Manakish
Description
Yeasted round dough topped with a variety of flavorful ingredients, from the bright, herbaceous spice blend known as za’atar to cheese, kishik, or fresh vegetables. Unlike other flatbreads that are often served as a side, manakish are the star of the Lebanese breakfast table—a beloved staple and a true national fascination in Lebanon.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 kg / 2 lb 4 oz all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons instant dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons full-fat powdered milk — please read the note below about the dairy in the dough for substitutes
- 2 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2¼ cups lukewarm water or as needed to form a cohesive dough. You may need to add more water, depending on the flour you are using. Add more if necessary to achieve a cohesive dough ball.
Toppings
Zaatar Topping
- ½ cup zaatar
- ⅓ cup olive oil or a mixture of olive oil and sunflower oil to prevent the manakish from burning
Cheese Topping
- 250 grams / 9 oz Akkawi cheese
Kishik Topping
- ½ cup kishik
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon tomato paste
- ⅓ cup olive oil or more as needed to form a paste
- A dash of chili flakes optional
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts optional
Red Pepper Paste Topping
- ½ cup red pepper paste
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil or more as needed to form a paste
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- Crushed habaneros optional
- Salt to taste
Sunflower oil, for greasing the baking sheets
Instructions
To Make the dough:
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar, instant dry yeast, and oil.
- Add the powdered milk, yogurt, and lukewarm water, and mix well, using your hands to incorporate all the ingredients. When the mixture starts to come together, knead it thoroughly until you have a soft, malleable dough. If the dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too sticky to handle, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much extra flour—you want the dough to remain soft and slightly tacky.Slap the dough against the counter a few times to help develop the gluten. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Prepare your toppings while the dough is resting. You can make all of the listed toppings or simply choose your favorite.
- The zaatar topping: In a bowl, mix the zaatar with olive oil, or a combination of olive oil and sunflower oil, until you have a moderately thick paste. Cover and set aside.
- The cheese topping: Cut the cheese into squares, cover it with water, and soak it for 8 hours, changing the water every hour to reduce its saltiness. The best substitute for Akkawi cheese is a combination of mozzarella and a small amount of feta cheese!
- Kishik Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the onion, kishik, light olive oil, tomato paste, a pinch of salt, cayenne or hot pepper, and pine nuts (if using) until you have a moderately thick paste. Cover and set aside.
- Red Pepper Paste Topping: In a small bowl, combine the red pepper paste, onion, sesame seeds, chopped walnuts, olive oil, salt, and your favorite hot pepper, such as cayenne or chili flakes. Mix well until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture reaches a moderately thick, spreadable consistency.
- Now your toppings are ready.
Assemble and Bake!
- When the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle some flour on a clean countertop and dust your rolling pin with flour. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions to make it easier to roll. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough out to an even thickness of 1/2 inch (13 mm). Cut out large or small circles, depending on your preferred size. Gather the scraps, re-roll them, and continue cutting. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Lightly grease the oven sheets with sunflower oil, then transfer the round dough onto them. You will need more than one sheet.
- Spread roughly 1–2 tablespoons of your chosen topping, depending on the size of your manakish (choose your favorite, or use all four toppings for a varied manakish platter), over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border. Dimple the manakish with your fingers.
- Let the unbaked manakish rest for 20 minutes for a second fermentation.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C), with a rack in the center.
- Bake one sheet at a time for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Remove with an oven spatula.
- Serve warm with labneh, labneh balls, olives, and tea. Heavenly delicious!
Video
Notes
If powdered whole milk is hard to find, use whole milk (3.25–3.5% fat) instead of adding water to the dough.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!