Warm Pitta Mezze with Hummus, Olives and Cucumber
Puffed, soft pittas baked in minutes and torn into a swirl of hummus with olives, cucumber and tomatoes.
Made with Basic bread dough and Classic hummus. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.46 a head
- Oven240°C (220°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put a heavy baking tray on the top shelf and heat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan). Leave it to heat for at least 15 minutes, because a very hot tray is what makes pittas puff.
15 min - 2
Take your ready made bread dough (see the base recipe), after its first rise, and knock it back. Divide it into 8 pieces of about 75 g and roll each into a ball. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
10 min - 3
Roll each ball into an even oval about 5 mm thick. Keep the thickness the same all over, as thin patches will not puff.
- 4
Slide 3 or 4 pittas onto the hot tray and bake for 3 to 4 minutes, until puffed up like balloons and pale with a few golden spots. Wrap in a clean tea towel to keep them soft, and bake the rest.
3 min 30 s - 5
Spoon your ready made hummus (see the base recipe) into a shallow dish and swirl it with the back of a spoon. Drizzle over the olive oil and dust with the sumac and smoked paprika.
- 6
Serve the warm pittas with the hummus, olives, cucumber, tomatoes and lemon wedges, tearing the bread and scooping as you go.
Tips
- Do not add flour on the worktop beyond a light dusting. Extra flour dries the surface and stops the pitta sealing and puffing.
- If a pitta stays flat, it was probably rolled unevenly or the tray was not hot enough. It is still good to eat, just use it as a flatbread.
- Warm the hummus gently for 30 seconds in the microwave for a cosy, restaurant style mezze.
Storing and freezing
Eat the pittas on the day they are baked. Once cool they keep for 2 days in a bag or can be frozen for 1 month and reheated in a toaster. Leftover hummus keeps for 4 days in the fridge.
Questions
Can I make pitta bread without a baking tray in the oven?
Yes. Cook the rolled ovals one at a time in a very hot dry heavy frying pan for 1 minute, flip and cook 1 minute more, then flip again until puffed. The oven method is quicker for a batch.
Why did my pittas not puff up?
The usual reasons are an oven or tray that was not hot enough, dough rolled too thin or unevenly, or dough that proved too long and lost strength. Use a preheated tray and keep the thickness even.
Is this mezze suitable for vegans?
Yes, it is vegan, dairy free, egg free and nut free as written. The hummus contains tahini, which is sesame, so people with a sesame allergy should avoid it. The pittas contain wheat gluten.
More made with basic bread dough
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.