Pitta Bread with Red Pepper and Aubergine Dip
Ingredients:
500g strong white bread flour
7g sachet of yeast
10g salt
325ml tap water
For the dip:
2 medium aubergines
2 red bell peppers
2 bulbs of roasted garlic (simply bake the bulbs whole at 150c for 1 hour until soft)
1 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
Method:
Place the flour, yeast and salt into a mixing bowl and blend with your hand.
Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the liquid.
Using your hand in a claw shape, mix the flour to create a ball of dough on your hand that is clean from the bowl.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
Return the dough into the mixing bowl and cover.
Leave to prove for 1-2 hours or until it doubles in size.
When the dough is ready, scoop it out onto a clean lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 minute.
Divide the dough up into golf ball size portions and roll each one out into a pitta bread shape.
You can cook the pitta bread in a hot oven at 200c for 12-15 minutes or cook on a medium heat BBQ for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Store the rolled-out bread on a non-stick baking tray dusted with some ground polenta, ground rice or semolina to help them not stick.
Place the garlic bulbs into a preheated oven 150c for 1 hour to become soft and squidgy.
Cut the aubergines in half, then cut a portion of the back out of the skin as well to expose the flesh of the vegetable, this will increase the surface area for more flavour and help to get the moisture out.
Using a sharp knife cut a crisscross into each side of the aubergine, then drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Drizzle the red peppers with oil and salt and pepper and place on a tray with the aubergines to cook on the BBQ.
Cook the vegetables on a medium heat BBQ until soft, if your BBQ is too hot and the vegetables look cooked on the outside but not in the middle place them in the oven for 30 minutes to soften.
When the vegetables are cooked, leave to cool before removing the aubergine skin. When cool, chop all the vegetables into a coarse purée.
Add the roasted garlic, by cutting off the root and squeezing the cloves out.
Add the juice of one lemon and a drizzle of olive oil, followed by a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper.
Mix the ingredients and place in a serving bowl.
Finish with some freshly chopped parsley and it’s ready to serve.
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