Love hummus, love bread? Make hummus bread

Hummus is the special ingredient in these easy flatbreads and loaves.

Source: Kylie Walker

Hummus makes many things better and it turns out it can make a mighty fine flatbread too. The sort you can't resist tearing and eating as it comes out of the pan... 

When I recently watched a cooking lesson on YouTube for "hummus laffa bread", I immediately got excited. A bread made with hummus?? Well, no - it turned out that what award-winning chef Michael Solomonov was making hummus AND laffa bread. Laffa bread is an Israeli-Iraqi bread that is indeed a perfect partner for hummus.

But the idea of making bread with hummus stuck with me. A bit of a hunt around and I found a gluten-free, vegan hummus loaf recipe by blogger and recipe writer Florian Nouh. I had my doubts as I made this, as a gluten-free bread without xanthan gum or other binders can be crumbly. And to be honest, the dough reminded me of tile grout - so thick it needed to be scraped into the bread tin. But lo, it seems the hummus and tahini in the recipe perform some sort of binding magic, creating a loaf that is not at all crumbly. It's certainly not fluffy bread, but I liked it a lot, a sturdy, pumpkin seed-topped bread (don't skimp on the seeds - they add excellent crunch) that's deliciously fresh and warm from the oven or toasted in a sandwich press.

These soft warm breads are prefect for tearing, wrapping or scooping. Source: Kylie Walker

But still, I yearned for what I'd initially imagined: hummus flatbreads. I've been making a lot of flatbreads this past year, playing with flours, leavened versus unleavened, and more. So I decided to take my basic recipe and hummus it up. The result? Well, let's just say these flatbreads don't last long in my household!

Making hummus flatbreads Source: Kylie Walker

They are very easy to make - a simple dough of flour, baking powder, salt, hummus and water, rolled out and cooked in a pan. If you can, divide the dough into balls and let the balls rest for 10 minutes before rolling them out, as the gluten will relax and the rolling will be easier. 

One of these turns leftovers into a meal - I also admit to just eating them as is, with more hummus!

As you make the flatbreads, wrap them in a clean tea-towel until all are done. And if you have leftovers, they will keep for a day or two if well-wrapped. Reheat in the oven or a pan or even the microwave. It's better with the first two, but sometimes, you just want the bread NOW, right?

Leftovers + fresh hummus bread = happy meal. Source: Kylie Walker

Get the recipe here.