Whole Wheat Honey Pita

By Talk2usoon

This recipe contains a mixture of whole-wheat and all purpose flour to create a nutty flavored pita.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 3.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus flour for kneading
• 2 cups warm water (90 to 110 degrees F)
• 2 envelopes (.25 ounce each) active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Step 1

1) Combine the whole wheat and all purpose flours in a large bowl; mix thoroughly. Set Aside.
2) Pour the water into a second bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir to dissolve.
3) With a wooden spoon, stir the honey and salt into the yeast mixture; mix thoroughly. Gradually add 5 cups of the flour, stirring constantly, until dough is smooth. Slowly work in the remaining flour (up to 1/2 cup) wtih your hands, kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. Turn dough out onto a well-floured board. Knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
4) Shape the dough into an even rectangle and cut it in half lengthwise. Divide the dough into 24 portions for small pitas; 12 for larger ones. Shape each portion into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a floured surface and cover them with slightly damp towels while you roll out 1 ball at a time.
5) Gently press each ball flat with your fingers, keeping it well rounded. Flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll each round from the center to the outer edge, giving the dough a 1/4 turn after each roll, to form a perfect circle not quite 1/4 inch thick (about 5 to 5.5 inches for small pitas; about 8.5 inches for the larger ones). Carefully flip the circles over to smooth out any creases that might prevent the pocket from forming.
6) As each loaf is rolled, place it carefully on a floured surface and cover with a clean, dry towel; do not let the surface of the loaves dry out. Let the loaves rise in a warm draft-free area, 30 to 45 minutes.
7) Fifteen minutes before the loaves have finished rising, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. At the same time, placed an ungreased baking sheet in the oven to pre-heat.
8) To bake, place 4 small pitas or 1 large pita on the hot baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven until puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes for small pitas and about 3.5 minutes for the large; the pita will be soft and flexible. If desired, flip the loaves over after they have puffed and bake up to 1 minute longer to brown the tops; be careful not to let the pita get crisp and brittle.
9) Remove the hot pitas from the oven and wrap immediately in clean, dry towels until cool enough to handle. Serve warm or at room temperature.
10) Repeat this process until al pitas are baked

Makes 24 small or 12 large pitas

**Note: I make the dough in my Zojorushi bread maker, but it's a LOT of dough and stresses it out a bit.
I also bake the pitas on a pizza stone (following manufacturer's directions for the pizza stone).