Manakish Za'atar
Flatbread baked with a za'atar and olive oil topping.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 400 g All-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp Za'atar
- 6 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Mix the all-purpose flour with water, sugar, and salt into a soft dough and knead until smooth, then leave it to rise until roughly doubled.
- Heat the oven to its hottest setting with a baking tray inside.
- Stir the za'atar with the olive oil into a loose, spreadable paste.
- Roll the risen dough into rounds and spread each thickly with the za'atar oil.
- Bake on the hot tray until the edges are golden and the topping is fragrant.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Manakish Za'atar
Manakish za'atar is the flatbread that anchors breakfast across the Levant, sold hot from bakeries in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan and eaten as often on the walk to work as at the table. It is built on a soft, yeasted wheat dough, rolled thin and generously spread with za'atar, the tart-earthy blend of dried thyme, sumac, and sesame, loosened into a paste with plenty of olive oil. When it bakes, the oil fries the topping slightly and the herbs go deeply fragrant, while the bread beneath stays chewy with a crisp underside. The flavor is savory, tangy from the sumac, grassy from the thyme, and rich from the oil.
This version keeps the method honest and bakery-simple, with the key being heat: preheating the oven to its hottest setting with the tray already inside gives the dough a fierce blast from below that sets a good crust in minutes. Spreading the za'atar oil thickly rather than sparingly is what separates a real manakish from a dry flatbread, so the topping should look almost wet going into the oven. It is naturally vegan and endlessly flexible, eaten plain, folded around fresh mint, tomato, and cucumber, or served with labneh and olives for a fuller spread. Warm from the oven with sweet tea is how it is meant to be enjoyed.
Manakish Za'atar: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Manakish Za'atar?
One serving of Manakish Za'atar has about 637 calories, with 14g of protein, 91g of carbs, 27g of fat and 7g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Manakish Za'atar gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains All-purpose flour. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Manakish Za'atar take to make?
About 90 minutes start to finish, but only around 12 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Manakish Za'atar make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.