The long journey ends.......

I have been trying for 3 months to perfect just one bread recipe. Just one. This journey started when my mom gave us a Whisper Mill (grain mill) to start grinding our own flour. The Whisper Mill fit perfectly into my quest of cutting out as much processed food as possible, and always striving to feed us as many nutrients as possible in each bite we take. However, the gift did not come with automatic bread making knowledge or skill. I've had many loaves designated as "crouton or breadcrumb loaves". My husband tried to get me to buy a bread machine to help me out; stubborn me not wanting another device filling my cabinets, simply declined. However, a new day has turned and I have found a bread not only that I can make, but that I love!

My new knight in shining armor goes by the name of Whole Wheat Pita Bread. It is perfect for sandwiches, to go with soup, mini pizzas and you can freeze it! This recipe is very easy and I thought it was so much fun to make. Which only makes me want to make it again. It didn't feel like a chore and my husband was proud of me:).

Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Yields: 14 pitas

1 cup warm water (110° F)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 cups whole wheat flour (and a little extra for rolling dough out)
2 tablespoons gluten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons turbinado (or white sugar)

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 500° F. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water, allow to sit for about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, mix together flour, gluten and salt. Slowly add in yeast mixture and continue to mix until it forms a smooth ball. (This can be done by hand or in a mixer). Roll out into a rope and cut into 14 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and roll out with a rolling pin until it's a 5-7 inch circle.


To Bake: In cycles, roughly three at a time, place shaped pita on hot pizza stone. Allow to bake for about three minutes or until golden brown. Pull pitas out of the oven and immediately place in a Ziploc bag. Allow pitas to cool inside bag. Once cool, transfer pitas to a dry bag and allow "cooling bag" to dry out and save for another use.

To Freeze: After pitas have cooled completely separate each pita with wax paper and store in an airtight container in freezer. Simply pull them out when ready to use and thaw in microwave for 15 seconds.

Notes: Pitas might "poof" after being inside Ziploc bag for a minute gently smash down. These pitas will be perfect for stuffing or sandwiches. Putting the pitas in the plastic bag is important. It allows them to build up condensation and become soft and pliable.

So many ideas for what I want to use these pitas for! I'd love to hear how you would serve these! Please share any ideas in my comment section!

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