Equipment
Ingredients
Flatbread Dough
- 250 g bread flour
- 150 ml water, warm
- 5 g instant yeast
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
Creamy Hummus
- 250 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 100 g tahini, well stirred
- 45 ml fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic, peeled
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 2 g ground cumin
- 50 ml ice water
Garnish
- 2 fresh red chili, whole
- 50 g kalamata olives, pitted
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 5 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 613 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 69 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1026 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Potassium
- 317 mg
- Calcium
- 158 mg
- Iron
- 6.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 62 mg
- Phosphorus
- 314 mg
- Zinc
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 17 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 31 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.98 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.51 mg
- Niacin
- 6.8 mg
- Folate
- 204 mcg
- Water
- 120 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, warm water, instant yeast, 4g of salt, and 15ml of olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Lightly coat the mixing bowl with oil. Place the dough inside, cover with a damp cloth, and let rest at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
While the dough proofs, begin the hummus. In a food processor, combine the tahini, fresh lemon juice, and garlic cloves. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and whipped.
Add the drained chickpeas, ground cumin, and 3g of salt to the food processor. Puree continuously for 3 minutes. While the machine is running, slowly pour in the ice water until the hummus transforms into a luxuriously smooth dip.
Punch down the proofed dough and divide it into 4 equal portions. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a 5mm thick oval or circle.
Preheat a dry cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 200°C/390°F. Carefully place a rolled flatbread into the pan. Sear for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and the bottom has dark charred spots, then flip and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer to a clean towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat with remaining dough.
In the same hot cast iron skillet, or directly over an open gas flame, place the whole red chilies. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until the skin is heavily blistered and blackened all over.
Remove the charred chilies from the heat and allow them to cool slightly. Cut off the stems and slice the chilies crosswise into thick rings.
To serve, spread the whipped hummus onto a wide, shallow serving plate. Use the back of a spoon to create sweeping, deep swirls in the dip. Drizzle generously with the remaining 30ml of extra virgin olive oil so it pools in the crevices.
Garnish the hummus with the freshly sliced chargrilled chilies, pitted Kalamata olives, and roughly chopped parsley. Serve immediately alongside the warm flatbread for dipping.
Chef's Notes
- For the absolute smoothest hummus, overcook your canned chickpeas by boiling them with a pinch of baking soda for 15 minutes before blending. This breaks down the skins completely.
- Using ice water in the hummus is a crucial technique. The dramatic temperature drop tightens the tahini and helps it whip into a light, cloud-like emulsion rather than a dense paste.
- When cooking the flatbread, a cast iron skillet retains heat best, providing the sharp, intense heat needed to rapidly create steam inside the dough, forming the signature pocket and blisters.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store hummus and flatbread in separate airtight containers. Bread should be wrapped tightly to prevent drying.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze flatbread only. The emulsion in the hummus will break and degrade in texture if frozen.
Reheating: Warm flatbread in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side until pliable.
Troubleshooting
Hummus is grainy or gritty
Cause: Chickpea skins were not broken down sufficiently, or the tahini emulsion broke
Fix: Process for another 2 to 3 minutes in the food processor with an extra 15ml of ice water to help re-emulsify
Prevention: Process the chickpeas for a full 3 to 4 minutes and ensure the added water is ice cold
Flatbread is dense and does not puff when cooking
Cause: The skillet was not hot enough to create rapid steam, or the dough was rolled too thick
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked, but increase the heat for the remaining flatbreads
Prevention: Preheat the skillet thoroughly until almost smoking, and roll dough evenly to a 5mm thickness
Cultural Context
Hummus bi tahina is a foundational dish of Levantine cuisine, with roots stretching back centuries across the Middle East. Pairing it with freshly baked flatbread is the traditional way to scoop and savor the dip, transforming it from a simple puree into a communal dining experience. The addition of chargrilled chilies brings a modern, smoky heat that cuts through the rich, sesame-heavy tahini base.
