Sourdough Flat Bread

For a few months I’ve been feeding a sourdough starter. I just think it’s awesome that the yeast and bacteria comes to hang out naturally with just a little warm weather and regular feeding. The hardest part is actually getting a successful rise out of the starter and it took me a few tries to get it working right. There’s a lot of tutorials online about how to use a homemade starter. This recipe for sourdough flat bread is a great way for a beginner to try it out once theirs is ready! The bread turned out great, with mild tangyness and fluffy interior. I sprinkled a little Baharat spice on the bread before baking for added flavor and served the bread with hummus.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups 100% hydration starter
• 6 1/2 oz. (3/4 cup 1 tbsp) whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix briefly.
2. Turn the dough and any loose flour out onto the counter. Knead to incorporate all of the flour. At this point the dough should be soft and tacky, not sticky.
3. Continue kneading for 8 – 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Place the dough back in its bowl. Cover and ferment about 2 hours, or until approximately doubled in volume.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450F.
6. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured counter and knead it a few times.
7. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Cover with a cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
8. On a lightly floured counter, roll each ball into a disc about 7 inches in diameter. They will be very thin. You can roll the first two or three, and then more as the first batch is baking.
9. Place the pitas on parchment paper and slide the parchment paper onto the stone.) Bake for 2 –3 minutes, until fully puffed. Don’t overbake or the pitas will be dry.
10. Repeat with the remaining pitas. As they come out of the oven, wrap them in a towel to keep them warm.