I don't need a thrill ride, I'm already thrilled enough...

I am fastened in the Middle East. Today I am bearing you with homemade pita bread and hummus. As with most homemade delights, after tasting these you will no longer yearn for the store made versions. I am aiming to be truly diligent about baking my own bread, the pita recipe listed below is indubitably effortless and makes eight lovely puffy pita pockets. I could freely eat hummus every day. In the store you glimpse at numerous varieties. If you prepare the basic hummus recipe below it may be quickly enhanced with additional flavors. My picture exhibits green olive tapenade (recipe in a previous posting) and a red pepper puree**. You may also add delectation such as roasted garlic, toasted pine nuts, basil pesto, etc. It is wonderful to have available as it is immensely versatile, it converts into a wonderful snack or a delicious spread on a sandwich. Happy Friday!!

Hummus

1 12 oz can chickpeas

1/3 C tahini

2 cloves of garlic grated

juice of one lemon

2 t coarse salt

olive oil

Combine chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and 3/4 C olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth streaming in olive oil as needed to create desired consistency.

Pita Bread

3 C flour

1 1/2 t salt

1 T sugar

1 packet yeast

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 C water, at room temperature

2 T olive oil

Sift the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water to the flour mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 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 425 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven while it is preheating. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.

Open the oven, grease the baking sheet and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 -5 minutes. 

** For the roasted pepper puree. Preheat oven to 375. Place red peppers on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake until skin becomes blackened in places. Remove from oven place in a plastic bag to sweat. Once cooled remove from bag, and remove skin. Place in food processor with chipotle pepper. Puree and stream in olive oil as necessary.

Until tomorrow...Peace.