PITA STAR 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:

• Mix together the water, honey and yeast and allow the yeast to bloom until very foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• To a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, olive oil and salt. Turn the mixer on low to combine. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a smooth dough mass forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for 1 more minute. Portion and shape the dough into 8 even balls, roughly 4 ounces each. Place on a sheet tray and spray or brush the tops with olive oil. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, allow the dough to temper back to room temperature for 1 hour.
• Set up your grill for high heat. If using a charcoal grill, distribute the coals evenly on the edges of the grill, leaving the middle with no coals. If using a gas grill, heat one side only. Allow the temperature to reach 475 degrees. Place a small saucepot with water on the grill for extra moisture.
• Place a flat cast-iron pan onto the grill grate to preheat.
• On a very lightly floured surface, roll each pita ball into an 8-inch round and allow to rest for 10 minutes before baking. Place a dough round onto the hot pan, close the grill and bake for 1 minute. Flip and bake for another minute, then remove to a ziptop bag. This will ensure the pita stay moist and fresh. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Serve!
• To make in the oven: Place a flat cast-iron pan and a small pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Place the rolled dough onto the hot pan and bake for 1 minute. Flip and bake for another minute.