How to make Pita Bread at home with whole wheat | #BreadBakers

This recipe is especially for Bread Bakers. September 2017 host Wendy Kiik decided the theme of International bread. I knew what would I be baking. The world is full of flatbread lovers. Almost every region has its own style of flatbread. For example, Focaccia and Pizza are popular Italian flatbread, whereas Amritsari Kulcha is popular in India. Similarly, Pita bread is a popular flatbread from the Middle East and Mediterranean cuisines.

The word pita comes from Greek which means flat. The bread is also known as Arabic or Syrian bread. However, in Arabic, this bread is called Khubz. Interestingly, Pita is the origin of the world Pizza.

|Must Try: No Knead Focaccia bread | Italian Flatbread

How to make Pita Bread

Traditional homemade pita bread is round bread and has a pocket in the middle. While baking the bread in the oven, the steam puffs up the dough. This separates the top and bottom layers of the pita bread. If you cut the bread into two halves, it forms a pocket on each half portion of the bread.

Video Recipe

The pocket makes the baked pita bread a perfect bread to make pita bread sandwich. This is one primary reason for growing recipes for pita bread sandwiches. You can find more than a dozen pita bread filling recipes for sandwiches. The pocket sandwich style reminds me of my signature recipe of aloo tikki burger. And how can I forget my favorite Stromboli Bread where my favorite mushrooms and spinach is sandwiched in the bread and baked thereafter.

Is Pita bread healthy to eat?

There are many theories and many statements on the nutritional values of Pita bread. Don’t hedge, Pita bread is as good as any other bread. It all depends on the type of flour you use. The more you use whole grain, the better the nutritional value will be of your bread. Remember, the type of flour does not change the calories intake.

Those who follow veganism can eat this Vegan Pita bread. This pita bread ingredient does not include any animal product hence, completely vegan.

If you like to eat healthy bread, preferably whole wheat pita bread, which is what we will make today. Furthermore, the pita bread filling recipes will make a lot of difference. You can make pita bread healthier with healthy fillings like Quinoa Tabbouleh or Carrot Tahini Salad.

Few other famous pita recipe ideas include Hummus, Brussels sprouts, Chickpea Waldorf Salad, and a lot of others. You got to be little creative and create a filling idea of your own choice. I like to have pita bread in subway style sandwiches. The sandwiches that are filled with freshly chopped vegetables and topped with sweet onion sauce.

I have curated the list of recommended tools and ingredients for baking. I recommend only tried and tested products that have given satisfactory results in my kitchen.

If you bake this recipe, please share a picture with me on my Instagram using #bakewithsonia

|You would also Love: Greek Vasilopita Bread Recipe

Homemade Pita Bread Recipe

In a bowl, dissolve yeast with sugar and lukewarm water. Let the solution rest until yeast froths.

In a large mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour, salt, and activated yeast solution. Start kneading the dough. Adjust the water amount accordingly because every flour has different absorption capacity. We need soft dough for bread.

Initially, the dough will be sticky but after 5 minutes of kneading it will become soft, elastic and non-sticky. Add oil and knead for 1 more minute. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with kitchen towel/ Cling wrap. Let the dough rest until it doubles in volume.

Proofing time depends on weather conditions. Warm and dry weather helps the dough to rise faster. For me, it took approximately 30 minutes. Once the dough doubles in the volume, punch it down to release the air. Punching the dough is very important. It is done after the first rise.

While punching the dough you need to be firm as well as gentle at the same time. After all, Yeast is a living thing and we don’t want to kill it. Now gently fold the dough and divide it into 7 equal portions.

Let's Bake

Roll each portion into a circular disc of 6 inches and thickness of ¼ inches with the help of a rolling pin. Meanwhile, keep the oven for preheating at 250 °C. Make sure you roll out the dough into an even sheet that helps in even baking.

Place the prepared sheets on a baking tray and bake in preheated oven for 7 to 10 minutes or till puffed up.

Oven temperature plays an important role. To get the perfect puffed-up Pita bread, the oven should be really hot.

Place all the baked Pita bread on a wired rack, cover with a clean kitchen napkin and let them cool for some time. Bake all the pita bread this way.

Do you know that you can make these pita bread on your regular gas stove? On a flat tawa (skillet), when it is really hot, put you shaped pita bread on it. The moment you see air bubbles in your bread, flip it over and cook the other side. That is it. The total cooking time shall be around 7 minutes.

Pita bread tastes awesome when eaten immediately after baking. Just cut the baked pita bread into two equal halves. Open the pocket and choose your choice of stuffing to fill it. However, you can store leftover pita bread in an airtight container or zip lock pack with butter paper between the layers in a freezer for several days (up to 2 months).

Everybody at my place love pitta bread in Subway style sandwiches. I usually stuff it with grilled cottage cheese and finely chopped fresh vegetable. That’s a complete healthy dinner to eat.

If you like my recipes, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you like to watch video recipes, check my YouTube Channel for more amazing recipes.

|Must Try: Healthy Focaccia bread with whole wheat and olives

BreadBakers Theme for September 2017

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Few other Interesting International Breads

How to make Pita Bread at home with whole wheat | #BreadBakers

Learn how to make pita bread with pita pockets. Pita bread sandwiches are so clean to eat. Check my step by step recipe and make one for yourself.