I LOVE pita and hummus! I could eat it all the time for a snack or as a meal with a little something extra (I'll tell my chickpea fritter story soon). However, they're typically pretty pricey at the store if you get the good stuff. Lo and behold, they're both super easy to make! My husband thought he'd won the jackpot when I told him he could eat as much as he liked because they're both easy and inexpensive to make.
1 1/3 cups white/all-purpose flour
2/3 cup wheat flour
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. yeast
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp. olive oil
Directions:
If you have a bread machine, pull it out! It makes making this pita almost mindless. Put all the ingredients into the machine following the order your bread machine dictates. I, however, have lost the manual to my bread machine, so I just add the dry ingredients first followed by the wet ones. Turn the machine on and start the dough cycle. Voila! The machine will take care of the hard work.
If you don't, I'm sorry, but it's still possible! Warm the water and put it into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes until it is dissolved. Add in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the white flour, saving 1/3 cup of white flour for kneading. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir until a dough is formed. Lightly flour a surface and get to kneading! Slowly add the rest of the flour in and knead for 5-7 minutes. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.
Ok, now the bread machine users and the by-hand folks are back on the same track! Punch down the dough and break into 6 equal balls. Flatten them a little and let them rest for 10 minutes so that they don't bounce right back when trying to roll it out. When your dough is done resting (my, it must be nice to take a break!), roll the balls into 6-inch circles. Place the circles on a pan sprinkled with oats (you can use cornmeal, but we avoid corn) and cover them with a slightly damp towel or paper towel. Let them rise for 30 minutes and preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Now would be a good time to get to work on the hummus!
Looking pretty all rolled out! Nothing like the feeling of kneading bread dough.
When the 30 minutes are up, bake for about 6 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Take the pita out and flip them carefully. Return to the oven and bake for 3 more minutes until the other side is lightly browned. You've got pita!
Before we get started with the hummus, I have an honest question. Who else didn't realize that chickpeas and garbanzo beans were the same thing?! The first time I needed them for a recipe, I literally spent 30 minutes at Sprouts one day searching with an employee for a can of chickpeas. Thankfully she went to ask a manager if they had any in the back, and the manager explained that we could find chickpeas in the can of garbanzo beans. Boy did I feel like a dork! Ha!
Hummus Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas (15 ounces)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
Half a lemon, juiced (2 tbsp)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Cherry tomatoes (optional)
Directions:
Drain and rinse the chickpeas in the sink to get rid of excess salt and the watery gunk. Then decide if you want super creamy hummus or just ok hummus. If you're going for the super creamy, proceed to take the skin off of every chickpea. If you have the time for that, more power to you! However, my baby was crawling up my legs at this point, so I settled.
Anywho, add all of the ingredients minus the olive oil into a food processor or blender. Blend the ingredients well. add the olive oil and pulse until you have the desired consistency. Refrigerate the hummus for about 30 minutes to firm up. Cut up the cherry tomatoes if you wish, because they look pretty and add some good nutrition!
Admittedly, the hummus didn't look super appetizing at this point. But then...
Suggested serving option. Those little patties in the front are baked chickpea fritters. I'll get to those soon! Delicious!
Ruby chowing down for lunch. She was a big fan!
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