Middle Eastern recipe

Lebanese Za’atar Manakish

Name: Lebanese Za’atar Manakish
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 2 h 42 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Middle Eastern cuisine
Ingredients: 500 g bread flour, plus a little for dusting; 7 g instant yeast; 10 g fine salt; 15 g granulated sugar; 300 ml warm water; 45 ml olive oil for the dough; 80 g za’atar spice blend; 100 ml olive oil for the topping; 15 ml extra oil to brush the baking sheet

Soft yeasted rounds are pressed with fingertips, spread with a tangy za’atar and olive-oil paste, and baked until the edges are golden and the centres stay tender.

Lebanon and the Levant

Prep: 2 hr 30 min
Cook: 12 min
Total: 2 hr 42 min
Servings: 8

Lebanese za’atar manakish flatbread with olive-oil herb topping — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Elie.ghobSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

500 g
bread flour, plus a little for dusting
7 g
instant yeast
10 g
fine salt
15 g
granulated sugar
300 ml
warm water
45 ml
olive oil for the dough
80 g
za’atar spice blend
100 ml
olive oil for the topping
15 ml
extra oil to brush the baking sheet

Method

01
Wake the yeast
Stir warm water, sugar and yeast together in a bowl. Leave until foamy while you prepare the dry ingredients.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Knead the soft dough
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and dough oil, then knead until smooth and elastic; the dough should remain soft, not stiff.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Let the dough rise
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in size.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Mix the za’atar topping
Stir the za’atar blend with topping olive oil until it becomes a spreadable paste. If it looks dry, add a small drizzle of oil.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Divide and relax the rounds
Punch down the dough gently and divide into 8 even balls. Cover and rest while the oven heats, so each ball relaxes before shaping.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Press and dimple the dough
Flatten each ball into a small round. Press shallow dimples across the surface with oiled fingertips, leaving a slightly thicker rim.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Spread the za’atar and bake
Spread the za’atar paste over the dimples. Bake on a lightly oiled hot tray at 230°C until the rim is puffed and golden and the topping smells fragrant.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Serve warm with fresh vegetables
Transfer the manakish to a rack briefly so the bases stay crisp. Serve warm with tomato, cucumber, olives or labneh.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

The dough should feel soft and supple, not stiff; add flour only a little at a time while kneading.
Dimple the dough with oiled fingertips so the za’atar oil stays on the surface instead of running off.

Common mistakes

A cold baking surface slows the bake and can leave the flatbread pale and doughy underneath.
Overloading za’atar topping can make the centre oily and prevent the bread from setting.

Substitutions

A mix of thyme, toasted sesame, sumac and salt approximates za’atar if a prepared blend is unavailable.
Whole-wheat flour can replace some white flour; add liquid gradually because it absorbs more.

Storage

Keep covered in a cool dry place and use the same day; refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container.

Cultural context

Manakish (manaqish or man’oushe) is a Levantine flatbread, especially familiar as a Lebanese breakfast or bakery staple. Za’atar, cheese and minced-meat toppings are all common; this recipe presents one za’atar-topped version.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Zaatar Mankousheh.jpg — Photograph by Elie.ghob; CC BY-SA 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Middle Eastern recipes

Lebanese Za’atar Manakish

Ingredients

Method

Wake the yeast

Knead the soft dough

Let the dough rise

Mix the za’atar topping

Divide and relax the rounds

Press and dimple the dough

Spread the za’atar and bake

Serve warm with fresh vegetables

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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