Perfect Pillowy Pitta with Heavenly Harissa Hummus
Is there anything better than homemade pitta bread? Warm, pillowy and soft, they are the perfect vehicle for another one of life's great delights - hummus. In this punchy Middle Eastern recipe we've paired our perfect pittas with our heavenly harissa hummus to create a snack sensation. If you've never made your own pitta before, don't worry, we will show you how!
Serves
Ingredients
For the Perfect Pillowy Pitta
<item-todo-done>250ml tepid water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp fast-action yeast (around 1 sachet)<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp caster sugar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>300g plain flour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50g wholemeal flour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp fine sea salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp olive oil<item-todo-done>
For the Heavenly Harissa Hummus
<item-todo-done>1 x 400g can chickpeas<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 small garlic clove<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 lemon<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 tbsp tahini<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>60ml olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp rose harissa paste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> salt and pepper to taste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> chopped parsley leaves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> toasted pine nuts<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> pomegranate seeds (optional)<item-todo-done>
Before you start
2 mixing bowls | Damp, clean tea towel | Large lined baking sheet | Floured rolling pin | Heatproof mat | Oven glove | Food processor | Microplane
Activate the yeast
- Pour the water into a mixing bowl, sprinkle over the the yeast and sugar and leave to rest for 5 minutes until little bubbly.
Prepare the dough
- Add both flours and the salt to a mixing bowl and mix with a balloon whisk or wooden spoon to combine.
- Make a well in the flours.
- Add the oil and the activated yeast liquid to the well and use a silicone spatula to bring the mixture together.
- Flour a clean work surface with plain flour, turn the dough out onto the surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and has a little stickiness to it.
Let the dough rise
- Drizzle a little olive oil into the mixing bowl and rub down the insides.
- Put the dough in the bowl, cover with the tea towel, put the bowl in a warm place (an oven set at 50˚C works well if you can’t find a decent warm spot) and leave to prove for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Make the Heavenly Harissa Hummus
- Drain, rinse and gently rub the chickpeas, removing any loose skins.
- Peel and grate the garlic.
- Halve the lemon.
- Add the chickpeas, garlic, tahini and olive oil to the food processor and blitz until smooth.
- Taste the hummus and season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Blitz again until very smooth (adding a little splash of water here can aid the creaminess of your hummus.
- Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, spoon the rose harissa into the bowl and swirl it through the hummus to mix and marble.
Prepare the pitta
- Flour a clean surface with plain flour.
- Gently push the air out of the dough, bring it together with your hands in the bowl, and then add to the floured surface and cut into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll the pieces into smart, smooth balls, put them on a baking sheet, cover with the tea towel and leave to rest for 20-25 minutes.
Cook the Perfect Pillowy Pitta
- Turn the oven on and set it to the highest setting.
- Put the lined baking sheet in the oven to warm up.
- Use a rolling pin to roll 3-4 of the balls out into 10cm thick discs - as many as you can fit onto the baking sheet with plenty of space around each to grow (don’t over roll the dough if you want nice pillowy pitta!)
- Set the hot tray on the heatproof mat, place the pittas on the tray making sure they have room to grow.
- Put the tray in the oven and cook the pitta bread for 5-6 minutes until lightly golden and puffy.
- Remove the tray from the oven, transfer the pitta to a bowl, cover with a tea towel to keep warm and repeat until all the dough balls are cooked.
Time to serve
- Plate up the Perfect Pillowy Pitta and serve immediately with your freshly made Heavenly Harissa Hummus, garnished with a handful of fresh chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts.