Mana’eesh Za’atar

Za’atar is the herb thyme which is very similar to oregano. Once it’s dried its grind and mixed with sesame and some other spices. Za’atar is comfort food and very popular in Palestine and across the Middle East.

September 23^rd marks the International Day of Za’atar, so in the participation of this special day, I decided to make mana’eesh. Mana’eesh are plain dough similar to bread dough, flattened and rounded and covered with a mix of za’atar and extra virgin olive oil then baked. They’re mainly served for breakfast or a snack.

Worth to mention studies have proven that za’atar has great health benefits for memory and the brain.

Fresh za’atar once picked is small leaves. Those leaves can be also used in so many different recipes whether they are fresh or dried. I already have two of those recipes on the blog, one for cookies and the other is for bread cheese balls, feel free to check them out.

So here is how to make mana’eesh za’atar:

Start by making the dough, here I have a simple dough that I also make for bread. If you have any other dough recipe you can use too, and if you don’t want to make the dough altogether, just get a ready-made dough, Trader Joe’s sells pretty good ones.

To make the dough mix 2 tablespoons of instant yeast with half a cup of warm water, stir well until yeast is fully dissolved then add 1 teaspoon of sugar mix and set aside for 2 minutes. In a large bowl pour in the flour, salt then pours over it the mixed yeast and another half a cup of warm water. Knead together until you get a smooth dough. With your hand rub some olive oil all over the dough, then cover the bowl with wrapping paper and a warm blanket and leave for an hour until it has risen.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix za’atar with olive oil until it looks pastier and set aside. The za’atar and olive oil mixed makes more a pasty spread similar to pesto.

Once risen, cut the dough into 6 equal ball shapes and place them on a sheet or baking tray, cover and let them sit for another 10 minutes. Then take each ball and flatten with a rolling pin, and lay on a baking sheet, with your fingers tap on the flattened dough and with a spoon spread za’atar and olive oil mix covering the top and place in a previously greased baking sheet. Continue the same process with the rest.

Place the baking sheet in a heated 420 degrees F oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the base of each bread is slightly browned (depending on the tray size and the flattened bread size, you may need to bake them in batches).

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