Lebanese recipe
How to make Za'atar flatbread
Man'oushe (منقوشة)
All of Lebanon
Round flatbread spread with za'atar, a mix of wild thyme, sumac and sesame seeds in olive oil, and baked until crisp at the edges. Cheese and minced meat are other toppings. It is the classic Lebanese breakfast.
Ingredients
- 500 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon dried yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 300 ml warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil for the dough
- For the topping: 6 tablespoons za'atar mix and about 100 ml olive oil
Method
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, add the warm water and oil and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth. Cover and leave to rise for about 1 hour.
- Heat the oven as hot as it goes, about 250°C, with a baking tray inside.
- Stir the za'atar and olive oil into a loose paste.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls and press each into a round about 20 cm across, leaving a thin rim. Press dimples into the dough with your fingertips.
- Spread each round with the za'atar paste and bake on the hot tray for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden underneath. Eat warm, folded with tomato, cucumber and mint.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.
In 2023 UNESCO added al-man'ouche, 'an emblematic culinary practice in Lebanon', to its list of intangible cultural heritage.
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