, and that you don’t roll your pita bread too thickly. High heat and thin enough (but not too thin!) flatbread is crucial for ensuring that your pita bread puffs up.
Stovetop method
If you want to cook your pita bread on the stovetop, you first need to heat up your pan or skillet over medium-high to high heat. You might need to adjust the heat as you’re cooking them, based on how well they’re puffing up and how quickly they’re browning.
When cooking gluten free pita bread on the stovetop:
- Place the pita bread on the hot pan or skillet and cook it for about 30 seconds, until it starts bubbling up in places and you can see dark brown spots underneath.
- Flip it over and cook for a further 30 seconds until it’s golden brown underneath.
- Flip it again and your pita bread should now fully puff up.
- Cook it for about 45-60 seconds longer on both sides until it’s deep golden brown and maybe even a bit charred in spots.
Once cooked, transfer the pita bread to a plate or platter lined with paper towels or a dish towel to absorb any condensation that forms underneath.
Pita bread cooked on the stovetop is very soft and pliable, and you don’t have to wrap it in a dish towel to soften it. (You’ll see that this differs from pita bread that’s been cooked in the oven – see next section.)
Oven method
To cook your pita bread in the oven, pre-heat your oven to 475ºF (250ºC) – yes, it really needs to be that hot. The super high heat of the oven will ensure that your pita breads puff up beautifully.
You can cook the pita bread either on the middle or lower middle oven rack. I usually cook them on the lower middle rack, as that makes it easier to transfer them into and out of the oven.
Pre-heat your oven with a baking steel, baking stone or heavy-duty baking tray inside. You’ll place the pita breads on the pre-heated surface, which is crucial if you want them to puff up. I got the best results when using a baking steel, as it’s excellent at absorbing and transferring heat, but a baking stone or a heavy-duty baking tray that’s good at holding onto heat should also work well.
I really recommend rolling out and proofing your flatbreads on squares of parchment/baking paper if you plan on cooking them in the oven. The parchment/baking paper makes it very easy to transfer the pita bread into the hot oven, and it also prevents sticking.
Cook the pita bread for 7-8 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown. You can flip it after about 5-6 minutes, so that you’ll get even browning on both sides.
Pita bread cooked in the oven has a crisper texture than that cooked on the stovetop, because the oven dries it out to a greater extent. Therefore, it’s best to wrap it into a clean dish towel immediately out of the oven – this will trap the steam generated from the hot pita bread and make it much softer and more pliable.
Why isn’t my gluten free pita bread puffing up?
While this recipe really is super reliable and consistent, there are three main reasons for why your pita bread might not be puffing up:
- It’s too thick. If your pita bread is too thick, it won’t puff up. Make sure to roll it to a thickness of just under ¼ inch or about 5mm.
- The heat is too low. Regardless of whether you cook your pita bread on the stovetop or in the oven, you always need to cook them at a high heat or high temperature. The high heat is crucial because you want the moisture in the dough to rapidly transform into steam – this is what makes the pita bread puff up. If cooking it on the stovetop, cook it over medium-high to high heat. If using an oven, cook it at 475ºF (250ºC) on a pre-heated baking steel, baking stone or heavy-duty baking tray.
- The dough is too dry. This can happen if you changed anything about the recipe, or if you used volume/cup measurements and accidentally over-measured the flours. For best results, I recommend weighing your ingredients with a digital food scale.
How to store & reheat homemade gluten free pita bread
This gluten free pita bread is definitely at its very best freshly cooked and still hot or warm, but it’ll still be lovely and soft even a few hours later, after it’s cooled completely. You can also keep it in a closed air-tight container for about 2-3 days.
To return the pita bread to its original soft, pillowy texture on days 2 and 3, it’s best to reheat it using one of the three options below:
- Reheat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
- Reheat on the stovetop. Heat a large non-stick frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and lightly spray the pita bread with some water. Then, cook it in the hot pan with the lid on, for about 45 seconds to a minute on each side.
