Homemade Pita Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup water, 105-110°F
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the bowl
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix the water, oil, sugar, yeast, salt, and whole wheat flour until everything looks smooth and well blended. Add the all-purpose flour and stir until the dough gathers into a rough, shaggy clump.
2. With clean hands, work the dough right in the bowl for 10 minutes, until it turns smooth and stretchy, using only tiny pinches of extra flour if it is unbearably sticky. If you prefer the mixer, use a stand mixer with the dough hook on low speed and knead until the dough is smooth and very elastic, about 8 minutes.
3. Move the dough to a lightly floured counter and shape it into a neat ball. Lightly oil a clean mixing bowl, set the dough inside, and run your oiled hands over the surface of the dough. Drape the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rise somewhere warm for 1 hour.
4. While the dough rises, set a baking steel or 12-inch cast iron skillet on the top rack of the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Set a large, clean kitchen towel on a plate and keep it nearby.
5. Press the dough down, place it on a lightly floured work surface, and divide it into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball, cover them with a damp towel, and let them sit for 10 minutes.
6. Roll each ball into a circle about 7-inch wide and no thicker than 1/4 inch, keeping the dough even from edge to edge and avoiding any tears. Set the rounds on a lightly floured surface, cover them with a damp towel, and let them proof until they look a little puffed, about 30 minutes.
7. Bake as many pitas on the steel as will comfortably fit, setting each one down so the top side touches the hot surface. If you are using a cast iron skillet, bake 1 pita at a time. Shut the oven door right away and bake until the pitas balloon and pick up a little color at the edges, about 3 minutes. Do not let them go too far.
8. Transfer the baked pitas to the towel-lined plate and fold the extra towel over them. Continue the same way with the remaining pitas.
9. For more char, heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop over high heat until it is smoking. Working with 1 pita at a time, warm each side just until a few charred spots appear, about 30 seconds. Tuck the pita back under the towel, cover it, and repeat with the remaining pitas. Serve immediately.