Zaatar Manoushe
Zaatar manoushe is a traditional Lebanese breakfast flatbread that is not baked but cooked in a hot cast iron pan to resemble the ancient saj oven. The result is a super thin, crispy base with a deliciously soft top. Serve it with homemade Labne for breakfast or as part of a spread. The dough requires two hours to prove and can be made a few days ahead.
Ingredients 9
250 g self-raising flour
250 g wholemeal flour
1⁄2 tsp caster sugar
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄4 tsp dried yeast
1 cup water, lukewarm, plus an extra cup if needed
1⁄4 cup olive oil, plus extra for cooking
100 g cornmeal, super fine
Zaatar Mixture
80 g Zaatar
1⁄2 cup olive oil
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Method 18
Sift the and into a large mixing bowl, discarding any husks left in the sieve. Add the , and and mix together to combine.
Mix together the luke warm and in a small bowl or jug.
Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, bring the wet and dry ingredients together, ensuring the sides of the mixing bowl are clean from any and .
Keep a cup of warm in a bowl as well as some extra in a bowl handy to use whilst kneading the dough if required. This dough is fool proof as if the dough is too wet you just add some flour, and if it gets too dry add some water.
Begin to bring the dough together by kneading it ensuring it remains feeling quite moist. Knead gently for a few minutes.
It is important that the dough is as hydrated as it can be but still able to manage. Drizzle in extra water as you are kneading if you need to, if it begins to get too sticky, sprinkle some onto the dough and keep kneading to incorporate. It should be sticky enough to handle otherwise it wont stick to the / semolina when proving.
Wet a clean chux and cover the dough with it to stop it from drying out.
Line a baking dish with a clean damp chux or piece of clean muslin. Divide the dough into approx. 70-75g balls. Roll each dough ball on the bench to make it round and then toss it in the , evenly coating all sides.
Lay each dough ball in the baking tray, and repeat until all the dough is rolled. You should end up with 12-14 rolls
Fold the edges of the chux over so the dough balls are covered, then leave in a warm place in the kitchen for 2 hours.
Whilst the dough is proving combine the and in a bowl and set aside.
Once the dough has proven, the balls should be puffed up and quite soft, they are ready to use.
Place a 24-26cm cast iron pan or non stick pan on high heat, once hot, turn the heat down to medium.
Either on a clean flat surface, smear some and place the dough in the centre. Press it down slightly with your fingers and when the circle of dough is the size of a fist, add a tablespoon of zaatar mixture to it and begin to press out the dough to form a large thin circle. It does not matter if you make small holes in the dough.
Lift the thin piece dough and place it on the hot pan, try and work quickly to stop it from tearing.
The dough should sizzle on the base and cook and after a minute you should be able to see some small air pockets. Leave it to go really crispy on the base before removing it.
You do not need to cook the side with the . Once cooked fold the thin flatbread over and transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining dough.
Serve immediately with Labne and olives.
Sunday Kitchen's tips
If you are making the dough ahead of time, you can store it in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months and bring to room temperature before cooking. For the fridge, just cover the tray tightly with cling wrap and place it in the fridge. For the freezer, place the dough balls on a tray, separated, and freeze them for 2 hours, then remove and place them in a freezer bag and in the freezer for later use.
If possible, try and source your Zaatar from authentic Middle Eastern grocers. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a year.
Once cooked, you can reheat the zaatar manoushe by placing it back onto a hot pan for a few minutes. You can also freeze the zaatar manoushe after it has been cooked.
Any excess zaatar mixture can be covered and reused.
Helpful tips
Why is it important to keep the dough moist while kneading?
Can I use a non-stick pan instead of a cast iron pan to cook the manoushe?
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Notes
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