Bread for Body and Soul

One reason the process of making bread is so satisfying to me is that there are so many references to bread and bread-making in the Bible:  Genesis 18:6, Exodus 12:8, Leviticus 24:5, 1 Kings 19:5-6.  There's something organic and timeless and wholesomely nourishing about bread, and it's been an important part of the diets of people since the earliest times.  We read about this fact a lot in the Bible. Bread is used as a symbol in the Bible, too.  It represents sustenance in many ways.  Bread can sustain the physical body, yes, but Jesus, the Bread of Life, sustains more than that.  If you're His, he sustains your very soul and offers all the spiritual nourishment you'll ever need.

Let's discuss an "earthly" type of bread:  the pita.  Pita bread, the kind bought in stores anyway, always seemed a bit bland and dry to me, but when I came across a recipe for homemade pita bread, my tastebuds perked up.  I've made this bread twice now, once with all purpose flour and once with white whole wheat.  It was a hit!  I like the fiber in the whole wheat pita bread, but Hubby is a white-bread man - as in, without the whole wheat-ness.  And the pita made with plain ol' all purpose is a little softer and more melt-in-your-mouth.  A combination of half white-whole-wheat and half all-purpose might be what I try next, just as a compromise.  Try the recipe with your favorite flour and see what you think!
_________________________________________________________________


Homemade Pita Bread

3 c. all-purpose or whole-wheat flour or a combination of flours

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons yeast

1 ½ c. water (110-115°)

2 tablespoons oil

Mix water, yeast, and honey, and let proof for 5 minutes.  This allows you to determine whether your yeast is "good" or not.  If it is, the mixture will look foamy.

Add salt, oil, and flour to yeast mixture.  Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball.  Knead dough on floured surface 7-10 minutes until no longer sticky, adding a little more flour along the way if necessary.

Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise 90 minutes in a warm place.

After dough rises, punch down and divide into 8 equal balls and let rest for 20 minutes.

While dough is resting, preheat oven to 400°; place pizza stone or upside-down cookie sheet in oven, too, so it can get hot.

Roll each ball out to a thickness of 1/4-1/8" and bake 3 minutes, or up to 5 minutes.  You'll probably have to bake the bread in shifts, so keep a pan or stone preheating while one batch is baking.

Slice the pita bread in half, or make large slits to form pockets.

Yum!

Notes:

Baking at this temperature for 3-5 minutes will give you a softer, denser, less puffy pita.  A little "biscuity," which I like.  If you like yours a little more puffy and more firm, bake at a higher temperature (450° or 500°) for 2-3 minutes, and then flip the pitas and bake another minute or so. See the tips here, too, for more general bread-baking info.