my local supermarket stopped carrying the bakery whole-wheat pita i used to buy to take for lunch, so i decided to make it myself for half the price. i use a stand mixer, which makes kneading effortless. it tastes exactly the same as what i used to buy.
if you have one, prepare your mixer with its dough hook. combine water and yeast in bowl of mixer. water should be warm but not too hot- i combine half boiling water with half cold tap water. wait until yeast starts to fizz a bit- better you know now that it''s working before it''s too late and you''ve wasted your flour on bread that won''t rise.
2
add the honey (you can add a bit more to taste) and 1.5 tablespoons of the olive oil (the rest is for later). stir a bit to combine- just turn the mixer on low for a few seconds.
3
measure out the flour and salt into a separate bowl. while the mixer is working on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet. turn to the maximum allowable speed for the dough hook and ensure everything is incorporated into a dough. i inevitably have to scrape down the sides of the bowl once before the dough magically comes together.
4
knead on high for about 2 minutes, then on low for about 2 minutes. really knead until the dough starts slapping the sides of the bowl, and is elastic and not terribly sticky. if it''s sticky, knead in a bit more flour (AP or whole wheat).
5
now detach the bowl and remove the dough hook. pick up the lump of dough and pour the final tablespoon of oil into the bottom of the bowl. replace the dough and turn it around in the oil several times to coat. cover with a towel and set to rise for at least two hours, or until doubled in bulk (whole wheat flour is heavier than white, so be generous with time). you can let it rise in the fridge overnight and continue the next day, after you''ve let the dough come to room temperature.
6
after it''s risen, let the air out of the dough and knead by hand for about a minute (i do this directly in the bowl and do not get flour anywhere near my countertop). form into 16 small balls and set on a surface (i use recycled shopping bags turned inside-out) covered with a towel to proof. at the same time, place an inverted cookie sheet or a pizza stone (i use quarry tiles- much cheaper) inside the oven and preheat to 500F.
7
once the oven is hot, work quickly. set up your workstation with a pair of tongs, an oven mitt, and somewhere to place your finished pita. roll or extrude each ball into a six-inch disc (i stretch it like a pizza). place as many as will fit on your sheet/stone onto it in the oven. bake for 2-4 minutes or until your pita is puffy and releases from the stone. quickly remove with the tongs and put another set in. keep doing this until the dough is finished. that''s it. wait until completely cool and freeze if desired.
