Whole Wheat Pita Bread Take II

Happy 2012 everyone! We ate our black eyed peas yesterday so hoping that 2012 will be a great year here.  

I am not one to typically make resolutions with the new year as I feel that you can make a change any day of the year. The hubby and I did sit down on New Year's Eve to make a 30 Things before 30 list. Kind of a bucket list of things we want to do before we hit 30 years with goals and fun things to do :)

Resolutions aside, I am ready to get back into our routine after the holiday hoopla. I sat down this past weekend to make a menu plan for the week and realized that I hadn't planned out our meals since the end of November. With a meal plan ready to go for the next week, we'll hopefully be back on track. While they aren't actually on my menu for this next week, these pitas would certainly help this plan. Stuffed with meat and veggies for a fulfilling lunch or with peanut butter and a banana for breakfast, they meet the qualifications necessary for a great meal.

If you've read my blog for awhile, you know that this is not the first time that I have attempted to make pita bread at home. I am not sure if it was the recipe or more experience using yeast, but this recipe seemed to go much more smoothly than the previous one. Pita success.These even made great homemade pita chips :) Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Whole Wheat Pita Bread
From Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
2-1/4 tsp. instant yeast (1 pkg)
1 Tbsp. honey
1-1/4 cups hot water (105-115 F), divided
1-1/2 cups bread flour, divided
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
cornmeal for sprinkling

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the honey, yeast, and 1/2 cup of the water. Stir gently to blend. Whisk 1/4 cup of the bread flour and 1/4 cup of the whole wheat flour into the yeast mixture until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap and return the bowl to the stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook. Add in the remaining 3/4 cup of warm water, 1-1/4 cups bread flour, and 1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt. Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour until doubled in bulk.

Place the oven rack in a middle position. Place a baking stone in the oven (if using) and preheat to 500 degrees F. 

Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten one ball at a time into a disk and then stretch into a 6-1/2 to 7-inch circle. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet or other work surface sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. Loosely cover with a kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or until slightly puffy. 

Transfer 4 pitas to the stone or baking sheet. Bake for 2 minutes, until puffed and a pale golden color. Gently flip over using tongs and bake for 1 minute more. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.