manakish

Next Dish: Pasta

Manakish, also known as manaqish, manaeesh or manakeesh, is a popular Levantine food consisting of dough topped with thyme, cheese, or ground meat. Similar to a pizza, it can be sliced or folded, and it can be served for breakfast or lunch. The most popular form, za'atar manakish, is topped with a mixture of thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and olive oil. The dish is often considered a staple of Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and Jordanian cuisines.

Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 500 grams of all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon of salt

  • 1 teaspoon of sugar

  • 1 tablespoon of yeast

  • 1 cup of warm water

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

  • 200 grams of za'atar spice mix

  • 100 ml of olive oil

  • 1 medium-sized tomato

  • A handful of fresh mint leaves


Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar.

  2. In a separate bowl, mix the yeast with warm water and let it rest for 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.

  3. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture, add the olive oil, and knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic.

  4. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise for about 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.

  5. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  6. Divide the dough into small balls, then roll each one out into a thin circle.

  7. Mix the za'atar spice mix with olive oil to create a paste, then spread it over each circle of dough.

  8. Bake the manakish for about 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

  9. Garnish with slices of tomato and fresh mint leaves before serving.