Zaatar Manakish (Manakeesh)

Manakish zaatar is a delicious Middle Eastern flatbread topped with zaatar spice. It's perfect for breakfast or brunch and you can make it with just a few ingredients. Learn how to make this delicious bread from scratch with just a few ingredients.

From Persian barbari and Turkish simit to pide and lavash, bread is a staple of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. This zaatar manakish is one of my favorites because the zaatar spice gives it such a unique flavor. It's perfect for breakfast or a midday snack.

Table Of Contents:

• What is manakish?
• What is zaatar?
• Ingredients to make manakeesh
• How to make zaatar bread
• Serving suggestions
• Frequently asked questions
• Step-by-Step Recipe

What is manakish?

Manakish, also known as manakeesh or manoushe, is a Middle Eastern flatbread made with a soft dough and topped with ingredients such as zaatar or cheese. Manakish zaatar has Palestinian originality and is commonly found in many Arabic countries such as Syria, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Lebanon.

This flatbread is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as a midday snack. Many families throughout the Middle East make it on a daily basis. You can find it at many restaurants in the Middle East as well.

What is zaatar?

Zaatar is the name of a culinary herb and also a Middle Eastern spice mix of Palestinian origins. It's a combination of several spices including sumac (mostly common in Lebanese zaatar), thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, marjoram and salt. It has a complex earthy and herbal flavor.

You can use zaatar in different ways - use it as a marinade in this grilled zaatar chicken or as a dressing for Mediterranean potato salad. You can also spice up your baked feta with honey and zaatar for a tasty appetizer.

Ingredients to make manakeesh

To make the manakish dough, you need the regular ingredients such as all purpose flour, water, olive oil, salt, sugar and yeast. I always use instant yeast and add it directly to the dry ingredients. If you're using active dry yeast, you need to activate it in the water and add the mixture to the dry ingredients.

As for the topping, you only need quality zaatar and extra virgin olive oil. There are two types of zaatar you can use: red or green. I have used both in here so you can see the difference in the appearance. You can find zaatar in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean shops.

How to make zaatar bread

1. Place the flour, instant yeast, salt, sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the water and olive oil and start mixing until the dough comes together. Knead for a few minutes until the dough is no longer sticky.
2. Place the dough in a clean bowl and drizzle some olive oil on it. Move the dough around so it's well coated with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let it rise in a draft free environment such as an off oven or microwave for one hour until it doubles in size.
3. Meanwhile, mix the olive oil and zaatar in a bowl and set it aside.
4. After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (take the bowl out of the oven if you've placed it there) and place a pizza stone or a baking sheet on the middle rack. Once the dough is doubled in size, punch it down, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a large ball. Divide into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a ball.
5. Roll out the dough ball into ½ inch thickness and transfer it to a parchment paper. Spread some of the zaatar and olive oil mix on the dough and leave about ½ inch border around. Place the parchment paper with the dough on the pizza stone/baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Cover the manakish with kitchen towel to keep them soft. Serve warm.

Serving suggestions

Manakish zaatar is such a nice addition to your breakfast spread. Serve with some labneh and vegetables such as cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and some feta cheese.

You can also serve it as part of a mezze platter with hummus, baba ganoush, dolmas and batata harra.

Frequently asked questions

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Step-by-Step Recipe