Saturday, May 14, 2011

Homemade Pita and Hummus

If I had to choose only one type of food to eat for the rest of my life, it would probably be Middle Eastern food. I love the flatbread, hummus and baba ghanoush, lamb, mint, etc, etc. The other day the blog Kitchen Explorers posted a simple recipe for Middle Eastern Stuffed Pitas, and I thought this would be the perfect excuse to make homemade pitas and hummus.




Everyone makes their own pita wrap, choosing from such fillings as lettuce, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions, and feta cheese. The recipes for the pita bread and hummus follow.




For the Pita Bread (makes 8-10)

  • 3 C. AP flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 packet active dry yeast 
  • 1/4 C. warm water
  • 1 C. water
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil


Activate the yeast by mixing it with the warm water in a small bowl. Add the yeast mixture to the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and water and mix until combined and the mixture forms a ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. I used a stand mixer and dough hook to knead on the lowest setting for 10 minutes.
Put the dough in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil, form a ball with the dough, and move it around the bowl so it is covered with the oil. 
Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
Punch the dough down and divide it into 8-10 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. 
While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven to preheat. I don't have a pizza stone, so I just used an inverted cookie sheet.
Once the dough is rested, use parchment paper to roll each ball of dough into a thin circle - I rolled two at a time.
Open the oven and place 2-3 pitas on the hot pizza stone or cookie sheet.

Bake 3-5 minutes - they will puff up and be light golden brown. Keep warm until serving.





For the hummus:

  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained
  • 2-3 Tbsp. tahini (sesame paste, sold with the middle eastern foods)
  • 1/4 C.lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, halved
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Place all ingredients in a blender or mixer and blend until smooth. For best results, make ahead and chill for several hours before serving.



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