When we were kids, mom would have us take part in Bake and Take with Wheat Day. A young neighbor girl baked a loaf of wheat bread and left it for us today, in honor of the upcoming festivities. The loaf looks delicious, complete with an official Bake and Take Day (the “with wheat” seems to have been taken out of the equation) sticker on the bag.

In celebration of gluten, then, I provide you with this delicious recipe for whole wheat pita:

Whole Wheat Pita

3 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 package yeast
1 1/4 C warm water
2 Tblsp vegetable oil
3/4 tsp salt

1. Mix together 1 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast in a bowl.

2. Heat the water, oil, and salt in a pan until it’s very warm but not hot. Add the heated mixture to the flour mixture and whisk together for three minutes. Then slowly mix in more flour until the dough can’t absorb anymore (about 1 1/5 C).

3. Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for 3-5 minutes. You may add more flour to make it less sticky. Roll the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit for 15 minutes.

4. Divide and roll the dough into 12 equal balls. Place them on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes.

5. Flatten the balls into thick pancakes. Place them on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap for another 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

6. Roll the pancakes on both sides until they are about 7 inches across. Put an empty baking sheet into the oven. Once it is warm, place 2 pancakes on it and bake them for 3 minutes. Flip the loaves and bake for 2 more minutes. Repeat with the rest of the loaves.

Serving Idea: We keep these in the refrigerator and use as needed. I like to heat the oven to 350 degrees and put the baking sheet in right away so it gets hot. When the oven is ready, I butter one side of the pita, place it on the hot baking sheet, spray the other side’s surface with a bit of olive oil, and add a few dried tomatoes, Italian seasonings, and mozzarella cheese. I bake it for about 10 minutes and end up with a crunchy crust pita pizza. It’s delicious, and good for you!