- Reheat in the oven – this is a good option if you need to reheat several at once. I recommend sprinkling (or spraying) a bit of water over them before you place them into the oven, so they don’t dry out.
Possible substitutions
Although all the ingredients in the recipe should be easily accessible either in your local grocery store or online, I still wanted to include a list of substitutions you can make. (NOTE: all substitutions should be madeby weightand not by volume.)
- Psyllium husk: YOU CAN’T SUBSTITUTE IT WITH A DIFFERENT INGREDIENT. But if you use psyllium huskpowderas opposed to the whole psyllium husk, use only 85% of the weight listed in the recipe. I recommend using “blond” psyllium husk, as it won’t add any colour or flavour to your pita bread or other bakes.
- Tapioca starch:You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.
- Millet flour:You can use an equal weight of finely ground/milled brown rice flour instead, but your pita bread might not puff up as effectively.
A note on measurements (tl;dr: if possible, use a scale)
While I’ve included the volume measurements (cups and spoons) in the recipe card below, if at all possible (and I really cannot overemphasise this): USE METRIC GRAM MEASUREMENTS IF YOU CAN.
They’re much more precise and produce more reliably delicious results. This is true for pretty much all of baking – a kitchen scale will invariably give better results than cups and tablespoons.
And there you have it – this covers everything you need to know in order to make truly fabulous gluten free pita bread. There’s something so mesmerising and satisfying about watching it puff up as it cooks, I’ll never get tired of it. And, of course, it’s incredibly delicious.
I really hope you’ll love it as much as I do.
Enjoy!!
More gluten free bread recipes
If you’re looking for more amazing gluten free bread recipes (that are nearly indistinguishable from their “regular” equivalents made from wheat flour), you’re definitely in the right place!
- Easy 5-Ingredient Gluten Free Flour Tortillas
- The Best Gluten Free Baguettes
- The Softest Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
- The Ultimate Gluten Free Bread (Artisan Style Loaf)
- The Softest Gluten Free Dinner Rolls
- Gluten Free Seeded Loaf (Mixed Seed Bread)
If you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
PRE-ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK!
The book that will teach you how to make ANY recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan (and still taste spectacular)
PRE-ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK!
The book that will teach you how to make ANY recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan
Easy Gluten Free Pita Bread
This is THE BEST gluten free pita bread you’ll ever try – and it’s super easy to make! It’s wonderfully soft and it puffs up beautifully, creating a large pocket perfect for filling. You need just 8 ingredients to make it and the dough is a joy to work with, you can knead it and roll it out without any problems whatsoever. The recipe includes both a stovetop and an oven cooking option – both work great and your pita bread will puff up every time.
Print Rate SAVE
4.95 from 20 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook/Bake Time 20 minutes mins
Proof Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Servings 6 pita breads
Author Kat | The Loopy Whisk
Ingredients
- 12 g (2½ tbsp) whole psyllium husk (rough husk form) (If using psyllium huskpowder, use only 10g.)
- 240 g (1 cup) lukewarm water
- 135 g (1 cup) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can use an equal weight of finely ground/milled brown rice flour instead, but your pita bread might not puff up as effectively.)
- 75 g (⅔ cup) tapioca starch (You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.)
- 10 g (2 tsp) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
- 4 g (1 tsp) instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, use 5g.)
- 4 g (¾ tsp) salt
- 15 g (1 tbsp) olive oil (You can use other oils instead, such as sunflower or vegetable oil.)
Instructions
If you plan on cooking the pita bread in the oven: Place a baking steel, baking stone or heavy-duty baking tray on the middle or lower middle oven rack and pre-heat the oven to 475ºF (250ºC).
Tip 1: A thoroughly pre-heated oven and a very high oven temperature are crucial if you want your pita bread to puff up.
Tip 2: I usually cook pita breads on the lower middle oven rack, as that makes it easier to transfer them into and out of the oven.
