Whole Wheat Pita Bread Recipe

Prep time

1 hour 30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

2 hours

Serves: 5-6

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 11/4 cup warm water – one cup and an extra one-fourth cup
• ½ tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 or 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tbsp salt
• a pinch of sugar

Instructions

preparing & rolling the bread:

1. in a small bowl add ½ cup of the warm water. sprinkle a pinch of sugar. then and the yeast and stir.
2. keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature.
3. in a large bowl mix the rest of the warm water with flour, salt and olive oil with a wooden spoon.
4. after the yeast has frothed, add the yeast mixture and knead into a soft, smooth dough.
5. keep the dough moist and soft as well as smooth and springy.
6. place the dough into a greased container or in the same bowl with some olive oil applied all over the dough.
7. cover with a kitchen napkin and keep at room temperature for for 1 to 1.5 hours.
8. preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
9. once the dough has doubled up, then remove the dough from the bowl.
10. put the dough on your working surface & deflate the dough gently.
11. make medium sized balls from the dough.
12. dust the working surface with flour and roll each ball into round circles of about 6 inch about ¼ inch thick.
13. cover the circles with the kitchen towel loosely and let them rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

baking the pita bread in the oven:

1. now place them on a greased tray and bake at 200 degrees C for 7 to 10 minutes or till puffed up and light brown.
2. bake all the pita breads this way.

making the pita bread on stove top:

1. heat a non stick frying pan or tava.
2. place the bread on the tava and cover for 2-3 minutes till the bread starts puffing up.
3. flip the bread the other side and cook for more 2 to 3 minutes.

serving:

1. stack them up and store in a kitchen towel or bread box.
2. you can also serve them warm.
3. just slice the bread into two… you will see the pockets.
4. stuff the pockets with a filling of your choice and your pita sandwich is ready.

Notes

if the dough becomes too sticky than add some more flour. remember to proof the yeast in warm water. less warm water or hot water will not not yield good results. you can also knead the dough in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. you can double as well as triple this recipe. like all my bakes, i have baked the pita bread in a microwave oven in the convection/baking mode. since the recipe is lightly adapted, the pita breads should fluff well in a regular oven too if the yeast proofing and leavening of the bread is done well. 

 

 

 Source:  dassana