Sourdough Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Wholesome pita bread made with 100% whole wheat flour and sourdough! These are the best homemade pita pockets made with healthy grains! They're perfectly round, soft and chewy, and puff up in the oven into a pocket. Using sourdough keeps them moist! It's a simple and straightforward pita bread recipe that always turns out amazingly delicious!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 1 cup warm water, (80-90°F)
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- 1 1/2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 200 grams hard white wheat berries, (see notes below)
- 96 grams hard red wheat berries
Instructions
- Weigh the wheat berries on a scale (200 grams of hard white wheat and 96 grams of hard red wheat). Run them through a grain mill to make whole wheat flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 cup of warm water, 1 cup active sourdough starter, 1.5 Tbsp vital wheat gluten, 1 Tbsp melted butter, 1 Tbsp honey, and 296 grams of the freshly milled flour. Mix with your hands to form a sticky dough and rest for 20 minutes, covered.
- Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and knead for 3 minutes. The dough will be very soft and slightly tacky.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment and bulk rise for 4 hours. During the rising time, perform two to three "stretch and folds" every 20 minutes.
- Line a 21x15 pan with parchment paper and set aside. Lightly flour a large pastry mat. Transfer the pita dough onto the mat and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape pieces into balls. Starting with the first one you shaped, lightly dust the top of dough with flour and roll it out to a 6-inch circle. Put each circle of dough onto the prepared pan and let it rise 1-2 hours, covered.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F and and position the rack to the bottom. Bake pitas for 6 minutes. They should puff and be golden brown on the bottoms. Cool for 5 minutes on the pans them transfer them to a jumbo-sized freezer bag wrapped in a cotton towel to stay soft.
Notes
- You can use any combination of freshly milled flour as long as it equals 296 grams. Make sure that 50-70% of your flour is from a hard wheat variety that is high in protein for proper gluten development. Khorasan, Emmer, hard white wheat, and spring red wheat are all good options. I mostly use hard white wheat for a mild-flavored pita bread that looks lighter in color.
- The 296 grams of wheat berries yield about 2 1/4cups of whole wheat flour.
- Dairy-free butter substitute: can use a plant-based butter stick or olive oil equal to a tablespoon.
- Storing: whole grain pitas store at room temperature well for up to 3 days. Keep them in a large airtight food container or jumbo bag wrapped in a kitchen towel to stay soft and chewy.
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Serving Size
1 round pita
Amount per Serving
Calories
241
% Daily Value*
Fat
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
5
mg
2
%
Sodium
601
mg
26
%
Potassium
184
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
47
g
16
%
Fiber
6
g
25
%
Sugar
3
g
3
%
Protein
9
g
18
%
Vitamin A
63
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
0.02
mg
0
%
Calcium
22
mg
2
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
