Manakish Zaatar (Lebanese Zaatar Flatbread)

About This Recipe

Manakish is the bread most Lebanese people eat for breakfast, sold fresh each morning from bakeries where a thin round of dough is spread with a paste of zaatar and olive oil before baking directly on a hot stone or in a very hot oven. Zaatar itself is a blend of dried thyme, sumac and toasted sesame seeds, its herbal, tangy, nutty character defining the flavor of the bread more than the dough underneath, which stays soft and simple by comparison. Straight from the oven, manakish is often eaten folded in half around fresh vegetables like tomato, cucumber and mint, or simply torn and eaten plain alongside a cup of coffee or tea to start the day.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 3 cupsall-purpose flour
• 2 tspinstant yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 1.25 cupswarm water
• 2 tbspolive oil(for dough)
• 1/2 cupzaatar spice blend
• 1/3 cupolive oil(for topping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then stir in warm water and olive oil until a soft, smooth dough forms; knead 8-10 minutes.

2. 2

   Rise

   Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour until doubled.

3. 3

   Shape

   Divide into 6 balls, then roll or press each into a thin round about 6-7 inches wide.

4. 4

   Make the topping

   Mix the zaatar with olive oil into a spreadable paste.

5. 5

   Top the dough

   Spread the zaatar paste generously and evenly over each round, right up to the edges.

   Spread the topping all the way to the edges — bare dough edges will puff up unevenly and dominate the bread.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake at 240C/475F on a preheated baking stone or sheet for 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden and the bottom is lightly browned.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve warm, torn or folded, plain or with fresh vegetables.

Variations

• •

  Manakish bil jibneh replaces the zaatar with a layer of soft, stretchy cheese for a savory cheese version.

• •

  A combination version splits the dough half zaatar, half cheese for variety.

• •

  Adding sliced tomato on top of the zaatar before baking is a common regional variation.

Storage

Best eaten fresh and warm; the dough itself can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a day. Baked manakish keeps a day at room temperature and reheats well in a warm oven.

Frequently Asked Questions