Lebanese flatbread blanketed in olive-oil-soaked za'atar — Levantine breakfast pizza baked until fragrant.
Man'oushe za'atar is the Lebanese breakfast pizza — a soft, slightly chewy flatbread spread generously with za'atar (a blend of dried wild thyme, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt) bound in olive oil, then baked on a hot dome called a saj until the dough is set and the topping forms a fragrant, slightly crackled green crust. It is sold from corner bakeries (afranis) across Beirut, Damascus, and Amman from 5 a.m. onwards, served folded around fresh mint leaves, sliced cucumber, tomato, olives, or labneh. The dough is yeasted but quick (90 minutes from start to oven), the topping takes 60 seconds to mix, and the result is one of the most fragrant breakfasts in the world. Eat it folded, with a sweet glass of black tea and rose petal jam on the side.
Serves 6
In a wide bowl, whisk flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water and 3 tbsp olive oil. Mix to a shaggy dough.
Knead 8 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes in a mixer) until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise 60–90 minutes until doubled.
Stir za'atar with olive oil in a small bowl to form a loose green paste — it should be very wet, drizzling consistency. Rest 10 minutes for flavors to bloom.
Heat oven to its maximum (250–260°C) with a heavy baking tray or pizza stone inside.
Divide dough into 6 balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll or stretch each into a round about 20 cm wide and 4 mm thick.
Spread 2 tbsp of the za'atar oil over each round, going right to the edges. Use the back of a spoon to push the oil into the dough — it should look wet and dark green.
Slide rounds onto the hot tray in batches. Bake 5–7 minutes each until the dough is set, faintly puffed, and the za'atar topping is fragrant — not browned.
Pile the warm man'oushe in a stack wrapped in a clean cloth to keep them pliable. Bring to the table with mint, cucumber, tomato, olives, and labneh. Fold and eat with the hands.
Use real Lebanese or Syrian za'atar (look for blends with wild thyme, not just oregano).
Make the oil-za'atar paste loose and wet — dry za'atar burns on the dough.
Bake hot and fast — slow baking dries out the bread and bakes the za'atar bitter.
Man'oushe jibneh: with melted akkawi cheese instead of za'atar.
Lahm bi ajeen: with spiced minced lamb topping (Levantine meat pizza).
Mixed man'oushe: half za'atar, half cheese, folded together — Beirut bakery classic.
Best the day made. Store cooled flatbreads stacked in a sealed bag at room temp 1 day; revive in a hot oven for 2 minutes. Freeze 1 month wrapped in foil.
Man'oushe is documented across the Levant for at least 700 years, originally baked on a domed saj over open coals by women in village bakeries. The za'atar topping is older still — Bronze Age texts from Ugarit mention thyme-and-sesame mixes spread on flatbread.
Middle Eastern grocery stores, or online (look for Lebanese, Palestinian, or Syrian brands). Avoid generic 'Mediterranean herb blends'.
Yes — but a pizza stone or preheated heavy tray gives the best crust. Avoid thin cookie sheets that warp at high heat.
Per serving (160g) · 6 servings total
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