Whole-Wheat Pita

Ingredients

0 of 7 out on the counter

• 1½ cups whole-wheat flour
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water (105 to 115 °F)
• flour, for rolling

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Stir the yeast into the warm water. Put both flours and the salt in a large bowl or a stand mixer, add the water and the oil, and stir to a shaggy dough.
2. 2Knead 8 minutes in the mixer, or 10 by hand on the counter, until the dough is smooth and springs back when you poke it. It should stay soft and a little tacky. Our flour is dry up here, so if it feels stiff, work in 1 tablespoon of water.
3. 3Cover the bowl and let the dough rise 45 to 75 minutes. Stop as soon as it has just doubled. A rise at 5,300 ft runs fast, and over-risen dough bakes up flat.
4. 4Set a heavy baking sheet upside down on the lowest rack and heat the oven to 475 °F for at least 30 minutes, so the sheet is properly hot.
5. 5Turn the dough out and cut it into 8 even pieces. Round each into a smooth ball, cover with a towel and let them rest 15 minutes, so they roll out without springing back.
6. 6On a lightly floured counter, roll each ball into a 6-inch round about ¼ inch thick. Keep it even, with no folds or creases, and keep the rounds covered as you go.
7. 7Lay 2 or 3 rounds on the hot sheet and bake 3 to 5 minutes, until they balloon and are pale with a few brown spots. The heat turns the water in the dough to steam, and the steam pushes the two skins apart into a pocket.
8. 8Stack the hot pitas in a clean towel as they come out, so the steam keeps them soft. Bake the rest the same way.
9. 9Cool, then keep them in a bag at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Warm a frozen pita 1 minute in a dry skillet.