Manakish with Za'atar and Cheese

5 from 1 vote

Manakish with Za'atar and Cheese

Manakish (also spelled Manaqish) is a popular Middle Eastern flatbread made with a soft and fluffy dough that is typically topped with za'atar, cheese, or ground meat.

Prep Time1

Cook Time15

Total Time1 15

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Diet: Halal, Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

1 kitchen scale
1 measuring spoons
1 Rolling Pin

Ingredients

For the Dough

2 ½ cups bread flour/strong white flour (300 grams)
¾ cup water (180 ml)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 packet fast action dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

For the Za'atar Topping

2 tablespoon za'atar
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Cheese Topping

⅓ cup olive oil
3 ½ oz feta cheese (100 grams)
1 tablespoon nigella seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, olive oil, and dried yeast together.
Add the water, and stir until a dough forms.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preparing the Toppings

For za'atar topping, in a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil with 3 tablespoons of za'atar seasoning. The mixture should be easily spreadable. Set it aside.
To make the cheese topping, crumble the feta cheese in a bowl. If you are using halloumi or mozzarella cheeses, grate them, and set them aside. Keep the nigella seeds separately to sprinkle on top of the pastries.

Shaping and Baking the Pastries

Preheat the oven to 210° C (410° F).
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and let them rest for 15 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Keep them covered with a damp kitchen towel to avoid them drying.
Using a rolling pin, roll each circle out into a flat circle size of 15 cm (6") Ø on a lightly floured surface.
Arrange the dough circles on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Gently press your fingertips into the dough to create small dimples, which will prevent the dough from rising too much during baking.
Next, it's time to add the toppings to the dough circles. For the Za'atar Manakish, be generous and ensure that you cover the surface of 3 dough circles with the za'atar and olive oil mixture. Leave a small border around the edges to allow for rising during baking.
For the Cheese Manakish, spread the crumbled cheese evenly on the other 3 dough circles. Sprinkle on nigella seeds and you're good to go.
Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Video

Notes

Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes to develop gluten and create a soft and elastic dough.

Let the dough rise in a warm place for at least an hour or until it has doubled in size.

When dividing the dough into equal pieces, use a scale to ensure consistency in size.

To prevent the dough from rising too much during baking, create small dimples in the dough with your fingertips before adding the topping.

If you're using akawi cheese for the topping, make sure to soak it in cold water overnight to reduce the saltiness and improve the flavor.

Use a crumbly cheese like feta or akawi, which will melt easily and provide a salty contrast to the dough.
Serve the Manakish bread hot and fresh out of the oven for the best taste and texture.

Nutrition