Chickpea & Caraway Flatbread

I wasn't kidding when I said it was the week of the chickpea. We're going all out! 

Chickpeas have been used in dips for eons. In multiple cultures, even. However, in a bread, my friends? I think not. So, what should you be serving with your roasted red pepper hummus or chana masala, but chickpea bread?

Ok, fine. I will admit that breads have been made for a long time using chickpea flour. But I didn't have any of that. And it was super expensive at the grocer. But I did have the canned form.

Besides - this stuff is so super tasty, I have no intention of keeping the recipe from you!

Enter - the blender. 

Blitz those suckers to bits. Pulverize!

Then get your dry goods in order. Yeast, flour, salt. 

Next, the wets. Yogurt, honey, olive oil, caraway seeds, and the beyond-mashed chickpeas. 

Add the water an mix the wets up. Until you get a soupy substance.

Mix the wets into the drys and you get a nice and sticky dough. You may have to add a few tablespoons of water to reach optimum dough texture. 

From here, your options here are: (1) cover with plastic wrap and let sit in your fridge for 8-10 hours or (2) let it set for 2 + hours now, to rise until doubled in size. 

I chose option (1), and then took it out and let it rise for an hour in a warm oven. It doubled just fine. 

Next, cut the dough in half. Toss some flour on a sheet pan and stretch the dough out into an oblong shape. 

Drizzle with olive oil and rub it lightly over the top of the dough, making sure it's all covered. 

Let the dough rise on the pans for 20 minutes or so (while your oven heats up to 475). This is important, don't skip it! If your dough is thin and doesn't rise, you get cracker-like bread. If it's thicker and you let it rise, you get more focaccia-like bread. Your choice.

Cook until lightly brown on top (10-15 minutes). 

Cut into triangles and serve with hummus. Of course!

Chickpea & Caraway Flatbread

Makes 2 loaves

Adapted from Taste of Pearl City

1/2 c. canned chickpeas, blitzed in a food processor till mostly smooth

300 g (about 2 c.) flour

1 tsp rapid rise yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp yogurt

2 tsp honey
1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for brushing the tops)

1/2 c. (+ a few tbsp if necessary) warm water 

In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, and salt. In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, yogurt, honey, olive oil, caraway seeds, and water. Mix wets into drys to create a sticky dough. If dough doesn't come together or isn't sticky, add water by the tablespoon until the mixture is right. Grease the sides of your bowl with oil or shortening, and cover with plastic wrap.

Allow to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Cut dough in half and stretch each half into an oblong shape on a floured baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, brushing to coat top. Cover and let rise again, 20 minutes or so while your oven preheats to 475 degrees.

Bake at 475 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Rotate pans from top to bottom racks half way through.