Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water (around 110-115 degrees F)
• 1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast 
• 1 TBSP molasses
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup white flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
2. In a mixing bowl add water, molasses and yeast. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. 
3. Once yeast has risen add in salt and flours,mix well. In an electric mixer, using your dough paddle, mix for about 5 minutes. Or you can turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it until smooth. 
4. Place dough in a bowl lightly coated in olive oil (to prevent sticking). Cover with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.  
5. Knead dough for a few minutes and divide into 6 pieces*. Roll into balls and on a floured surface flatten them out until they are about 1/8 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise another 30 minutes.
6. Place a piece of stoneware** in the oven for a few minutes. Once the stoneware is hot remove it from the oven and dough to the stone. Bake in the oven for about 6 minutes***. 
7. Let the pita bread cool down for a minute, while still warm put in a gallon size ziplock bag. This will steam the pita bread keeping them soft. 
8. Enjoy with sandwich ingredients, as a pizza**** or with dips. 

* When making my pita bread I weigh out each section of dough into 2 oz serving sizes. This way I know my kids are getting their serving size of grain and each piece will be exactly the same weight. Easiest way to do this is to use a digital scale. Love always having one on hand!

** If you don't have stoneware you can always use a metal baking sheet. Stoneware works best for even cooking.

*** If you plan on making these for pizza or dips I would recommend sitting by the oven and as they start to balloon up poke them with a fork. This will give them less of a pocket type of pita. 

**** My kids love homemade lunchable pizzas. It's a healthier way to give them just what they want. Below is an easy way to make pizza lunchables.

 

• 1- 2oz  pita bread
• 2 TBSP spaghetti sauce
• 6 pieces of pepperoni OR any other topping 
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

These can all be packaged together, vacuumed sealed and frozen. Put in the fridge the night before to start the thawing process. By lunch time they will still be cold but not frozen.