Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup bread flour (NOT all-purpose! bread flour is what makes these pitas chewy!)
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sesame tahini
Directions
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Combine everything in your bread machine’s pan. Turn the machine on the RISE setting so that it will mix, knead, and allow the dough to rise once. Make sure the dough is properly hydrated; it should form a smooth ball. Adjust the liquid or flour as needed.
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When the dough has risen, shape it into eight balls. Then roll each ball into a 5-inch circle; cover them and let them rise for 30 minutes. Place the bread directly on the racks in a 475 oven.
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Bake for 2 to 4 minutes, until puffed up. Cool them on racks.
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Eureka! I’ve found it! The Perfect Pita! Soft and chewy and ready to be split and stuffed, rolled around falafel balls, or cut into wedges and dipped into homemade hummus. The key, I believe, is the bread flour. The original recipe calls for all whole wheat flour. I made it that way once, and ended up with OK bread. Perfectly edible, but not quite there. The bread flour was an epiphany. It lightens the dough just enough to soften the bread a bit, creating the perfect texture. Isn’t chemistry fun?
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PS: For extra, added fun, why not try making Mini Pitas? Divide the dough into 24 balls and roll them into 2-inch rounds. Bake as directed. Too cute for words!