Start by prepping all of your ingredients: Drain 15½ oz. chickpeas in a strainer or colander and rinse thoroughly. Let drain again while you do the other prep.

Cut 1 lemon in half, remove any visible seeds, and squeeze juice into a small bowl. You should have 3–4 Tbsp.

Smash 1 garlic clove with the flat side of your knife on a cutting board and remove peel. Continue to mash with side of knife until a paste forms. (You can also grate garlic on a microplane if you have one—you're just looking for a fine paste.)

Combine drained chickpeas , 3 Tbsp. lemon juice , garlic , ½ cup tahini , ¾ tsp. salt , 10 cracks pepper , ¼ tsp. cumin , and 2 Tbsp. water in a food processor.

Process until smooth, about 1 minute.

With the motor running, stream in 3 Tbsp. oil , then continue to process until hummus is very light and creamy, about 1 minute longer. Taste and season with more salt , if needed.

Transfer hummus to a shallow bowl, top with za’atar and/or sesame seeds , and drizzle with more oil .

Do Ahead: Hummus can be made 4 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.