Manakish, 2 ways: Coated with za'atar and sprinkled with cheese

Manakish are popular Levantine flatbreads often enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack. Made from fresh dough, they’re typically topped with za’atar, shredded cheese or ground meat, then baked in the oven until lightly golden. This recipe includes two vegetarian topping options that allow za'atar — a spice and herb blend made of wild thyme, toasted sesame seeds and sumac — to really shine.

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1½ tsp salt

Za’atar topping:

• ½ cup olive oil
• 10 tbsp za’atar

Cheese topping:

• 680 g fresh mozzarella, shredded
• 3 tbsp za’atar

Preparation

To make the dough, combine the yeast with 2 cups of warm water (make sure it's not hot as the yeast won’t activate) and set aside for 3 minutes.

In a bowl, add 3 cups of flour, the sugar, and the yeast and water mixture. Mix well with a spoon, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

Add the remaining flour, olive oil and salt to the bowl, and mix well with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough begins to form.

Using your hands or a stand mixer, knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for about 40 minutes, until it doubles in size.

While the dough rises, heat your oven to 375 F and adjust the rack to the bottom position.

To prepare the toppings, mix the za’atar and olive oil together in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the mozzarella and za’atar together and set aside.

Once the dough has risen, separate it into 8 to 10 equal-sized balls, depending on how large you prefer them. Using a floured rolling pin on a floured surface, roll out each dough ball into a very thin round that’s anywhere from 4 to 8 inches in diameter. 

Transfer the dough rounds to a floured baking sheet. (You may need to use 2 or 3 baking sheets or bake the manakish in batches.)

Spread the za'atar mixture on top of half of the dough rounds, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edge of each round. Repeat with the cheese mixture on the remaining dough rounds. 

Transfer the dough rounds to the oven and bake until the bottom of the manakish turn lightly golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. For the cheese manakish, you can also turn the oven to broil for a few minutes at the end to lightly brown the cheese. Just make sure to keep an eye on things as this can happen quickly.

(Note: If you prefer crispier bottoms, you can place the dough rounds in a cast iron pan set over medium-high heat. Spread the toppings on the dough and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then transfer the pan to an oven heated to 375 F and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes.) 

Remove the manakish from the oven, arrange them on a platter and cover them with a kitchen towel to keep them soft until ready to eat.

Serve with an assortment of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, such as tomatoes, olives, cucumber and mint.

Makes 8 to 10 pieces

Produced in collaboration with CBC Creator Network.