Pita Bread by Chef Peter Berley |

Behind the Recipes

Pita Bread by Chef Peter Berley

Makes Makes 6 loaves serving

INGREDIENTS:

These puffy rounds are best the day they are baked, however they can be stored in a plastic bag for up to 2 days, or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to a month. Defrost without unwrapping, then re-warm them in a 350 degree oven.
This recipe calls for a pizza stone, which is available in kitchen stores. Using a stone is a great way to get nice crusts if you bake often. Clean, unglazed quarry tiles, available at flooring or hardware stores, can also be used. Or you can simply preheat a cast iron griddle or an overturned baking sheet--the sturdiest you have--and use that.

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups whole wheat bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

PREPARATION:

1. Place the yeast in a mixing bowl, and stir in 1 1/4 cup warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees). Let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the whole wheat flour, and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to ferment at room temperature for 2 hours. At this point the batter will have lots of bubbles on the surface and should appear lacy and web-like when stirred.

3. Stir in the salt and 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Mix in enough white flour to form a ragged mass of dough.

4. Scoop up the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured clean surface. Wash out the bowl and invert it over the dough to prevent it from drying. Allow the dough to rest for 15-20 minutes to allow the gluten to develop.

4. Knead for about ten minutes, adding additional flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, shiny dough that is fairly dry and only slightly tacky.

5. Smear the inside of a 1-gallon re-sealable plastic bag with a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bag and seal. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up 2 days.

6. One hour before you plan to bake, place a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven. Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat to 500 degrees.

7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently shape it into a 12-inch log. Cut the log crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball, dust lightly with whole wheat flour, and cover with a cloth. Let the balls proof for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

8. With a rolling pin or empty wine bottle, roll each piece from the center outwards, rotating it a quarter turn with each roll, until the dough is a 6-inch round. Place 3 rounds of dough on the pizza stone and bake for 5 minutes. The pitas will puff up. Transfer them to the top rack and bake 2 minutes more. Retrieve the pitas from the oven and cool for a few minutes, then wrap them in a cloth towel to keep them warm. Repeat with the remaining dough.