Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (spelt or white whole wheat can be used)
- 1 cup unbleached flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Mix Ingredients: Combine all dry and wet ingredients in a bowl and mix well, either by hand or using a mixer, until a dough forms.
- Knead the Dough: Knead the dough with a mixer for 5 minutes or by hand for 8 minutes until you achieve a soft, slightly tacky dough.
- First Rise: Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 1½ hours.
- Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 500°F (260°C), placing a baking/cooling rack directly on an oven rack or using a baking stone.
- Divide Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut it in half; cover one half with a damp towel. Divide the other half into four equal pieces, shaping each into a ball. Cover with a damp towel and repeat with the remaining half.
- Rest Dough Balls: Let the dough balls rest for 5 minutes under the damp towel to loosen the gluten.
- Roll Out Pitas: On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball into a circle roughly 6 inches in diameter and about ¼ inch thick.
- Bake Pitas: Place the rolled pitas directly onto the preheated baking rack in the oven. Bake each batch for 4 minutes, checking for browning and puffing. If needed, continue baking up to 1 additional minute without flipping.
- Prepare Next Batch: While baking the first batch, roll out the next pitas so they are ready to go into the oven immediately after removing the previous batch.
- Keep Pitas Soft: After baking, stack the pitas together and wrap them in a kitchen towel to retain softness and prevent crisping as they cool.
- Repeat Baking: Continue baking remaining pitas following the same process until all the dough is used.
- Serve or Store: Serve the pitas warm or let them cool fully before storing at room temperature in an airtight bag.
Notes
- Use a baking stone or a metal rack placed inside the oven to get the best puff and texture.
- Ensure water is warm, not hot, to activate the yeast without killing it.
- Do not over-flour when rolling out dough to avoid tough pitas.
- Covering baked pitas with a towel keeps them soft and prevents drying out.
- Pitas can be frozen after cooling; thaw at room temperature or warm in the oven before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
