Leavener:

1. Late in the evening on the day before you will be making the bread, put a spoonful of culture from the fridge into a small bowl. Stir in 50 grams water and 50 grams whole wheat flour. Cover and let it rest overnight in at warm room temperature.

Actual Dough:

1. Perform the float test. On the day you will be making the bread, check to see if the leavener floats in a small bowl of cool water. If the leavener is domed but it doesn’t float, wait for 30 minutes or so and try again. If the leavener is bubbly but flat or concave on the surface, stir in about 5 grams each of whole wheat flour and water. Cover, and leave on the counter out of droughts. Check again for floating about 20-30 minutes later. It will probably float. Proceed with making the actual dough.
2. Using a bowl that is large enough for the dough to triple, whisk together the all-purpose flour, spelt flour and corn meal. Add 160 grams of water and all of the leavener. Using a dough whisk or wooden spoon, stir just enough to mix it together. Add in additional water, a little at a time, if needed, until there are no dry bits of flour. Cover and let rest on the counter for 20-30 minutes.

Kneading and adding the salt:

1. Whisk salt and 10 grams water into a small bowl and pour on top of the dough. Wash your hands and leave one hand wet. With the back of your hand against the side of the bowl, reach down into the bowl to the bottom of the dough and pull it up to the fold it over the top. Turn the bowl with your other hand and repeat 4 or 5 times. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside on the counter for about 20 minutes.
2. Repeat the previous step 2 or 3 times more. You’ll notice that the dough becomes smooth and silky to the touch. It may also seem a little dry. Don’t be overly concerned. Just add a splash more water and squoosh it in.

Proofing:

1. Cover and leave on the counter. (Check the dough every so often as the afternoon progresses into evening. If you’re not ready to bake the bread, wet your hands and gently fold the dough whenever it has doubled.

Preheat:

1. The pita can be baked in the oven or on a grill.
2. Baking on the grill: When you’re ready to bake the pita, light the grill, close the lid, and turn on high.
3. Baking in the oven: Place a pizza stone or baking steel on the middle shelf of the oven set at 450F.

Shaping:

1. While the grill/oven is preheating, transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured board. Divide the dough evenly into 6 pieces. Using floured hands, shape each piece into a round. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.
2. Starting with the first round, use a rolling pin to roll the round into a disc about 6 inches (15cm) in diameter. As you roll, make sure that the disc can be lifted up easily. Repeat with all the rounds.

Baking:

1. When the grill/oven is hot hot hot, carry the board of rounds and, use a bench scraper, to transfer the rounds to the grill or oven.
2. If using the grill: place each round directly on the grill and close the lid. After a minute or so, use blunt-nosed tongs to move the rounds from place to place, to account for uneven heat. The bread should puff up. Don’t get too worried if a balloon bursts as you move the pita and enjoy the show of steam escaping. Even if it is flat, the pita will still taste good!
3. If using the Oven: place each round on the preheated stone or steel. Keep the oven temperature at high heat (450F). It takes 5-10 minutes to bake the breads. When they balloon up, gently turn them over. Also, move them around from time to time to account for uneven heat in oven. USE OVEN MITTS AND TONGS!!
4. To check if the breads are done, use blunt-nosed tongs to gently lift them up. They should be light weight and puffy. As they are done, put them into a basket.
5. Serve immediately.