Freshly baked bread from the oven is one of the most comforting foods.  Fill your house with those comforting breads and tasty goods to warm up your cozy meals.  The recipes will become a mainstay in your repertoire for Lebanese breads and baked goods, and are sure to please your family and loved ones.

Lebanese Breads and Baked Goods

Kaak alasreya/ Kaak/ Lebanese Street Bread, the quintessential Lebanese street bread! A handbag-like shape savory roll covered with sesame seeds – crispy on the outside and chewy a bit when eating, baked in a flame oven and sold through cart vendors in Beirut – a street food and an ideal snack on the go, usually eaten handheld, that can be equally good for breakfast paired with a cup of tea.

Kaleeta/ North Lebanese Flat Kaak are popular choice for breakfast; duck into communal neighborhood ovens in Tripoli, Lebanon, and you’ll likely spot these sesame rounded loaves everywhere, and sometimes you can pick them up  at roadside stands, they have a slightly crisp exterior, usually thicker than pita bread, and  are a favorite treat when layered with cheese and grilled on griddle or a panini press to give the plump flatbreads a deliciously toasted crust and a melted cheese steaming interior—a belly filling breakfast or snack that is a nourishing part of daily life.

Sfeeha: Sfeeha are served as part of the Lebanese mezze or as a main dish accompanied with plain yogurt, whether eaten as a snack or a main, sfeeha always satisfy and eating them all day long would be great if only my waist would allow it.  Their crispy exterior with their steamy soft meat interior take them to the top list of comfort food! You will find sfeeha at all bakeries in Lebanon – these hand-pies are portable and delicious!

Lebanese Meat Fatayer sit firmly on our list of favorite comfort foods.  They show up in Lebanon and the Middle East on gatherings, wedding buffet lines and every special occasion, they have a delicate, soft pastry shell surrounding a flavorful stewed meat, onion and tomato filling and are seasoned with a hint of spiciness.

Pita bread / Arabic Bread or Lebanese bread, as some call it, plays a significant role in Lebanon and Middle East. A daily ritual and no meal is complete without it; it is eaten to scoop everything up with, yes a perfect accompaniment to almost all Lebanese and Middle Eastern food.

Manakeesh /manakish /manaeesh or in singular form man’ouche, a popular flaky, crispy and a bit chewy Lebanese round-dough that is filled with different spreads(zaatar / kishik/ cheese/ vegetables). Traditonally, they are baked in an  flame oven. Almost all bakeries in Lebanon start selling these treats early in the morning. It is difficult to pass by these bakeries without being drawn by the irresistible smell – and still they taste ten

Zaatar and Sumac Crackers: These crispy zaatar nibbles go well with labneh, olives, hummus, dips, salsas or even just part of your afternoon snack; they are even delectable with a platter of assorted cheese. Zaatar and sumac are a divine food pairing combination!

Lebnaese Sweet Kaak: Crispy, crunchy Lebanese sweet kaak cookies that pair beautifully with tea, and are perfect too to dunk them in a cup of hot salep, or serve them as part of your afternoon snacks and nibbles! Seasoned with anise seeds and mahlab, their flavor is warm and fragrant, and are coated with sesame seeds that add a nutty agreeable character.

Lebanese Milk Kaak/ Kaak Bhaleeb is a favored sweet ring bread that is plushy and pillowy, where every bite collapses softly in your mouth; it has a golden hue, and an agreeable mahlab flavor — might be the rolls of your dreams.

Meshtah: A regional flat bread that is native to South of Lebanon and one of the dishes that conjures up blissful memories of Ramadan and specifically Suhoor!

Zalabia (Lebanese sweet fritters), are traditional deep fried Lebanese treats that are made of fermented dough – I call them a glorious affair. Simply because you can have them for breakfast with labneh and a cup of tea or dust them with some icing sugar and serve them as a dessert.

Thick mini pizza with anchovy. A thick pizza bread base that is soft and fluffy  with crispy edges. Now this is not typically Lebanese, but if you visit Lebanon, you will encounter pizza in all bakeries alongside sfeeha and manakeesh. I make big batches and keep in my freezer. They make a great solution for unexpected guests.

Bagels with Zaatar and Labneh: A popular North American bake hand-shaped round rolls with a hole in the middle. They are definitely not Lebanese, I sprinkled mine with zaatar and stuffed them with labné and olives to customize them to my Lebanese taste buds, and really enjoyed every bit of these freshly baked treats

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