Hummus and Pita

My new location has allowed me to get a lot of ingredients that I never could before, but there are still plenty of classic recipes that I love and dominate my menu. One recipe is simple hummus and pita. I had only first tried hummus maybe a year ago, when I got a sandwich from Cosi in Virginia. I quickly found that I really liked it and when I found out how simple it is, I began making it myself. I generally keep it pretty simple, using a basic recipe and then mixing in any vegetable I feel like. I sometimes do onions, peppers, zucchini, spinach, I'd imagine pretty much anything is good.

Hummus:

-15 oz (1 can) Chickpeas
-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
-2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
-2 Tbsp Tahini
-1 Tbsp Olive Oil
-Salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you feel like to taste
-Any vegetable you like (cooked or raw)

-Drain chickpeas. Chop them up in a food processor. Add a little bit of water while chopping to make a thinner consistency, similar to the end product.
-Add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, oil, and seasonings and continue blending it in the food processor. It should be thick but viscous. Add a little water if it is too chunky still.
-Mix in chopped vegetables, either raw or cooked, depending on your preference.
-Chill for a little while to thicken it.

Simple and delicious. It goes great as a dip or on slices of bread but I think it's best with pita. They can be tricky to make so if you can buy them pretty cheap it may be a consideration, but most places I find them, they charge pretty stupid prices. With a little practice though they are pretty easy to make yourself.

Pita:

-15 oz Bread Flour (or substitute some or all Whole Wheat Flour, I use all Whole Wheat)
-10 oz Warm Water
-2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
-1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil
-1 Tbsp Honey
-1.5 tsp salt

-Bloom the yeast in the water, about 5 minutes.
-Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix on low for 1 minute, scrape down the bowl, and mix on medium for another 4-5 min. It should come into a slightly tacky (but not sticky) ball. If it is too dry, add a little more water during mixing.
-Ferment 90 minutes.
-Preheat oven to 500.
-Divide dough into 8 parts, preshape into balls, and rest 20 minutes.
-Roll out each ball into a thin circle. It should be about as thin as possible. Too thick and it will rise into a regular disc of bread with no pocket. Place on baking sheets or directly onto a stone. Bake 2-3 min, until it balloons. Don't leave it in to brown or it will become crusty; it should be soft.

It takes some practice working the dough. You need to get a good thickness but avoid overworking it. Too much rolling or mishandling when transferring to the oven can lead to no pocket at all. If that happens it isn't the end of the world though, just cut it into wedges and use them for scooping instead.