Homemade Pitas with Hummus with homemade cooked chickpeas

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade cooked chickpeas ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water.

   Bowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Drain, cover with plenty of unsalted water and cook 1.5–2 hours, skimming off the foam and skins from time to time, until the chickpeas are very soft and crush easily between your fingers.

   ColanderStovePot

   💡Fully cooked chickpeas crush between your fingers with no resistance at all. Chickpeas that stay a little firm make a grainy spread, and no amount of tahini will fix it.
3. 3
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander

For the Dough base

1. 4
   Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

   Bowl
2. 5
   Add the lukewarm water and olive oil and Knead about 8–10 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. 6
   Cover and Let rise 45 minutes 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.

For the Hummus

1. 7
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander
2. 8
   Mix the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin and season with salt.
3. 9
   Transfer the tahini sauce to a food processor, add the chickpeas, still warm, and process 3–5 minutes, until it is completely smooth.

   Food processor

   💡Grind the chickpeas while they are still warm: warm chickpeas grind into a smoother cream than cold ones.
4. 10
   Spread on a plate, make a well in the center and add the olive oil and paprika.
5. 11
   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.
6. 12
   Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll each ball into a circle 3 mm 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.
7. 13
   Cover the rounds with a towel and let rest 15 minutes.

   Kitchen towel
8. 14
   Bake on the hot baking sheet, 3–4 pitas at a time, 4–5 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.
9. 15
   Wrap immediately in a towel, so the pitas stay soft.

   Kitchen towel