Butter Bean Hummus with Pita
By June Naylor
Photos by Meda Kessler
Stone House chef Sean Hill’s starters menu is just the thing for a nice evening on the Colleyville restaurant’s patio. His homemade pita recipe produces a thin crispy bread perfect for dipping into Hill’s butter bean hummus, a creamy variation with Southern roots.
Butter Bean Hummus with Pita
Serves 8
Hummus
- 1 (16-ounce) can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon each ground cumin and lemon zest
- Garnishes: Chopped parsley, cucumber and tomato
Puree all ingredients — except garnishes — until smooth in a food processor. Transfer to serving dish, and sprinkle with garnishes and a drizzle of olive oil.
Pita
- 1 cup warm water (between 90 and 105 degrees)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
- 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided use
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
In large mixing bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Whisk in wheat flour and ¼ cup all-purpose flour. Let mixture sit uncovered in a warm spot until frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
Add salt, olive oil and all but ½ cup remaining all-purpose flour. With wooden spoon, stir until mixture resembles a shaggy mass. Dust lightly with some of reserved flour; knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating stray bits of dry dough.
Turn onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes until smooth. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Knead 2 minutes more, using reserved flour sparingly; dough should be soft and slightly moist.
Place in a clean mixing bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, top with towel and place in warm spot. Allow dough to double in size, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 475 degrees, placing large cast-iron skillet on bottom rack. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces, rolling each into a small ball. Place dough balls on a work surface and cover with damp towel; let sit for 10 minutes.
Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into flat disk with a rolling pin. Roll it first to 6-inch circle, then to 8-inch diameter, about 1/8-inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)
Carefully lift dough circle and place quickly in hot pan. Bake 2 minutes, till bread nicely puffs. Turn over with tongs and bake 1 minute more. Pita should be pale in color with scattered brown speckles. Transfer to a napkin-lined basket and cover; repeat with remaining dough balls. Serve warm with hummus.
Stone House
Look for a focused menu of elevated classics ranging from steaks to shrimp and grits, plus cocktails and wine. Dinner only; outdoor seating is available. Reservations are recommended.
5201 Colleyville Blvd., 817-576-2629, stonehouse-restaurant.com