t h e m a y f i l e s is foremost a family blog, chronicling everyday life. Life including natural, healthy eating (with recipes thrown in at random), home educating (with ideas popping up sporadically), an attempt to homestead on .2 acres (with very meager yields), raising 3 of 4 children with a rare genetic disorder, and lots of highly personal family triumphs and failures. You may also find an eclectic array of musings on politics, exercise, sewing, emergency preparedness, backyard chickens, and religion. This blog isn't a campaign to glorify anyone or anything. Just simply a record.

3.25.2009

Homemade Whole Grain Pita's

Sometimes homemade bread seems a bit thick for a sandwich. Our solution, we make our own pitas. I found a recipe on the internet and adapted it to our tastes.

Whole Grain Pitas
6 cups fresh ground whole grain flour
3 t real salt
2 T raw local honey
4 t yeast
3 c warm water
4 T extra virgin olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients. Add wet. Mix until dough is no longer sticky, and forms a ball. You may need to add a little flour or water depending on the moisture of your dough.
Knead for 15 minutes by hand or 5-10 minutes in your bosch or bread machine.

Put into an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise for 2 hours.
You can refrigerate this overnight if you get busy...I often do.

Preheat oven to 400-500 degrees.
Roll dough into small balls, walnut size for mini pitas, fist size for larger.
Let rest on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes.
Place pitas on cookie sheet on bottom rack of oven.
Cook for 3 minutes. Pita's should poof.


Walnut sized dough balls resting, ready to be rolled out.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface, about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake on the bottom rack of your oven on a pizza stone (if you have one), or an upside down cookie sheet. The oven should be very hot, between 400-500 degrees, depending on your oven. I use 500 degrees. Cook the pita's for 3 minutes on one side. Serve hot with butter and honey or let cool and cut in half with a pizza cutter.

If some of your pita's don't "poof" don't panic. Slice with a pizza cutter and use a fork to work open, it just takes a few seconds. I store them in baggies in the freezer and pop them in the toaster to warm before we fill them with peanut butter and jelly, tuna, cheese, cinnamon and xylitol...whatever. I like to make them mini. My kids love the "little pocket bread."

2 comments:

Babe in Babeland said...

I love your commitment to nourishing, delicious foods! I'm a health-nut and have enjoyed your blog. Very inspiring!

Brittney said...

Yum! Bryan's been into "pocket sandwiches" lately so I'll have to try this out! I just made your muffin batter yesterday and am looking forward to banana choco chip muffins this afternoon. :)