Lebanon · Lebanese bakery and breakfast cuisine
Man'oushe with za'atar
A soft, golden Lebanese flatbread from the oven, spread with a fragrant za'atar and olive oil paste, with a slightly crisp edge and a pliable centre: Beirut's breakfast bread.
Cookhuddle Editorial Cookhuddle | Lebanon
Editorial selection: recipes cross-checked against several documentary sources. They have not been tested in our kitchen: follow the precautions given and adapt times to your own oven.
translation Translated from French. Translation by Cookhuddle Editorial. Read the original
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- Servings
- 8
- Preparation
- 25 min
- Cooking
- 25 min
- Resting
- 80 min
- Total
- About 130 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
Cuisine / tradition: Lebanese bakery and breakfast cuisine (LB) — declared by the author
- Breakfast
- Bread
- Baked
Ingredients
For 8 servings
- 500 g bread flour
- 7 g instant dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 10 g salt
- 320 ml lukewarm water
- 3 tbsp olive oil, for the dough
- 50 g za'atar blend (thyme, sumac, sesame)
- 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for the topping
- 2 piece tomatoes, sliced, to serve
- 1 piece cucumber, sliced, to serve
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves and olives, to serve
Method
- Step 1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the lukewarm water and the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and mix, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes into a smooth, soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Step 2. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.⏱ 60 min
- Step 3. Knock back the dough and divide it into 8 pieces of about 100 g. Shape into balls, place them well apart on a floured surface, cover and rest for 20 minutes.⏱ 20 min
- Step 4. Meanwhile, heat the oven to its highest setting (about 250 °C) with a heavy baking sheet or a baking stone turned upside down on the lowest shelf. Mix the za'atar with the 125 ml of olive oil into a loose paste.
- Step 5. Roll or stretch each ball into a round of about 18 to 20 cm and 5 mm thick. Prick all over with a fork, and dimple the surface with your fingertips.
- Step 6. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the za'atar mixture over each round, leaving a 1 cm border.
- Step 7. Slide the manakish, two at a time, onto the hot sheet and bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until the edges are golden and the base is cooked but still soft and pliable. Do not overbake.⏱ 6 min
- Step 8. Cool for 2 minutes, then serve warm, folded or flat, with sliced tomato, cucumber, fresh mint and olives.
Story and cultural note
Man'oushe (plural manakish) is a Lebanese flatbread that is central to breakfast, and za'atar is the classic version: a yeast dough topped with a blend of za'atar (thyme, sumac and sesame) loosened with olive oil and baked very fast in a very hot oven. The sources agree on this principle and differ on the oven temperature (from 230 °C in a home oven to about 290 °C on a baking steel imitating a wood-fired oven), the rising time and the thickness. It is often eaten with tomato, cucumber, mint, olives and labneh.
Tips for success
Heat the oven to its highest temperature with a heavy tray or a stone: the intense heat cooks the base and keeps it soft in a few minutes. Stretch the dough thin and keep the za'atar layer thin. Loosen the za'atar well in the oil so that it spreads without burning. Do not overbake: the bread should stay soft and pliable.
Serving and presentation
Serve hot, folded in half or flat, with sliced tomato and cucumber, fresh mint, olives and, if you like, labneh.
Diet and allergens
Information declared by the author. CookHuddle does not verify or certify it. If you have an allergy, check the ingredients yourself.
DietVegetarianVeganDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free
ContainsGluten (cereals)Sesame
