I love to bake my own bread and pita is my favorite I think. There is nothing better than the smell of warm bread coming out of the oven. Pita takes a little practice to make, but it is well worth the effort.
My family loves pita and it is so much better fresh from the oven. Fill it with falafel, hummus and veggies or chickpea salad. You can also use it as a base for pizza. The possibilities are endless!
Pita Bread
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, water and sugar. Let is sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast starts to get foamy. Add in the flour and mix until it is well incorporated, if you are using a mixer mix it with a dough hook. Knead it for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, but no longer sticky. You may need to add a little flour while kneading it. Roll the pita dough into a ball and lightly coat it in olive or canola oil. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and a towel. Set the bowl in a warm place to rise for an hour until it has doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen turn it out onto a well floured surface. Roll it back into a ball and then cut it in half. Cut each half into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece of pita dough into small circles about 4 -5 inches across. Put them on a sheet pan, 4 to a pan and then cover them with a towel. Let the pita rest while you prepare the oven. Move one rack all the way to the bottom position and one all the way to the top position. Preheat it to 500. You have to have a super hot oven to make the pita puff up.
Once the oven is heated up place one tray of pitas on the bottom rack and bake for 4 minutes. Quickly move the pan to the top rack and bake another 2 -3 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately place the pita bread between 2 towels to cool. Repeat with the next tray of pita. Keep them covered until you are ready to serve them or they are completely cool. Once the pita is cool you can store them in a bread bag.
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