Recipe Collection: Soaked Pita Bread

**This post has been entered in Pennywise Platters at The Nourishing Gourmet!**

I found this recipe on Mommypotamus right before Jacob was born and I just had to try it.  In fact, I spent three hours the day before he was born baking a triple batch of them.  I was determined to get it done before he was born (in retrospect this was an obvious “burst of energy” right before labor), so I ignored that my back hurt and that I was burning up in my hot kitchen and exhausted and pushed through to bake them all — 44, to be exact.

It did prove very helpful in the next couple of weeks.  I used marinated chicken and crockpot pulled pork (sort of like Chipotle’s carnitas in spice) to serve sandwiches.  Later I used them for pita pizzas.  I have even been known to spread one thickly with butter and sprinkle on a little sucanat and cinnamon for a snack.  They’re great to have around for all sorts of different meals.  I have made a couple more batches, about one double or triple batch each month.  I always have them around.

Best yet, they’re soaked, so they’re about as good as grains can get!

Here’s my version of the recipe:

•  3 cups whole wheat flour (preferably freshly-ground)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/4 cup water, roughly at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about one lemon)

All these ingredients to a large glass bowl.

Mix thoroughly.  It will form kind of a strange, almost sandy dough.  That’s okay.  It won’t be like that later.

Leave on the counter, covered, for 12-24 hours.  After the flour has soaked add:

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 packet yeast (2 teaspoons)

Sprinkle the salt and yeast over the dough and begin kneading it until incorporated (still in the bowl).  Then, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes.  Fold the dough over, push it, turn it 90 degrees, and repeat.  Continue to knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.  It loses that “sandiness” once you add these additional ingredients and knead.

Place the dough back into the bowl and cover it.  Put it in a warm place to rise, about an hour.  It will roll out better if you let it sit 3 – 4 hours.

Place a pizza stone in the oven and start preheating to 400 degrees about 40 minutes before you are ready to bake.

When doubled, punch it down and knead for a minute.  Break off small balls of dough and roll them out, three at a time,on a floured surface.

Use a spatula to transfer them to the baking stone, three at a time.  Bake for about 5 – 8 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.  Roll out the next batch while each is baking.  Transfer the baked pitas onto a plate to cool.  See how they puff up as they bake?

Once cooled, you can put them in a plastic bag and freeze, if desired.

A single batch makes 8 – 12, depending on size.

What’s your favorite way to serve pitas?