Manakish (Za’atar Flatbread)

Flatbread covered with zaatar spice and oil on a plate with a side of sliced tomatoes and lemon.

5 from 5 votes

A flatbread by many names! Manakish (also spelled Manakeesh) is a Levantine flatbread topped with a mixture of za’atar and good quality olive oil and then baked in the oven. A Middle Eastern cuisine staple, it is fragrant and incredibly delicious.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Rise time1

Total Time1 25

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Levantine, Middle Eastern

Servings: Flatbreads

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $5

Ingredients

For the Dough

2 ¼ cups All purpose flour - 315 grams
¾ cups Whole wheat flour - 105 grams
1 tbsp Instant yeast - 9 grams
1 tbsp White sugar - 12.5 grams
1 tsp Kosher salt - 5 grams
½ cup Water, warmed - 120 grams
½ cup Milk, warmed - 120 grams
¼ cup Olive oil - 53 grams

Cheese Topping

½-¾ cup Za'atar spice blend
½ cup Olive oil - 106 grams

Instructions

Mix. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the dough dry ingredients and mix well to combine. Add the warm water, warm milk and oil. Run the stand mixer until a ball of dough forms, about 5-7 minutes. If the dough is too dry and feels crumbly, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a soft and supple dough ball. You can also mix the dough in a large bowl and knead manually on the countertop.
Rise. Rub the dough ball lightly with oil on all sides and let it rise, covered with a towel or plastic wrap, in the bowl of the stand mixer for up to 1 hour in a warm place.
Divide and shape. After the bread dough has risen to about double its original size, divide it into 6 equal pieces (use a kitchen scale to get perfect portions). Shape each piece of dough into a tight ball and rest them on your kitchen counter for 10 minutes, covered, so that the gluten can relax.
Flatten. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough balls into a ⅛-¼ inch (0.3-0.6cm) thick, about 6-8 inches (15-20cm) in diameter.
Dress. Preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Transfer the flat flatbread discs to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Mix the zaatar spice blend with olive oil in a small bowl and apply a thin layer to each flatbread. You may need to do this in stages depending on how big your oven is. Poke the manakish with a fork a few times to prevent it from puffing.
Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the zaatar topping is bubbling lightly. Don’t over-bake. We want these flatbreads to be soft and pliable. Note: If you peek into the oven mid-bake and you see a big bubble forming, quickly open the oven door, poke it with a fork or knife and close the door back up.

Notes

Refer to the recipe blog post above for step by step recipe photos.

A few important ingredient notes:

Oil: Olive oil is my go-to choice here but you can use avocado or vegetable oil instead for the dough. But make sure to use good quality extra virgin olive oil for the spice blend mixture.
Za’atar Blend: A wonderful and important Middle Eastern spice blend that includes Syrian oregano and sesame seeds. Make your own zaatar or purchase a pre-made blend from your local Middle Eastern store or online.

If you’re looking to save some time, you can make the dough 1 day ahead of time and let it rise in the fridge overnight. This longer, slower rise is actually beneficial in many ways and the result will be a much easier-to-digest bread for those with gluten sensitives. Just use half the amount of yeast if you plan to let the dough rise in the fridge overnight.

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