Making the dough:
You can make the dough by hand or using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
Make the psyllium gel:In a bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and lukewarm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.
In a separate large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer, if using), whisk together the millet flour, tapioca starch, sugar, instant yeast and salt.
Tip:If using active dry yeast instead, you need to activate it first. Mix it together with 60g (¼ cup) of the water and half of the sugar listed in the recipe (use the remaining water to make the psyllium gel). Set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing.Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the psyllium gel and olive oil.
Add the olive oil to the psyllium gel and mix well to combine, then add them to the dry ingredients.
Knead everything together into a smooth, supple dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl (it shouldn't be too sticky to the touch). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary, to avoid any patches of dry flour.
Rolling out & proofing the pita bread:
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 6 equal portions. You can use a scale to make sure that they’re all of equal weight (each portion should weigh about 82g) or you can just eyeball it.
Shape the pieces of dough into balls and cover them with a clean dish towel, to prevent them from drying out.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough ball into a round pita bread about 6 inches (15cm) in diameter and just under ¼ inch (about 5mm) thick.
Tip: If you intend to cook the pita bread in the oven, I recommend rolling them out on squares of parchment/baking paper, that will make it easier to transfer them into the oven.
Arrange the rolled-out pita breads on the counter, cover them with a clean dish towel and allow them to proof for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
Stovetop method:
Pre-heat a large pan or skillet over medium-high to high heat. The pan is ready when a droplet of water jumps and sizzles on its surface.
Tip: You might need to adjust the heat as you’re cooking the pita breads, based on how well they’re puffing up and how quickly they’re browning.
Place the pita bread on the hot pan or skillet and cook it for about 30 seconds, until it starts bubbling up in places and you can see dark brown spots underneath.
Flip it over and cook for a further 30 seconds until it’s golden brown underneath.
Flip it again and your pita bread should now fully puff up.
Cook it for about 45-60 seconds longer on both sides until it’s deep golden brown and maybe even a bit charred in spots.
Once cooked, transfer the pita bread to a plate or platter lined with paper towels or a dish towel to absorb any condensation that forms underneath. (Pita bread cooked on the stovetop is very soft and pliable, and you don’t have to wrap it in a dish towel to soften it.)
Repeat this process with all the other pita breads. Keep an eye on how they’re cooking and adjust the heat as needed.
If your pita breads are cooking/browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly. If they're not puffing up and are taking too long to brown, increase the heat.
Oven method:
Place 2-3 pita breads onto the pre-heated baking steel, baking stone or heavy-duty baking tray and bake at 475ºF (250ºC) for about 7-8 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown. They should fully puff up after about 2-3 minutes in the oven.
You can flip the pita breads after about 5-6 minutes, so that you’ll get even browning on both sides.
Once cooked, wrap the pita breads in a clean dish towel immediately out of the oven – this will trap the steam generated from the hot pita bread and make it much softer and more pliable. (Pita bread cooked in the oven has a crisper texture than that cooked on the stovetop, because the oven dries it out to a greater extent.)
Serving & storage:
These gluten free pita breads are at their very best freshly cooked and still hot or warm, but they’ll still be lovely and soft even a few hours later, after they’ve cooled completely.
They also keep well in a closed air-tight container for 2-3 days. To return them to their original soft, pillowy texture on days 2 and 3, it’s best to reheat them – see below.
Re-heating gluten free pita bread (3 options):
Reheat in the microwavefor 30-45 seconds.
Reheat on the stovetop.Heat a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat and lightly spray the pita bread with some water. Then, cook it in the hot pan with the lid on, for about 45 seconds to a minute on each side.
Reheat in the oven.This is a good option if you need to reheat several pita breads at once. I recommend sprinkling (or spraying) a bit of water over them before you place them into the hot oven so they don’t dry out. Then, reheat them in the oven at 350ºF/180ºC for about 3-5 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Mention @theloopywhisk or tag #theloopywhisk!
