Homemade Hummus and Pita Bread

There is nothing as easy as homemade hummus, and homemade pita is surprisingly easy as well. I am always amazing when I make it how delicious it turns out. Of course, you could just make the hummus or the pita, but I pretty much always make these two recipes together.

You can make pita of course during one of our fabulous cooking vacations, including our Cuisine & Culture of Israel or our Cuisine of Sultans Turkish cooking vacation.

Learn more about Middle Eastern food.

Homemade Hummus and Pita Bread

Serves: 16
Prep time: 145 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Cook method: Bake

Ingredients for the Hummus:

• 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• water, as needed

Ingredients for the Pita Bread:

• 20.25 oz all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 9-12 oz warm water

Instructions:

1. Start by prepping the pita dough. Place the dry ingredients in a stand mixer and give it a quick stir. Then, add 9 oz of water on low with the dough hook attachment. (You can also use regular active yeast, but let the yeast, 9 oz of water, and honey “bloom” for 10 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients). Add more water as needed to form a smooth, supple dough. Let the dough hook work the dough for 4-5 minutes, or turn it out onto the counter to knead by hand.

2. Set the dough aside to rise in an oiled bowl, covered, for about 90 minutes.

3. While the dough is rising, make the hummus! Put the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and salt in a food processor and process on high until smooth. Add a bit of water (2-4 Tbsp) while it is processing to get it to the desired thickness. If you like, you can add additional flavorings such as cumin, fresh herbs, more garlic, or hot sauce!

4. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions (about 2 ounces each). Roll them into 6 inch rounds on a floured surface (try to avoid over-working the dough). Dust the rounds with flour and cover with plastic wrap, then let rise 30-45 minutes more.

5. Heat a pizza stone or baking dish in an oven set to 450 degrees. Bake the pita in batches of four for 3-5 minutes per batch. You do not need to turn the pita, and be careful not to overbake. Set on a rack to cool.

Try serving the hummus and pita with our Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs and Garlic Yogurt Sauce and Baba Ganoush.

Or, serve it with Ramazan Kebabi and a fresh watermelon salad.

By Peg Kern

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