Pita Bread

Pita Bread

Makes about 64 Six-oz pitas or 100 Four-oz pitas

Ingredients

• 9 LB water
• 4 oz olive oil
• 4 oz salt
• 2 T SAF Instant yeast
• 3 LB whole wheat flour
• 12 LB General Mills Harvest King flour

Preparation

1. Oven Temperature – 550-575° F with lots of top flame.
2. Combine the water, oil and salt in the bowl of a large mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir to fully dissolve the salt. * * Optional: You may add other dry ingredients such as black pepper, crushed red pepper, or herbs at this time.
3. Add the flour and yeast and mix at low speed for 7 minutes
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cover with a damp cloth to keep it from skinning. Rest for 10 minutes.
5. Scale the dough into pieces and shape into dough balls. Place the dough balls in a lightly oiled dough box and cover. At this point, the dough can be allowed to rise at room temp for 2-3 hours, or refrigerated overnight for use next day. Dough that has been refrigerated should be allowed to come to 60-70 degrees before baking.
6. Shape the dough into discs using a rolling pin or sheeter. Allow them to rest for just a few minutes before baking.
7. Load pita into oven. Bake until the dough discs do the pita thing (separate and fill with steam) and become browned to your liking.

If the top side of the pita is too thin WRT the bottom side, more top heat is needed (the bottom crumb is forming before the Pita Principle springs into action) – so either raise the flames or lower the floor heat.