PITA FRESH RECIPES

Steps:

• Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
• Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup). With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.
• Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)
• Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.
• Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat diskc with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)
• Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.

Steps:

• To grill pita, invert as many as will fit on cooking grate, oiled side down. (They'll stretch out a little, but that's okay.) Grill until bubbled on top and light golden brown underneath (don't overcook or they'll be tough), then turn over and cook until lightly browned on other side, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Lift to a rimmed baking sheet as done and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm. If needed, rewarm on grill before eating.
• Make ahead: Fully baked, up to 2 days, chilled; rewarm before eating. Frozen, up to 3 months.
• Put dough in a large oiled bowl (about twice the size of dough), turn to coat, and let rise in a warm room-temperature place, covered, until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Cut dough into 6 equal pieces or turn out onto a floured surface and cut into 6 equal wedges. Form into balls, brush with oil, and let sit, covered with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, 15 to 20 minutes so gluten can relax.
• With a floured rolling pin, roll balls into 8-in. rounds. Brush each with a bit of oil (including on edges and sides) and sprinkle with a little oregano and salt, stacking them on a baking sheet as you go. You can either grill immedi­ately or let sit up to 30 minutes at room temperature, covered with a kitchen towel.