DIY Pita Bread

This recipe works! Two successful batches later I am beside and puffed up like a proud penguin. I MAKE BREAD. Edible, tasty, looks-like-store bought bread. Raawwwr. Thanks to the Wimbush Family Pita Bread recipe for the instructions and confidence.

1 TBS yeast (Equals one of those square yeast packages that comes in sets of 3 in the baking aisle)
1 ¼ cup warm tap water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour (This makes it taste better and is healthier)
2 – 2 ½ cups all-purpose white flour
You’re gonna want an electric mixer too

Dissolve the yeast in water for about 5 minutes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add salt and whole wheat flour plus ½ cup of white flour. With the dough hook attachment, beat to make a batter. Add additional flour until a rough, shaggy mass is formed. (It will break apart and look kinda rough). Add a bit more flour and knead 6-8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. (It will form a cohesive glob on the hook).

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 pieces for larger pitas or 10 for smaller. Add more flour if it is too sticky. Form dough into balls, then flatten with a rolling-pin into ¼ inch thick discs. TIP: Try and keep an even thickness as this is what helps them ‘puff’. Thinner ones cook faster and puff more; thicker ones turn out more like a naan bread.

Lightly flour 2-3 cookie sheets and set on top of the stove. Preheat to 425 F. With a large spatula or your hands, move the flattened disks to the cookie sheets. Let them rest on the floured surface on or near the stove for 30-40 minutes until slightly puffed. Don’t worry if they don’t double in size or look perceptibly larger. They’re okay. You should be able to smell the yeast and when you poke ‘em, your finger should leave a little dent. If not, whatever — worst case scenario is that you’ll make crackers instead of pitas.

Bake 10-15 minutes until light golden. Stick around for the first five minutes of baking when the pitas perform their magic and puff up from flat pancakes to proud, four-inch high pitas. It’s epic. Store bought and the Pioneer Woman ain’t got nuthin’ on me!

Cool completely before storing or risk stale pitas. Apparently you can also freeze ‘em, but they haven’t stuck around long enough yet for me to attest to that.