Arabic recipesBreakfast
Manakish Recipe: Levantine Za'atar and Akkawi Cheese Flatbreads
Manakish are soft Levantine breakfast flatbreads dimpled with the fingertips, spread with a fragrant paste of green za'atar and extra-virgin olive oil or topped with desalted akkawi cheese, and baked briefly over fierce heat. Folded warm with fresh mint, tomatoes and olives, they are an everyday classic from Beirut to Damascus.
Also known as:ManoushehManaqish bi zaatar wa jibnehLebanese za'atar flatbread
Servings6
Prep time50 min
Cook time10 min
Ingredients
Add ingredients to cart- 500 g plain bread or all-purpose wheat flour
- 1 tbsp instant yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil and about 280 ml lukewarm water
- For the za'atar topping: 6 tbsp green Levantine za'atar blend stirred with 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil into a loose paste
- For the cheese topping: 250 g desalted, coarsely grated akkawi cheese tossed with 100 g grated kashkaval or mozzarella and 1 tsp nigella seeds
- To serve: fresh mint sprigs, sliced tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and olives
Preparation Steps
- 1Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl, add the olive oil and lukewarm water, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes into a soft, pliable dough; cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes.
- 2Stir the za'atar and olive oil together so the herbs soak up the oil, and combine the soaked, well-dried akkawi cheese with kashkaval and nigella seeds.
- 3Preheat the oven to 240 or 250 °C with an inverted heavy baking sheet or pizza stone on the lower rack so the surface gets scorching hot.
- 4Divide the dough into 6 balls, roll each into a 5 mm thick round and press your fingertips all over the top to create shallow dimples that keep the bread flat and hold the topping.
- 5Spread half the rounds with the za'atar paste and scatter the rest with cheese, slide onto the hot tray and bake for 7 to 9 minutes until blistered underneath and melted on top; fold in half and serve warm.
