Finding fresh pita in a Toronto has long been an obsession of mine. I grew up eating Sababa, and it didn't occur to be until I moved downtown (many dry falafel wraps and sad shawarma sandwiches later) that fresh pita is not as ubiquitous as I'd thought.

Luckily in recent years, the pita situation in this city has improved, restaurants are baking their own (acknowledging that fresh bread is crucial to great food), and Middle Eastern grocers in the GTA are making the good stuff from scratch.

Here are my picks for where to find the freshest pita in Toronto.

Adonis
The Middle Eastern grocery chain from Montreal has set up shop in Mississauga and Scarborough and bakes fresh pita in sight of curious customers. Watch as stretched dough travels through the oven on a conveyor belt, where it inflates like a balloon then cools enroute to being bagged.

Sababa
To my knowledge, Sababa is the longest running pita bakery in Toronto. The restaurant and grocer has been in business since 1987 baking fresh pita bread (plain, sesame, whole wheat and mini) each morning, which can be had as a sandwich, in part of a mezze spread or bought in bags by the half dozen.

Arz Fine Foods
Fresh pita bread made by Arz's offsite bakery is delivered to the Scarborough supermarket daily (except on Tuesdays). Available in bags of a half dozen or used for sandwiches, you'll find plain and whole wheat varieties in sizes ranging from regular to extra large.

District Oven
As its name suggests, the flaming stone oven is the heart of this Middle Eastern restaurant at College and Ossington. Here, house-made flat breads and pitas are baked fresh nightly and best had alongside mezze dips and spreads.

Rose City Kitchen
The tiny falafel shop on Queen near Spadina sells half moon, pita pocket sandwiches that are a cut above thanks to freshly baked bread. Thick, puffy pita bread arrives par-baked to the shop, and is finished onsite in a stone oven for ultimate freshness.

BONUS

Pita Bros.
This wholesale supplier stocks major supermarkets throughout Southern Ontario, but to enjoy their pita at its freshest, order ahead and pick up bags of regular and whole wheat varieties at their bakery outlet on Chesswood Drive in North York.

Lead photo from Adonis