Manakish - Lebanese zaatar bread



Man'oushe is a symbolic Lebanese street food. Its full name is man'oushe b zaatar and it consists of disc of dough pressed flat and topped with a mixture of zaatar blend (thyme, sumac and sesame seeds) mixed with olive oil then baked in a brick oven or rolled out thin and cooked on a top of a saj. In Lebanon, you can find man'oushe literally everywhere, all around the country, at the fanciest breakfast gatherings to the poorest neighborhoods.

This Lebanese pizza, easily carried and eaten on the go, became a breakfast staple. I still remember the smell of man'oushe b zaatar at home when I was a kid, and this smell takes me back in time to great childhood memories. Every Saturday, my mom used to prepare her different toppings at home and head to the bakery so that the baker do the rest of the job.

The bakery was also a meeting place, people discussed politics, women gossiped and enjoyed a subhiyeh (morning meeting) while the baker prepared the dough.

I really enjoy breakfasts in Lebanon, manakish bi zaatar, manakish bi jibneh (with cheese), served with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh mint, labneh, olives... and tea!! And this is what makes man'oushe more than just bread!!

Ingredients:
5 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups water
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp instant yeast

For the topping
3/4 cup Zaatar mix (buy it from your Middle-Eastern suppliers)
1/2 cup olive oil

Bloom the yeast to make sure it is alive. Add the yeast to the water with the half teaspoon of sugar. Cover and set aside for 5-10 minutes.

Prepare the dough by mixing the oil with the flour and slowly mix in the yeast-water mixture. Add salt and knead for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic. Cover and keep aside to rise for an hour.

Begin forming the manakish by flattening out some dough and spreading it on a tray using the tips of your fingers. Top with zaatar mix and bake in a preheated oven 12 to 15 mn at 400ºF (200ºC).



Ingrédients:
550 g de farine
175 ml d'huile végétale
415 ml d'eau
1 càs de sel
1 càc de sucre
1 càs de levure instantanée

Pour la garniture
3/4 tasse de Zaatar
115 ml d'huile d'olive

Délayer la levure avec l'eau et le sucre. Couvrez et laissez reposer 5 à 10 mn.

Préparez la pâte en mélangeant l'huile avec la farine. Versez doucement le mélange levure-eau. Ajoutez le sel et pétrissez 10 à 15 mn jusqu'à ce que la pâte soit lisse et élastique. Couvrez et laissez-la reposer une heure.

Formez des disques de pâte en utilisant la pointe de vos doigts. Garnissez de la préparation de zaatar et enfournez 12 à 15 mn dans un four préchauffé à 200ºC.

Comments

  1. Bread looks delicious. I love all kind of flat breads.

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  2. oh, that is a speciality I love! your Manikish Bil za'atar are fabulous.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. I love this bread!!! I have taste it in NYC and it is awesome. WOW!!! I am so happy to have the recipe. Thanks.

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  4. yup!, I am so happy to have the recipe. Thanks.

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  5. looks mighty tasty. middle eastern food is so hearty. i need to learn to take photos like you do.

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  6. I've had these with my hubby back in Syria. I gotta admit that I didn't know what Zaatar was until I saw it there. It tasted really great with a hot cup of tea. Thanks for posting :)

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  7. These look so wonderfully delicious!

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  8. I always thought kubos and this are restaurant dishes. Thnx for sharing!

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  9. This bread sounds really tasty and delicious. I love the topping of sumac and sesame seeds.

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  10. Those turned out beautifully!!! I love all kinds of breads - mmmmm mmmmm!!!

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  11. I'm intrigued be the zaatar mix--I'll have to look for it. It looks gorgeous!

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  12. I love it. Have never made my own though. I like going to the Lebanese bakery in Dubai to get some freshly baked. One to try though.

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  13. This looks great! I finally found zaatar at a shop downtown, so this is perfect!

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  14. Love man'ooshe bel zaatar; I could eat it daily and never ever tire of it. Looks great.

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  15. Love it love it love it, anything with za'atar will do for me.

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  16. Amazing, Lebanese bread! Just beautiful :)

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  17. This will be such a perfect base for a pizza with spicy toppings...Thanks to suggestions by Twitter..found you!

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  18. I made this recipe and not only is it the most moist, rich bread I have ever made but it also has my favorite topping on it! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!

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  19. Laura, glad you liked it!!
    Have a great day :)

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  20. Thank you for the recipe, AND for the anecdotes from your childhood :) Sounds like you had a wonderful childhood, with some WONDERFUL food to remember!

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  21. Maravilha de receita! Valeu gente!

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  22. I love Man'oushe sooooo much! My mom used to make it for me and my family when she didn't want to cook

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