This recipe is a little time consuming as it requires yeast and the bread needs time to rise. So these are better to start in the morning if you want them for dinner time or just to stock pile for the week. These bubble up and form perfect pockets for sandwiches. I use whole wheat pastry flour, but you can use regular whole wheat flour or unbleached white if you prefer.
Tips:
*Do NOT peek in the oven as they cook. Steam is required to make them puff up and if you open the door and look in you will release the steam and they will not puff up.
* Make sure you let the oven reheat between each round of baking. It is important that the oven be as hot as possible for each round of pita baking.
*Do not roll pitas too thin. They should be around 6-7 inches in diameter once rolled out
Tips:
*Do NOT peek in the oven as they cook. Steam is required to make them puff up and if you open the door and look in you will release the steam and they will not puff up.
* Make sure you let the oven reheat between each round of baking. It is important that the oven be as hot as possible for each round of pita baking.
*Do not roll pitas too thin. They should be around 6-7 inches in diameter once rolled out
Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Makes 8 Pocket
Time: 3-4 hours
Ingredients:
3 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp and 1 tsp Raw Sugar
1 Pack Active Dry Yeast (2 1/2 tsp if from Bulk)
1 1/4 Cups and 1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbsp Olive Oil and more to coat bowl
*Combine yeast with 1/4 warm water and 1 tsp Sugar. Stir then let sit 10 minutes to activate. Should double in volume. If it does not rise, throw away and try again.
*Mix Flour, Salt, and Sugar. Add Yeast mixture
*Add Olive Oil and 1 1/4 Cups water. Stir all together.
*Should be able to form into a ball. If some flour will not join, add more water 1 Tbsp at a time until combined well.
*Next place the ball on a flour dusted surface like a cutting board and knead for about 10 minutes.
*Lightly coat a large bowl with oil. Place ball into ball and roll to coat lightly with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let sit 90 minutes till doubles in size.
*Next punch down ball to release trapped gases and divide into 8 little balls. Cover the separated balls and let them rest for 15 minutes.
*While the dough rests. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Turn a cookie sheet upside down and place in oven to preheat. This will be your cooking surface.
* Flour your work surface and with a rolling pin or your hands stretch and flatten the dough.
*Cover the rolled out dough with damp towel and let rest 5 minutes more.
*Place dough two pitas at a time on the back of the pre-heated cookie sheet.
*Bake 3-5 minutes depending on your oven. (mine is gas and I did 5, but some were overcooked)
*After every round of baking allow oven and cookie sheet to heat back up to temperature before placing new pitas in oven.
*Cool completely on a cooling rack then store in an airtight container.
August 29, 2010 at 7:30 PM
In response to the anonymous comment I deleted:
Yeast, like mushrooms, are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the Fungi kingdom, which in layman's terms means that yeast is not derived from animal products or classified as an animal and is thus vegan-friendly.