Pita bread is one of the oldest breads in the Middle East and one of the essential foods in the Middle Eastern diet. It plays a very important role in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and especially in Egypt, where wheat and barley, essential elements for the production of bread, were cultivated. However, as a curiosity, it has Greek roots, in fact pita bread comes from the Greek word πίτα, which means bread.
What is pita bread?
Pita bread is a variant of normal bread that consists of a soft dough, which takes on a round, flat shape and is hollow inside. This makes it very malleable and easy to fill with any food. This bread is mainly made of wheat flour, water, oil, yeast and a pinch of salt.
This Middle Eastern bread has a mild taste and a unique texture. Pita bread is fluffy and has a crispy crust.
Types of pita bread
Thanks to the creativity of bakers and the versatility of pita bread, different variants have been developed. These types of bread seek to offer new flavours to the palate, lending themselves to different culinary uses. Some of these breads are:
- Wholemeal pita bread. A variation for those looking to include it in a healthier diet. This is made from whole wheat flour which provides more fibre and nutrients.
- White pita bread. This is the original and classic version of pita bread. Thanks to its ingredients and wheat flour as the main base. It is ideal for all kinds of dishes, and is sometimes even used as a pizza base.
- Rye. In this case, rye flour is used, which provides more protein, fibre, minerals and vitamins than wheat flour. It also has a different taste, making it an ideal option for people who want to experiment with new flavours.
- Cocktail pita bread. This is a mini-sized bread, much smaller than the other varieties of pita bread. Specifically, it has a diameter of 10cm. Mini pita bread is in great demand by hotels and caterers, as it is an ideal size to have on buffets as part of their selection of breads.
- Seeded pita bread. The only difference from classic pita bread is the addition of sesame seeds. These add texture and nutrients to the bread.
- Spelt pita bread. This version of pita bread is made with spelt instead of wheat flour. Spelt has fewer calories than wheat flour and also provides more energy value. It also has a unique taste with a nutty sweetness.
- Wholemeal multigrain. This is a much more complete type of bread than the other versions, with a higher nutritional value. This is because it is made with different grains and seeds, such as sesame, sunflower, flaxseed, wheat and spelt. In addition to its nutrients, it provides a more toasted and concentrated flavour.
- Corn pita. It is made from maize flour. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and carotene. Thanks to the corn flour it offers sweet touches, which together with some foods can be an explosion of flavours.
- Arabian Pita. This variant differs from the classic pita bread in that it is much thinner. This is because it uses less yeast and contains no fat, which makes it healthier.
What are the nutrients in pita bread?
Pita bread can be included in a healthy and balanced diet due to its nutrients and health benefits.
High-quality protein
Pita bread is a source of plant-based protein. In addition to providing energy through carbohydrates, it helps to repair the tissues of the human body. It is also an ideal food for vegan or vegetarian diets.
Rich in minerals
This type of bread provides vitamins such as folic acid, thiamine and niacin. These are essential for the digestive system, skin, nerves and for producing new cells, among other benefits.
It also contains minerals such as zinc, magnesium, iron and selenium. These are important and essential for bone health and metabolism.
Other health benefits
Due to its low level of yeast and lack of fat, it can be beneficial for fat loss if taken in conjunction with a balanced diet and other healthy lifestyle habits.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above. Pita bread contains fibre which improves digestive health, regulates intestinal transit and prevents constipation.
What dishes can it be combined with?
Thanks to its versatility and the wide variety of pita breads, it can be combined and accompanied with many dishes.
Its round shape and lack of inner crumb make it ideal for stuffing with different ingredients. In addition, its taste is ideal as an accompaniment to sweet and savoury dishes.
- Kebabs. This is the most popular use of this bread. It is used as a mould or base to be filled with kebab meat, vegetables and sauces.
- Falafel. A vegetable dish made from chickpeas and spices. It can be stuffed into pita bread along with vegetables and sauces to make a very complete vegetable dish.
- Gyros. This is a dish of Greek origin, based on roast pork or lamb. It is served with pita bread, stuffed with this meat, vegetables and sauces.
- Accompanied by sauces. Pita bread can be used as an accompaniment for dipping sauces or creams such as hummus. One way to accompany this bread with dips is to toast it and cut it into pieces.
- As a pizza base. This bread is so versatile that it can be toasted and used as pizza dough. Accompanied with tomato sauce and toppings to taste, it becomes a very special dish.
- Sweet dishes. It also goes perfectly with savoury dishes. Pita bread goes perfectly with sweet dishes. An example of this is that it can be used as a base to be spread with cocoa cream and accompanied with fruit.
Premium pita bread
Although pita bread is a Middle Eastern product, it is becoming increasingly common in European pantries. For this, brands such as Elviart and Mana Pan Pita are ideal to start including this type of bread in Mediterranean diets.
Elviart’s pitas are fluffy and delicious, thanks to the dedication it puts into achieving exquisite quality and flavour. All this is due to its long tradition since 1952. Moreover, due to their knowledge and experience, they have managed to produce different types of pitas. Such as premium mini-pitas, corn pitas, Arabic pita, pizza base, Cyprus pita, wholemeal pita, pita quadrata or giant pita, among others.
Meanwhile, Mana Pan Pita, is a Spanish company, created in the Balearic Islands in 2009. It makes pita bread with 100% natural and high quality ingredients, free of preservatives and colourings so that everyone can eat it.
