Vegan Pita Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp active yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour, or all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp oil
• Wheat flour for dusting and rolling

Steps

1. Mix yeast, warm water and sugar in a bowl and leave for 2 minutes.
2. Combine salt with the flours, then add them to the yeast bowl. Add oil and knead to a soft dough only until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave until doubled, 1 hour or longer according to the ambient temperature.
3. With a tablespoon of flour, punch down the dough and knead for a few seconds until smooth. Divide into 10 or more equal balls. Roll each ball with flour into a 5 to 6 inch circle and cover with a towel.
4. For skillet cooking:
5. Warm a skillet over medium high heat. Cook a rolled flatbread on it for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbles begin appearing. Turn over and cook another 1/2 to 1 minute, then move it onto an open flame. Keep moving it, flipping every few seconds, until puffed and golden.
6. For oven baking:
7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F / 230ºc with a large pizza stone or thick baking sheet inside to heat for at least 20 minutes.
8. Put 3 to 4 rolled breads on the stone at a time, according to its size. Bake for 3 to 6 minutes or until puffed and just golden on top. If the oven does not get hot enough and the pitas take too long to puff, switch to high broil.
9. Carefully take the breads out of the oven and put the next batch on the stone. Even rolling allows the baked breads to puff. Keep wrapped in a kitchen towel for the day, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.