Sandwich Week 4: Before you say “THAT’S NOT A SANDWICH!”, let me say that a sandwich is not just non-specific pieces of bread with non-cultural ingredients. What is a sandwich? A convenient, hand-held, package of fillings in a flour casing of deliciousness. Burgers, soft tacos, Vietnamese bao, stuffed pita – they’re ALL sandwiches.
I’d go so far as to say that wraps are also a variant of sandwiches, with a distinctly different form factor. At the very least, they are cousins.
Anyway, quick recipes for hummus (two ways) and pita bread. Here’s the recipe (serves 3-4).
Pita Bread
| ITEM | AMOUNT | METRIC VALUE | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| All purpose flour | 2 cups | 400g | |
| Olive oil | 2-3 tbsp | ~40ml | For softening as well as greasing. |
| Active Dry Yeast | 2 tsp | ~10g | |
| Sugar | 1 tsp | ~5g | For activating the yeast. |
| Salt | 2 tsp | ~10g | |
| Water | 1/2cup | ~125ml | Heated to body temperature. |
Hummus
| ITEM | AMOUNT | METRIC VALUE | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas | 2 cups | ~400g | I made a lot more than required. |
| Sesame Seeds | 1/2 cup | ~100g | |
| Olive/Vegetable Oil | A lot, both for tahini and hummus | ||
| Salt and Pepper | 4 tsp | ~20g | Adjust to taste. |
| Garlic | 2 big cloves | ||
| Lemon | 1-2 tbsp | ~15-30ml | |
| Herbs | up to choice | Parsley, Basil. Fresh is better. | |
| Optional flavours | 1 tsp each | ~5g each | I used honey, sriracha, tomato. |
You will also need other sandwich components. I’ve gone for very simple things – diced onions, diced tomatoes, shredded cabbage. Look to the customisations paragraph at the end for suggestions.
Preparation
- Soak chickpeas in cold water overnight before cooking.
- Make tahini paste – Cook the sesame seeds for a few seconds to get them toasty but not brown them. Blend to a powder. Then add oil and blend again till smooth. You want roughly 1:4 oil to sesame seeds ratio (1 spoon oil for 4 spoons sesame).
Pita Process
- Heat the water to body temperature – it requires only about 7 seconds on a high flame on the stove.
- Mix the yeast and sugar into the water and stir well. Let sit for a few minutes till it foams up.
- Sift the flour twice. This creates a soft dough and fluffy bread.
- Add a couple of teaspoons of oil, and a teaspoon of salt to the flour.
- Add the yeasty water in small batches and bring the flour together with your hands. Repeat until the dough comes together and is smooth (If you have a stand mixer, you already know what you’re doing).
- Knead the dough until it is soft and elastic. Tuck it in in your hands to make a smooth top, and rub all over with a little oil. Let it sit in a bowl for a couple of hours to puff up.
- After the dough is ready, preheat an oven to 240°C for 10 minutes. While it is preheating, get your pita rounds ready.
- Knock back the dough to let out air and work it a little to keep the elasticity. Divide into palm sized parts. Roll out the dough parts into circles, using dry flour to make sure it doesn’t stick.
- Bake in the hot oven only for 3-4 minutes. It should stay white, become a little puffy, and be soft but firm to the touch.
- Optionally, cook the bread in a pan over a medium flame for a couple of minutes to brown them and add some more flavour.
Hummus Process
- Boil the chickpeas for 45 minutes to soften them. Don’t salt the water.
- Blend the chickpeas with a little water and the tahini paste. Pulse repeatedly until smooth
- Add chopped parsley / coriander, zest and juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, and a few tbsp of oil and continue pulsing.
- Keep tasting the hummus and add flavours as required.
- For the two types, I did the following: turmeric and dried oregano, basil, and thyme in one (I didn’t have access to fresh). Sriracha, red chilly powder, tomato puree, and honey in the other.
- After mixing and blending thoroughly, let the hummus stand. The flavour agents will soak colour into the hummus, giving it a much more pleasant appearance.
Assembly
- Dice the onions, tomatoes, and cabbage
- Spread a thick, even layer of hummus on the pita.
- Add the add-ons, cabbage first, then onion, tomato or both.
- Fold and stick a toothpick/skewer through both sides of the pita.
- Alternatively, consider making a cut in the side of the pita and opening out the inner cavity. Stuff your hummus and add-ons into the cavity.
Customisations: Obviously, adding a couple more things really makes for a filling sandwich – falafel of choice helps. I would go for a corn and pea croquettes, or corn, pea, and potato. Or I would defeat the purpose of a vegetarian dish by adding fried chicken, or crispy bacon (like I have below).
You can also flavour your hummus with different flavours – chopped spinach works well. I’d imagine a little banana would do wonders.
Also consider adding fruit – apples and pears have a freshness that would go well with the starchy taste of the chickpeas.
Yesterday was a rough day, which is why this is late. Sorry about that! :’D
Thank you for checking out #RecipeLab and Sandwich Week 4! If you like this recipe, leave me a comment below telling me about the recipe and your preferences. There are more recipes in Sandwich Week – check back on the Navigation Post Right Here to see the other recipes, or check out the Cooking category in the Library to see what else I have. 🙂
