Manakish (Lebanese Za'atar Flatbread)
مناقیش (لبنانی زعتر والی روٹی)
Manakish is the breakfast of Lebanon: rounds of soft bread dough pressed with fingertips, spread with a fragrant paste of za'atar (wild thyme, sumac and sesame) mixed with olive oil, and baked in a very hot oven until the edges are golden and the za'atar is toasty. In Beirut, people buy them hot from the corner bakery on the way to work, folded around tomato, cucumber and mint. At home they bake in about ten minutes in a hot oven or on a pizza stone.
- ⏱ Total: 35 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 15 min
- Easy
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, add the oil and warm water and knead for 8 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and leave for 1 hour until doubled.
Heat the oven to its highest setting (250°C), with a tray or pizza stone inside. Mix the za'atar with the olive oil into a loose paste.
Divide the dough into 6, roll each into an 18 cm circle and press dimples all over with your fingertips, leaving a thin rim. Spread with the za'atar paste.
Bake on the hot tray for 6–8 minutes until the edges are golden. Serve warm, folded around tomato, cucumber and mint.
Serve with tea.
Kitchen notes
Za'atar burns easily; mix it with plenty of oil and don't over-bake.
No za'atar? Mix dried thyme or oregano with sumac, toasted sesame and salt.
Can be cooked on a hot covered tawa for 4–5 minutes if you don't have an oven.
Lebanon’s breakfast bread
Every neighbourhood in Lebanon has a furn, a bakery with a hot oven, where manakish are made to order from early morning. Customers often bring their own toppings. Za’atar manakish are the classic; cheese, or half-and-half, are close favourites.
About za’atar
Za’atar is both a wild herb, similar to thyme and oregano, and the blend made from it: dried leaves mixed with tangy sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. Mixed with olive oil, it becomes the fragrant, slightly sour topping that defines manakish. Za’atar blends are sold in Middle Eastern shops and many supermarkets worldwide.
Hot and fast
Manakish need a very hot oven for a short time, so the bread puffs and browns at the edges while staying soft inside. A preheated tray or pizza stone helps.
Serving
Roll warm manakish around tomato, cucumber, mint and olives, with labneh and a glass of tea. It’s also a good partner for shakshuka at a weekend breakfast.
Questions people ask
What other toppings are popular?
Cheese (akkawi or mozzarella), half za'atar half cheese, or spiced minced meat (lahm bi ajeen).
Is manakish the same as pizza?
It's a cousin: flatbread baked with a topping. Manakish is thinner, simpler and eaten mainly for breakfast.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes. Freeze dough balls after the first rise; thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 7 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
