Man’oushe – Lebanese Flatbread
Throughout my life, I was fortunate to meet people from all around the world and many became friends. Of course, they loved sharing their culture with me and some even showed me how to prepare and cook some of their favorite foods like one of my friends from Lebanon. Through him, I tasted Ful Medames, Shish Tawook, Mutabbel, Kousa Mahshi, Shawarma, and more. I also learned to make Pita, sweet Kaak and this featured one… Man’oushe (plural is Manakish).
I bet you’re wondering what it is, right?
It’s simply a Lebanese flatbread and it can be topped with a za’atar mixture or cheese. It can also be used as a food vessel for ground meat, onions, tomatoes, cheese, and other toppings therefore it’s often referred to as a “Lebanese Pizza” or Sfiha/Sfeeha.
In this episode, I’ll show you the flatbread with za’atar recipe which is the traditional dough covered with that incredible spice blend made into a paste! In Levantine cuisine, za’atar Man’oushe is a popular breakfast. I prefer it as a mid-afternoon snack, paired with dishes like Baba Ghanoush, Hummus, Eggplant Caviar, Muhammara, or simply with olives and feta cheese. It’s also a great accompaniment for salads or soups.
I love za’atar and use it in many recipes like my Rotisserie Chicken, when roasting vegetables or as a dry rub for meats. Just like the Italians serving a small bowl of olive oil and Italian seasonings for dipping bread, za’atar mixed with oil is enjoyed the same way in the Middle East along with pita bread. Becoming popular in the Western countries, this spice blend can be easily found at most specialty stores but if you can’t find it in your area, here’s my homemade recipe… Za’atar Spice Blend
Here’s a little trick…
During winter, my kitchen is cold and when I make breads, it’s not really ideal for rising the dough so this is what I do. Before I start mixing my yeast, lukewarm water and honey, I start the oven at 350ºF. By the time, I’m done mixing those ingredients which takes about 2 to 4 minutes, I turn off the heat. When it’s time to let the dough rise, I place it in the warm oven which is the perfect comfy spot for the process.
David got us a couple new kitchen toys a few years ago; a baking steel and pizza peel. I love the baking steel although the cleaning process is nothing to rave about – perhaps after more uses, the texture will get better. The pizza peel on the other hand is a little awkward to handle and I still have some trouble transferring the dough from it to the baking steel. I definitely need more practice by either making weekly pizzas and flatbreads or finding a job at a pizzeria.
Flatbreads are an ancient food and have been around civilizations for a very long time dating way back to 5000 years ago. Of course, all the countries around the world have their “own particular” recipes. Here’s a short compilation of flatbreads from around the world…
Italy – Focaccia, Ciabatta, Farinata di Ceci
Austria – Schüttelbrot
Germany – Flammkuchen although the ownership is split with France
France – Fougasse, Socca
Spain – Coca
Greece – Lagana
Poland – Podpłomyk
Norway – Flatbrød
Canada – Bannock
USA -= Frybread
North America – Johnnycake
Mexico – Tortilla
Venezuela & Columbia – Arepa… they still argue about the origin!
Caribbean – Roti
China – Xian Bing
Afghanistan – Bolani
Iran – Taftan
India – Naan, Chapati
Ethiopia – Injera
Egypt –Baladi, Bataw
Israel – Matzah
Turkey – Gozleme
Man’oushe is one of my top favorites when it comes to flatbread. It’s easy to make and the results are so flavorful! If you label yourself as a “foody” then you should definitely make this tasty recipe soon
Bon Appétit!
Here are more delicious bread recipes for you to try…
– Brioche Bread
– Dinner Rolls
– Cheesy Breadsticks
– Challah
– Mediterranean Olive Bread
– French Baguettes
– Mexican Cornbread
and for even more International recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • International
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Man'oushe - Lebanese Flatbread
Hover to scale
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 2 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm water (between 105ºF-110ºF)
- 1/2 tbsp. honey tips & tricks
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more as needed tips & tricks
TOPPING
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup za'atar spice blend see Recipe
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast, lukewarm water and honey. Stir to combine and let it proof for 10 minutes
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine flour and salt; whisk until blended.
- Add 2 tbsp. olive oil and dry ingredients to yeast mixture.
- Add 2 tbsp. olive oil and dry ingredients to yeast. On low speed with the dough hook attachment, process until somewhat mixed before increasing to speed 3; process until the dough clings around the hook and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it sticks a little, add ½ tablespoon of flour.
- Increase to speed 4 and knead for 4 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and with greased hands, form a ball by pulling it under.
- Place it in a lightly greased bowl and swirl to coat.
- Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and transfer to a draft-free area such as an oven with the temperature off. Let it rise until it doubles in size, about 1:30 hours.
- In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients until well blended; set aside.
- Remove the dough from its draft-free area and preheat the oven to 500ºF. Place a baking steel in the oven and heat it for 30 minutes.
- Punch the dough and flip it onto a well-floured work surface; knead for 2 minutes.
- Form a ball by pulling under and divide it evenly in half. Roll each ball into a log and if the dough retracts, leave it alone for a minute or so to let the gluten relax.
- When they’re formed, divide them into 3 equal pieces; form a ball with each piece. Lightly sprinkle some flour on the balls and place plastic wrap over to prevent them from drying out while we look after the first piece.
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out each ball into a small oval down to ¼-inch thick. After it’s shaped, poke some holes in it with the tines of a fork to prevent the flatbread from bubbling up too much.
- Transfer a couple oval flatbread to a pizza peel dusted with flour. Spoon about 1 tbsp. of the za'atar topping mixture on top of each leaving about a ¼-inch around the edges.
- Carefully transfer the flatbread to the baking steel and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
- When they’re done, carefully remove them from the heat and serve immediately.
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