Rosemary & Caramelized Shallot Hummus with Homemade Pita

~Makes 8 pitas and a healthy amount of hummus~

Ingredients:

Pita:

3 1/4 c all purpose flour

3/4 c whole wheat flour

1 packet (2 1/4 t) instant yeast

1 1/2 t kosher salt

1 t garlic powder

1 c warm water (115 degrees)

1/4 c olive oil

3/4 c plain greek yogurt

Caramelized Shallots:

1/2 T oil, any kind

4 shallots, thinly sliced

1 T unsalted butter

1/4 t salt

1 T balsamic vinegar (or vinegar of choice)

Rosemary Oil:

1/2 c olive oil

1 small sprig rosemary

3 cloves garlic, whole

Hummus:

2 cans chickpeas, reserve the juice from 1

1 T balsamic

2 T tahini

Method:

To make the pita, whisk together the flours in a large bowl or mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top and whisk in the salt and garlic powder. Switch to the dough hook (or get your muscles ready) and stir in the water, oil, and yogurt. Once mostly combined, start to knead (or continue to mix using dough hook). knead for about 5-8 minutes until smooth. You may need to adjust the flour and water if it is too wet or dry to work with. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Keep in a warm location and let rise for about 45 minutes or until it has nearly doubled in size.

For the caramelized shallots, heat the oil on high in a medium pan and then add the shallots. Stir around for about a minute and then add the butter, salt, and sugar. Continue to stir until the shallots just begin to brown. Turn the heat down to low and cook the shallots for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning. Add the balsamic in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

To make the rosemary oil, heat the oil in small saucepan on medium low with the rosemary and garlic cloves. The oil should just barely simmer around the garlic and rosemary, if the garlic begins to brown too quickly, lower the heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Make sure the garlic cloves are just golden brown when finished. Set aside the cooked rosemary and garlic. Allow the oil to cool.

Hummus time! In a powerful blender or food processor, add the 2 cans of chickpeas (with one can's worth of chickpea liquid) along with the balsamic and tahini. Slowly add in 2 T of the rosemary oil and half of the cooked rosemary, chopped up (no stem!), reserving the other half for garnish. Blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Going back to the pita, once risen, divide the dough ball into 8 equal pieces and form into smaller balls. Place them on a baking sheet and cover with damp towel. Let rest for 10 minutes. Pat the balls out to desired thickness for pita (1/4 inch is typical) and let the pita doughs rest for 5 minutes until cooking. To cook, heat a cast-iron pan on medium-high and then brush with olive oil. Add the pita dough, one at a time, and cook about a minute and a half per side. You want it to bubble up! Serve warm.