Pita Bread

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 35 grams whole-wheat flour (1/4 cup), preferably freshly milled
• 310 grams unbleached all-purposed flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together.

2. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.

3. Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup).

4. With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass.

5. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.

6. Turn dough onto work surface.

7. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth.

8. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist.*

9. Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it.

10. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel.

11. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

12. Heat oven to 475 degrees.

13. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile.

14. Punch down dough (lightly degas) and divide into 8 pieces of equal size.

15. Form each piece into a little ball.

16. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.

17. Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat disk with rolling pin.

18. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)

19. Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet.

20. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed.

21. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more.

22. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles.

23. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft.

24. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.