I have to say that bread is my downfall in life. I love bread. I am not picky, I will eat any kind of bread that you put in front of me. So I am always looking for new bread. My daughter is 14 and also loves bread. Packing school lunches, you start to look for new things. Pita bread was the answer. I love that it is a pocket. So many times when I pack a lunch, the sandwich falls apart before she gets a chance to eat it. Pita bread helps with that. Not to mention the incredible taste!!! So it is a win, win for mother's. I am going to try this with Sourdoughs International's South African (which is a whole wheat culture) and their Polish (which is a rye culture) cultures. I think you can not go wrong with these.
Khubz Arabi from Classic Sourdoughs Revised A Home Baker’s Handbook by Ed and Jean Wood
Khubz arabi (Arab Bread) is a soft, round flatbread—the pita of the desert. This is probably the most delicious pita I have ever encountered. It is produced throughout the Middle East, both commercially and in the home. Yield 8 Flatbreads
2 cups sourdough culture
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Pour the culture into a mixing bowl. Add the water, salt, and oil and mix. Add the flour a cup at a time until too stiff to mix by hand. Turn out onto a floured board and knead in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny. Proof for 8 to 12 hours at room temperature, about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Then gently ease the dough from the container to a floured board.
Divide into 8 equal balls. Roll the balls into round flats about ¼ inch thick and form 2 stacks with the rounds, separated by paper towels. Proof the rounds at 85 degrees in proofing box for about 30 minutes.