Mana’eesh, also spelled manakish, manousheh or mana’eesh, is a popular bread in Lebanese cuisine that is similar to pizza. Typically it is topped with za’atar, but also often topped with cheese or ground meat. Mana’eesh is usually eaten for breakfast with a cup of tea or enjoyed as a snack or light meal.
These are usually made with a base similar to pizza dough then cooked in a brick oven but I have gone with a slightly softer dough here, personal preference. I bake mine on a pizza stone which is a decent substitute for the brick oven.
A note on za’atar; the flavour of this ingredient can vary depending on how much sumac, salt or thyme is used. I like it to have a really nice tang so I usually add a bit of extra sumac to mine. Taste yours first and make sure you are happy with the flavor.
Ingredients
400 grams plain flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup milk at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon active dried yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup za'atar
1/2 cup olive oil
Method
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the warm water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast foams.
With the dough hook attached, mix the remaining ingredients (except the za'atar and 1/2 cup of oil) with the yeast mixture then kneed for 5 minutes. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450°f/230°c with rack placed in the top half of the oven. If using the pizza stone place it in the oven while heating. Otherwise cover your sheet pan with baking paper.
Mix the 1/2 cup of za'atar with the 1/2 cup oil. If you like a really thick layer and end up running out of this mix part way through, you can mix together a bit more. It's an easy 1:1 ratio of za'atar and oil.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls. Work with one ball at a time and cover the unused dough balls while you work with each one. Roll each ball to about 1/4 inch thickness. If you prefer a thinner, crispy base then you can alway roll it out thinner. Spoon a few tablespoons of the za'atar mixture onto the dough base and spread with the back of a spoon.
Place the round on the pizza stone or sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown at the edges. They cook quickly and can over brown (which isn't always a bad thing!) if left in for even 1 minute extra.
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