Whole Grain Breakfast Pitas

Make the soaker mixture. In a small bowl, combine the flax meal, rolled oats, wheat bran and water until everything is evenly moistened. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least an hour and up to overnight.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, combine the soaker mixture with all of the dough ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together and clears the sides of the bowl. If it’s too wet and isn’t clearing the sides of the bowl, add more flour, one or two tablespoons at a time until it clears the sides. If it’s really dry and isn’t tacky at all, with dry bits not coming together, then add more water a tablespoon at a time until it all comes together.

Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes by machine, or 12 to 15 minutes by hand. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat it with oil (it will be sticky) and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rise until it has doubled, about 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 500 F. If you have a baking stone, place it in the oven to heat. Punch the dough down, and move it to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal pieces (I don’t bother weighing, just eyeball it) and let them rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Roll out each dough ball on a floured surface to a 6 inch circle. Let them rest on parchment paper for 5-10 minutes to puff up a bit. Slide the parchment onto the hot stone (or just use a baking sheet lined with parchment if you don’t have a stone) and bake for 8-10 minutes until they are puffed up and lightly browned. You can bake in batches if needed. The others are fine resting for a little longer. When done remove pans from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Store them in a sealed plastic bag, making sure they are completely cooled before storing. These pitas are best the first couple days after baking, and then start to dry out fairly quickly, but can be frozen for up to 3 months. If you’re toasting it for breakfast, it can be toasted without defrosting.