Oven-Baked Chicken Shawarma with homemade pita bread and homemade tahini sauce

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade pita bread ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Add the lukewarm water and olive oil and Knead about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, pliable and doesn't stick to your hands.

   BowlStand mixer

   💡For yeast dough, use the windowpane test: a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing, and that's the sign the kneading is done. Add flour only by the tablespoon, and only if the dough is still sticky after a few minutes: too much flour makes a tough dough.
3. 3
   Cover and Let rise about an hour in a warm place, until the dough doubles in size.

   Plastic wraporKitchen towel

   💡Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot. The dough is ready when it has doubled, and a gentle finger press leaves a dent that fills back slowly; if it springs right back, wait longer.
4. 4
   Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F), with an upside-down baking sheet inside, for at least half an hour.

   Oven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
5. 5
   Divide the dough into 10 balls and roll each ball into a circle about ½ cm thick.

   Rolling pin

   💡Don't roll too thin: in a round half a centimeter thick or more, the steam in the dough puffs it into a pocket; a round that's too thin dries into a cracker.

   💡Dough that springs back needs rest: cover the balls for 10 minutes and the gluten relaxes.
6. 6
   Cover the rounds with a towel and let rest 15 minutes.

   Kitchen towel
7. 7
   Bake on the hot baking sheet, 3–4 pitas at a time, 3–5 minutes, until the pitas puff into a pocket and take on a little color.

   OvenBaking sheet

   💡Full heat and a scorching-hot baking sheet are what make the pocket: in an oven that isn't hot enough, the pita bakes flat.

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
8. 8
   Wrap immediately in a towel, so the pitas stay soft.

   Kitchen towel

For the Shawarma

1. 9
   Cut the chicken into thin strips.

   KnifeCutting board
2. 10
   Coat the strips of the chicken in a mixture of the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, ground coriander, garlic, salt and black pepper, cover and marinate in the fridge at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

   BowlRefrigerator
3. 11
   Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F).

   Oven
4. 12
   Spread the strips of the chicken on the baking sheet, side by side.

   Baking pan
5. 13
   Bake 25–30 minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the chicken browns. Flip once halfway through baking.

   OvenBaking pan
6. 14
   Heat a dry pan over medium heat, and warm the pita in it.

   StoveFrying pan
7. 15
   Mix the tahini and lemon juice and season with salt.
8. 16
   Gradually add cold water while stirring, until the sauce is smooth, pale and pourable.

   💡When you add the first water, the tahini thickens and looks like dough: that's fine. Keep adding water and stirring, and it loosens into a smooth sauce.
9. 17
   Halve the pita, spread in it the tahini, arrange in it the shawarma and the tomatoes and sauerkraut and serve immediately.