Recipes: White Bean “Hummus” & Piadine (Italian Flatbread)

Bean spreads are a staple throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Because bean spreads are delicious when made with canned beans, they are a quick and easy appetizer.

Hummus, a combination of chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil, is one of the Middle East’s most common bean spreads. I recently made a delicious variation on hummus using white cannellini beans. I found the recipe because I am participating in Taste and Create.

Taste and Create is an event created by For the Love of Food in which food writers are paired with a randomly assigned partner, and asked to cook and review one recipe from their partner’s blog. Taste and Create gives writers the opportunity to have their recipes tested by a peer.

This month I was paired with Holly, who blogs at Phemomenon. Holly was inspired to create White Bean “Hummus” after tasting a similar dish at a restaurant. Holly bakes her bean spread with a bread crumb and parmesan crust, and says it is delicious. She advises it can also be served at room temperature without the crust and with a little olive oil drizzled on top, and that is the version I made.

The flavors in Holly’s White Bean “Hummus” are nicely balanced. It is garlicky, but not overwhelmingly so, and has just enough rosemary to fully round out the other ingredients.

Holly serves her bean spread with Piadine, a traditional soft and chewy Italian flatbread from Emilia Romagna that cooks quickly in a grill pan. Serve the Piadine with Holly’s flavorful “Hummus," along with fresh carrots, peppers, and other vegetables.

My friend Maria of Organically Cooked lives in Hania, Crete. She asked if Piadine could be used as Greek pita bread to serve with souvlaki or kebab. The answer is an emphatic yes. The texture of Piadine is much like Greek pita bread, and the slightly smoky flavor it gets from the grill is a perfect match for souvlaki.

I’ll happily make both recipes again.

White Bean “Hummus”
Adapted from Phemomenon
The flavor of hummus is brighter if canned beans are drained and rinsed before using. To impart more bean flavor, follow Holly’s lead and substitute some of the bean canning liquid for the water in the recipe. I made up for not baking the hummus with a cheese crust by adding more olive oil than is called for in Holly’s original recipe. For vegan or Lenten hummus, leave out the optional parmesan cheese.

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. tahini
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
3 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until the ingredients have formed a soft creamy paste, adding water or olive oil as necessary to achieve the consistency you desire. Taste and correct the seasoning for garlic, lemon juice, and salt. To serve, spread on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with black olives.

Piadine (Italian Flatbread)
Makes 6 flatbreads
Adapted from NapaStyle via Phemomenon
Cut the Piadine into triangles or wedges to serve it with White Bean “Hummus.” Piadine also makes a wonderful wrap for a salumi sandwich or Caesar salad.

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/4 tsp. dry yeast (1 packet)
3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. salt

Mix 1/2 cup water, yeast, and 1/2 cup flour and let sit for 15 minutes, or until the mixture starts to bubble. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or by hand with a wooden spoon), mix in the remaining water, 3 cups flour, olive oil and salt. When the dough starts clumping together, switch to the dough hook (or to kneading by hand). Knead, adding flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and silky, about 5 minutes.

Flour a board or counter, dump out the dough, and knead for 1 minute. Put the dough in a lightly floured bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Let dough rise for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and divide it into six balls. (The dough may be made ahead to this point and refrigerated or frozen. To use, remove from the refrigerator or freezer and bring to room temperature.)

Roll out the balls one at a time into an 8- to 9-inch round. (While one flatbread is cooking, roll out the next.)

Heat a cast iron grill or frying pan until it is smoking hot. Reduce the heat to medium, and put a rolled-out dough round in the hot pan. When the surface of the dough starts to bubble and it is starting to brown on the other side, turn it over and cook the second side. When it is done, brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with a little course salt. Place on a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Serve.
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This is my entry for Bread Baking Day #7: Flatbreads hosted by Chili und Ciabatta.