A while ago I was looking for a good whole wheat pita bread recipe. I'm not one to typically stick to the recipe 100%, but this is a really good one. I got it from King Arthur Flour. It's really not as difficult as you'd think, and it's AMAZING when it's warm out of the oven.
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Here is your recipe:
1 1/2 c. White whole wheat flour + more if needed
1 1/2 c. Unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 1. salt (I prefer sea salt for this)
1 1/2 T Instant Yeast *
1 1/8 c. Lukewarm water
2 T. Orange juice
2 T. Olive oil
You may also want some olive oil infused with herbs/spices for finished product. Herbs and spices can include: cumin, cardamom, turmeric, caraway, anise, ginger, crushed red pepper; and fresh sage, marjoram, or oregano. If you are using whole seeds, crack/smoosh them with the broad side of your knife. This is good to make while the dough is rising.
1. Combine all ingredients* (except infused olive oil), and mix until ball-ish dough forms. Continue to kneed until soft dough forms. If dough seems too sticky, add up to 1/2 c. more flour 1 T. at a time.
2. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl (can be the one you used to mix, but wash it out a bit first), cover with a damp yet clean dish towel, and let it rise for 60-90 minutes until double in size. If it's not the middle of the summer, I like to turn on my oven during this time and place my bowl on the oven. This really gives the dough a good opportunity to rise. If you would rather not do that, turn the oven to 450°F towards the end of the 60 or so minutes. If you have a pizza stone, now is the time to put it in the oven on the bottom rack. Remove the other rack from your oven or put it on the top shelf.
3. Divide the dough into 8 balls, being careful not to deflate the dough too much. Cover with the damp towel and let them rise for 10 minutes.
4. Roll two of the balls into roughly 7" circles/ovals - they'll shrink a bit. I prefer them longer if you're planning on folding them to use as food holders. If you don't have a pizza stone, place a baking sheet on the bottom rack while preparing the circles.
5. Working quickly to keep from losing heat, flop the dough onto the pizza stone and close the door. Bake for about 4 minutes and watch them get awesome and puffy (not so puffy if it's on a baking sheet).
6. Using tongs, flip the pitas and bake for 1 minute more.
*If you don't have instant yeast, proof the yeast first, then add it once all the other ingredients are combined. Instant yeast it is definitely worth looking in to. I am absolutely terrible at getting water the correct temperature to get the yeast to rise normally - I usually have to try it 2-3 times. With instant yeast, just throw everything into a bowl and mix away. So much easier.
You're welcome.
