Whole Wheat Pita Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Sift together 2 cups of flour and the yeast.
• Add water and salt and mix well.
• Gradually add in the remaining flour just until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Once this happens, stop adding flour (so, you might not use all the flour the recipe calls for.).
• Knead the dough for about 4 or 5 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. (While you're kneading, you can get creative and add in some herbs or spices, but only if you want to do that). Be careful not to over-knead the dough.
• Form dough into 10 balls.
• On a floured surface, roll each ball into a 5-6 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. (Be sure to sprinkle a little flour on both sides to prevent sticking).
• Place on a non-stick baking sheet and allow to rise 30 minutes, or until slightly raised.
• Just before you place the pan in the oven, flip each pita over on its other side.
• Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes. (The instant hot heat will help them puff up).
• When the pitas come out of the oven they will be hard, but they will soften as the cool.
• Store them, while they're still warm, in plastic baggies or an airtight container.
• Cut the pitas in half crosswise and stuff with your favorite fillings (beans and rice, taco fixings, thick stews, curries - anything goes).
• Pitas can be reheated in a 350°F oven or in the microwave.

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.).
• While yeast mixture stands, stir together flours in another bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup flour mixture into yeast mixture until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Stir in oil, salt, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and remaining 2 1/2 cups flour mixture until a dough forms.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, working in just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer round to 1 of 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Make 7 more rounds in same manner, arranging them on baking sheets. Loosely cover pitas with 2 clean kitchen towels (not terry cloth) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Set oven rack in lower third of oven and remove other racks. Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack.(or on a screen) Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake 1 minute more. Cool pitas on a cooling rack 2 minutes, then stack and wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to keep pitas warm. Bake remaining 4 pitas in same manner. Serve warm.
• Cooks' note: Pitas can be baked 1 week ahead and cooled completely, then frozen, wrapped well in foil in a sealed plastic bag. Thaw before reheating, wrapped in foil, 10 to 12 minutes in a 350°F oven.
• My note: Though I have not had problems cooking these on my oven rack, you may want to consider baking yours on a screen of some sort as noted by many of the reviewers.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add honey; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt 3 cups of whole wheat flour and remaining water. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough whole wheat flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a surface dusted with all-purpose flour; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. , Punch dough down; let rest for 10 minutes. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough into 12 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Knead each ball for 1 minute. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. , Grease baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll each ball into an 8-in. circle. Place on prepared baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 475° for 8-10 minutes or until browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. To serve, cut in half and split open. Stuff with fillings of your choice.

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.
• Combine white flour, wheat flour, and salt in large bowl.
• Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression.
• Slowly add warm yeast water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until dough becomes elastic.
• You can also do step 1-4 using the knead function in a Kitchen Aid.
• Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded.
• Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated with oil. Allow to sit, covered, in a warm place for about 3 hours OR until it has doubled in size.
• Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to also preheat your baking sheet.
• Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.
• Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.
• Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.
• Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the water, sugar and yeast. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• With the mixer running on low speed, add the oil and salt, and then gradually add the bread and whole-wheat flours. Increase the speed to medium high and mix for 7 to 10 minutes, adding just enough additional bread flour so that the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Do not add too much flour; the dough should be smooth and slightly sticky. Lightly coat a clean large bowl with oil or cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl, turning it once or twice to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Mold each piece into a ball by stretching the top and tucking the edges under. Place the balls 1 inch apart on a piece of parchment paper, cover them with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Lightly dust a work surface with flour. With a rolling pin, roll out the balls of dough into 1/4-inch-thick circles. Place them on the lined baking sheets and bake until cooked through and puffy, about 5 minutes. You do not want them to brown. Cool on a rack and enjoy.
• Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container or ziptop bag and then reheated in the microwave or toaster.

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• While yeast mixture stands, stir together flours in another bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup flour mixture into yeast mixture until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Stir in oil, salt, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and remaining 2 1/2 cups flour mixture until a dough forms.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, working in just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer round to 1 of 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Make 7 more rounds in same manner, arranging them on baking sheets. Loosely cover pitas with 2 clean kitchen towels (not terry cloth) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Set oven rack in lower third of oven and remove other racks. Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack. Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake 1 minute more. Cool pitas on a cooling rack 2 minutes, then stack and wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to keep pitas warm. Bake remaining 4 pitas in same manner. Serve warm.