Pita bread is famed for its relation to a lot of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes such as kebabs, gyros, or the incredibly popular falafel. Other than being used in these dishes, pita bread alone is super tasty and can easily be reheated at home if you have any lying around. In this post we’ll discuss how to reheat pita bread for any meals you have in mind!
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What is Pita Bread?
Pita bread, also called Arabic/Syrian bread, is a popular Mediterranean food. It often comes stuffed with meat and local vegetables.
In some countries and cultures where cutlery is not used, pita bread is a way to scoop up any food that may be difficult to eat with your hands such as hummus and baba ghanoush.
In the US it is easy to find pita bread on store shelves in large quantities. These are still really good but it is nothing compared to genuine pita bread.
There is a way to get somewhat closer to the actual cultural experience. That is by heating up your leftover authentic pita bread.
The Best way to Heat Pita Bread
If you are searching for the most accurately authentic way to eat pita bread without actually having to go and buy it freshly made, then you will want to heat it up at home. There are a few methods of doing this which range from being super simple to being more complicated. But it’s well worth the effort.
Heat Pita Bread with an Open Flame
Similar to reheating naan bread, a direct heat source is going to do the job better than something like a microwave. The direct heat lets you concentrate the temperature and even work up a nice char, whereas a microwave does not char food as well.
The hands-down best way to heat or reheat pita bread is with an open flame. This is the same method a lot of people use to initially bake the bread, so it makes sense that is also the method of choice for reheating it.
The benefits of using an open flame are that it chars the bread and also puffs it up. The open flame will heat the entirety of the bread without the need to flip it as you would in a pan. This ensures that the bread has no pressure applied all over so that it can puff up.
Leave your bread near an open flame, such as a gas oven, until the bread starts to puff up (which is about 40 seconds). After this, gently flip the bread and allow it to heat for the same amount of time.
Once this is done, you should have some beautifully charred and heated bread ready to either be eaten or used in a recipe.
Alternative Methods for Heating Pita Bread
While an open flame is easily the best way to heat or reheat your pita bread, not everyone will have access to the right conditions. There are a lot of simpler methods that are also more accessible.
How to Reheat Pita Bread in a Microwave
Similar to heating up pizza, pita bread is at risk of drying out very easily in a microwave.
To combat this, you can place a small glass of water in the microwave with it. You can also line your microwave-safe plate with a damp paper towel. Blast the pita bread in 10-second intervals until it is heated through but still soft and flexible.
How to Reheat Pita Bread in a Toaster
If your pita bread is the right size to fit in your toaster then it can be really tempting to throw it in and let it heat up, as it should be. A toaster works just fine but is at risk of heating it up too much if left for longer than needed.
Crank the knob all the way to the lowest setting and then let your pita bread toast. You can also heat it more, so it is best to have to heat it twice rather than burn it.
How to Reheat Pita Bread on a stove
If you decide to heat up your pita bread on the stove then you will want to use an iron skillet or a pan that is big enough for your bread to sit flat. Set the heat to medium-high and brush a thin layer of olive oil on each side of the pita.
Let the bread sit for 10 seconds on each side and repeat this until it is soft and springy, be careful not to overcook it as this will dry it out.
