Super Easy and Tasty Greek Pita Recipe with Fillings – Gyro

The Greeks sure know how to make an amazing wrap. Gyro is a wrap made with a Greek style pita bread filled with roasted meat, potatoes, fresh tomatoes, onions, and the super delicious sauce known as tzatziki.

What makes Greek pita unique is that it has no pocket, so the bread is wrapped around the fillings like a tortilla. But unlike tortilla Greek pita is thicker, softer, and fluffier.

There are different versions of it. Some are made with milk, some are made with water, and some are made with a mix of both. Some are made with fresh thyme leaves in the dough. Mine is made with water and the fresh thyme. If you want to use milk, then be aware that milk is only 90% water, so you must use more of it.

You can fill your flatbreads with whatever you like, but I have included the recipes for the fillings I used, and I strongly suggest you try them because they just work so well.

The thickness of the pita will affect the final texture. A thin pita will not be as soft and become dry more quickly, but it can accommodate more fillings since it will be larger.

A thicker pita will be softer and stay softer for longer. Make them one by one and see which works best for you.

This recipe makes 4 large pitas. To make more, simply multiply the ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

250g (8.8oz) white bread flour

5g (0.17oz) salt

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.12oz) active dry yeast or (0.3oz) 9g fresh yeast

5g (0.17oz) sugar

25g (0.9oz) olive oil

1g (0.03oz) fresh picked thyme leaves

145g (5.1oz) cold water*

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

Olive oil for cooking

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

For the chicken (2 portions) –

2 large skinless and boneless chicken thighs

50g (1.75oz) olive oil

2g (0.07oz) salt

1g (0.03oz) black pepper, ground

2g (0.07oz) paprika

2g (0.07oz) fresh thyme leaves

1 lemon worth of juice

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Mix the marinade and then coat the chicken with it. Leave in the fridge for a few hours or a whole day.

For the tzatziki (2 portions) –

200g (7oz) Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/3 cucumber, deseeded and grated

20g (0.7oz) olive oil

2g (0.07oz) salt

Chopped dill. The amount is up to you. I like to use quite a lot.

Mix everything and leave in the fridge.

The other fillings –

Fresh sliced tomatoes

Fresh sliced red onions

Roasted potatoes or fries

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, sugar, thyme, and olive oil. Mix well. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
2. Tip the dough out on the table and knead it for 5 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
3. Cover and ferment for 2 hours.
4. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into balls.
5. Cover and final proof for 1 – 1.5 hours.
6. Whilst the dough is fermenting you can roast the chicken and the potatoes. 220C (430F) for 20 – 25 minutes.
7. To roll out the pita dust a dough ball with flour generously. Flatten it by hand and then continue with a rolling pin.
8. Drop the pita in a pre-heated pan on medium-high heat with a little bit of oil in it.
9. Cook for 1 minute per side.
10. Stack the pitas on top of each other and cover them as soon as they come out of the pan.

Assemble your gyro and enjoy!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.