Wheat Pita Bread

If you haven’t tried homemade pita bread – you are really missing out.  It’s definitely going to make it hard to buy it from the store again.   It’s light, fluffy and the perfect flavor.  Some of them had the perfect pita pocket in the center too (although a few did not!).  I’m going to have to work on that – because I will be making these again many, many times. 

It’s actually not that hard to make – the hardest part for me was the actual cooking in the oven.  It was really hot out the day I made these – and after awhile it was hot and exhausting opening and closing the hot (500 degree!) oven to flip and place new pitas in the oven.  But totally worth it in the end – but I almost needed another shower after making these!

Ingredients

• 2¼ tsp. instant yeast
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1¼ cups warm water (105˚-115˚ F), divided
• 1½ cups bread flour, divided
• 1½ cups whole wheat flour, divided
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, honey and ½ cup of the water.  Stir gently to blend.  Whisk ¼ cup of the bread flour and ¼ cup of the whole wheat flour into the yeast mixture until smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

2. Remove the plastic wrap and return the bowl to the mixer stand, fitted with the dough hook.  Add in the remaining ¾ cup of warm water, 1¼ cups bread flour, 1¼ cups whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt.  Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. 

3. Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and let rise in a warm draft-free place, about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.

4. Place an oven rack in the middle position.  Place a baking stone in the oven and preheat to 500˚ F.

5. Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. 

6. Form each piece into a ball.  Flatten one ball at a time into a disk, then stretch out into a 7 inch circle. 

7. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet or other work surface lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  Once all the rounds have been shaped, loosely cover with clean kitchen towels.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, until slightly puffy.

8. Transfer 3-4 pitas, 1 at a time, onto the baking surface.  Bake 2 minutes, until puffed and pale golden.  Gently flip the pitas over using tongs and bake 1 minute more. 

9. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining pitas.

Source: Annie’s Eats who adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally from Gourmet, May 2003

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