Whole wheat Pita

Pita is a yeast leavened round flatbread popular in middle-east and Mediterranean cuisine. It is somewhat like yeast added Indian roti. It is mostly served with hummus, falafel, some salads, tahini and sawarma. Pita can be prepared from wheat or whole wheat. Here I present the whole wheat way of preparing pita. Also, hummus, falafel and tahini can be prepared at home. You can prepare all of them and enjoy middle-eastern cuisine at home.

Course: Bread

Cuisine: (Israeli) Middle Eastern

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Servings: 10 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 cup of lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoon of dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 ½ cup of whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil + some more olive oil

Directions

1. Take the dry yeast and sugar in a bowl. To it add lukewarm water and leave the bowl in a warm part of your kitchen.
2. Meanwhile, take the flours and to it add the salt whisk it to form a uniform mixture.
3. In about 10 minutes you will find that the yeast has become frothy.
4. Add the oil and the yeast mixture to the flour mixture.
5. Now make a soft and smooth dough. Add more flour only if necessary.
6. Spread some olive oil on the surface of the dough and let it rest for about an hour.
7. In one hour you will find that the dough has doubled in volume.
8. Gently deflate the dough and transfer it on a floured surface.
9. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions.
10. Roll each ball and roll it using a rolling pin. Roll each ball to ½ cm of thickness.
11. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees centigrade. Put the rolled pitas on the baking tray.
12. Bake for about 4-5 minutes until it puffs up.
13. You can also make them on gas/stove top on medium-high heat.
14. Press and hold each side and turn to get fully puffed pitas.

Notes

1. The dough should be soft and smooth. Pitas are generally a little thick, so roll them thicker than usual roti.
2. The oven should be very hot.
3. While preheating the oven, keep the oven tray inside. The tray should be hot.
4. After you put in your pita bread do not open the oven.
5. The dough can be stored in refrigerator for about a week.
6. If you prepare the pitas on stove top/gas it might puff up little less.
7. You can also prepare them from only wheat flour.

Serving description

        Pita is mostly served with hummus, falafel and some salads. The pocket of the pita is cut open and stuffed with hummus, falafel, tahini and salad and served. Alternatively, it is also stuffed with meat dishes like shawarma.

Prepare this dish at home and get the feel of middle-east . Let me know how it comes up.