Perfect Pillowy Pitta with Heavenly Harissa Hummus

Perfect Pillowy Pitta with Heavenly Harissa Hummus

We've made a lot of pitta in our time and this one is genuinely the one we keep coming back to. There's something almost magical about pulling a fresh pitta out of a hot oven and watching it puff up right in front of you. Pair that with a smoky, spiced harissa hummus and you've got a snack that feels way more special than the effort involved. The hummus is silky, punchy, and has just the right amount of heat from the harissa to keep things interesting. Honestly, make this on a Friday night and thank us later.

Cook: 170 min
Serves 6

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to highest setting
  • Food processor
  • Large baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  • Mixing bowls (2)
  • Balloon whisk
  • Silicone spatula
  • Rolling pin
  • Tea towel
  • Dough proved for 1-2 hours in warm place (50°C oven works well)
  • Shaped dough balls rested for 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 250ml tepid water
  • 2 tsp fast-action yeast (around 1 sachet)
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 300g plain flour
  • 50g wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 x 400g can chickpeas
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 60ml olive oil
  • 2 tbsp rose harissa paste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chopped parsley leaves
  • toasted pine nuts
  • pomegranate seeds (optional)

Method

1

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. 
2

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.
3

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.
4

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.
5

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.

Tips & Variations

  • Don't rush the prove: We know it's tempting to skip ahead, but giving the dough a proper rest is what makes these pittas so light and airy. Set a timer, go watch something, and let the yeast do its thing.
  • Harissa heat levels: Not all harissa is the same. Some are quite mild, others will blow your head off. Taste yours first and adjust the amount in the hummus to suit. We usually go generous but we like a bit of a kick.
  • Cook in a dry pan: If you don't want to use the oven, a hot dry cast iron pan works brilliantly too. About 2 minutes each side and they'll still puff up like a dream.

Why This Works

The trick with pillowy pitta is getting your oven absolutely screaming hot before the bread goes in. That sudden blast of heat is what creates the steam inside the dough and makes it puff up beautifully. And blending the hummus for longer than you think you need to is the secret to that super smooth, creamy texture that makes all the difference.