Daring Bakers Challenge - Lavash!

It's only my second DB Challenge, and I've already fallen behind! I should've posted on Saturday, but I was on vacation and, alas, had planned to make the Lavash when we returned. I forgot the post date was on the 27th! C'est la vie. I did manage to come up with something before October began!

So, the challenge was to make Lavash Crackers and create a dip to accompany them. Another catch? Make them vegan or gluten-free. I don't think my crackers, which turned out more like pita chips since I didn't roll the dough out very thinly, are either, but they're pretty tasty. The Red Pepper Hummus wasn't the greatest, but the Lavash would be great with the Black Bean Hummus I made earlier. Here's what I did:

Lavash Crackers

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached bread flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1 Tbsp sugar (which, to my surprise, may not be vegan!)
1 Tbsp. canola oil (which also may not be vegan!)
~3/4 cup water, room temperature
seasme seeds and kosher salt for toppings


Stir together everything but the water in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, then slowly add the water and mix until it forms a ball. You may only need 1/2 cup water...I had to use more. Knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth, satiny, and not tacky. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.

Turn out the dough onto a silpat and roll out to the desired thickness. If you want crisp crackers, divide the dough and use 2 pans. Using a pizza cutter, score the dough to form the cracker shapes. Spritz with olive oil and sprinkle on sesame seeds and kosher salt. *Note: Gently press in the toppings! I didn't do this and most fell off when I broke the crackers apart! Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes. Cool and break apart.


Red Pepper Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 whole roasted red peppers
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 1/2 a lemon
~1/4 cup parsley
1/4 tsp kosher salt
~3 Tbsp. olive oil

Whirr everything together in food processor until smooth.

Black Bean Hummus

I was looking for a hummus recipe when I came across this one on Food Network's site. I love black beans, so I thought I'd give this a try. I accidentally left out the lime juice and didn't use nearly 3 cups of olive oil; while processing, I added just enough to make it spreadable. And I didn't have enough chili powder, so I just used what I had.

I try not to watch Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (aka Triple D) on Food Network because it always makes me hungry, which is not a good thing late in the evenings. So, I probably missed when this recipe was showcased. However, it's going in my stash of appetizers because it's really good. And different. And addictive. And not too bad for you if you eat it with veggies. And you should go make some right now.

Black Bean Hummus

1 (1-pound) can garbanzo beans
1 (1-pound) can black beans
Pinch ground cumin
About 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
About 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chili powder
Pinch ground coriander
Pinch ground cinnamon
About 3/4 teaspoon tahini
Olive oil - about 1-2 cups, however much you want to use

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Add the ingredients to a food processor and process in batches. Blend until smooth. Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or veggies.

Adapted from Greg Auten (co-owner of The Penguin diner)