Skillet Milk Pitas with Cinnamon-Clove Butter

Steps

1. Warm the milk to about 95°F (35°C). Melt 15 g of the butter (three-eighths of it) and let it cool slightly; keep the remaining 25 g for later.
2. Set aside about 15 g of the all-purpose flour for dusting. In a large bowl, whisk the spelt flour, the rest of the all-purpose flour, the instant yeast and the salt.
3. Add the warm milk and the melted butter and stir into a shaggy dough. The milk gives about 58% hydration, with 1.7% salt.
4. Knead 5 to 6 minutes until smooth, soft and slightly tacky; stop once supple, since spelt tears if overworked.
5. Cover and let rise at about 75°F (24°C) for 75 to 90 minutes, until doubled in size and it springs back slowly when poked.
6. Divide the dough into 12 pieces of about 85 g, shape into balls, cover with a towel and rest 15 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, make the spiced butter: melt the remaining 25 g of butter in a small pan over low heat, take it off the heat and stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and sugar.
8. Using the reserved all-purpose flour for dusting, roll each ball into a 7-inch (18 cm) round about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, keeping it even so it puffs.
9. Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Cook one round at a time for about 1 minute until bubbles form, flip and cook 1 minute more, then flip again and press gently with a towel to help it puff; it is done when browned in spots and 190°F (88°C) in the center.
10. Stack the cooked pitas in a towel and brush each warm top with the spiced butter, dividing it evenly among all 12.
11. Let the pitas cool on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing open, keeping them loosely wrapped so they stay soft.