Zaatar manakeesh (zaatar bread) or manakish is a popular Palestinian flatbread topped with a mixture of za'atar spice mixed with extra virgin olive oil and then baked. A delicious treat so popular and loved, often served for breakfast or a snack.
Manakeesh is made of plain dough similar to bread dough or pizza dough, flattened and rounded and covered with a mixture of za’atar spice blend and extra virgin olive oil then baked. Try it with cheese.
Palestinian cuisine includes a variety of savory pastries that are full of flavor and add a great addition to any party gathering. To name a few: sfeeha which is filled with meat, Fatayer bil sabanegh (spinach pies), sambousek, or za'atar bread cheese balls.
What is Manakeesh?
Manakeesh is a traditional Levantine pastry, that is commonly enjoyed in many Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. It is often served for breakfast or as a snack and can be found in local bakeries and restaurants throughout the region. The bread is usually thin and crispy, and the za'atar olive oil mixture adds a savory element to the overall flavor. Sometimes, additional ingredients like akkawi cheese and fresh vegetables are also used to enhance the taste.
Manakeesh is typically baked in a wood-fired oven or a conventional oven until the dough is crispy and the topping is fragrant. It's often served hot and eaten fresh from the oven. It's a delicious and savory treat loved by many in the Middle East.
What is Za'atar?
Za’atar is the herb thyme which is similar to oregano. After leaves are picked, dried they're ground and mixed with toasted sesame seeds, sumac spice, and salt. Za’atar is a comfort food and is very popular in Palestine and across the Middle East. Full recipe here.
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Equipment
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Large Bowl - For mixing the flour, water, and yeast mixture to make the dough.
Baking Sheet - For baking manakeesh.
Stand Mixer (optional) - You can use a stand mixer to mix and knead the dough instead of mixing by hand.
Measuring Cup - To measure the ingredients (water and flour).
Rolling Pin - To use with flattening the dough.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour - I use unbleached all-purpose flour with this recipe.
Lukewarm Water - it’s important to use warm water, heat increases the speed at which flour absorbs liquid, and results in a smoother dough with less resting or kneading time.
Instant Yeast - speeds up the process of raising the dough compared to regular yeast.
Sugar - Adding sugar to the yeast mixture helps to activate the yeast more quickly and efficiently.
Olive Oil - Contributes to getting a fluffy dough.
Za'atar - you can make your za'atar spice blend recipe or it can be found at any Middle Eastern store.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - I recommend using a good quality of extra virgin olive oil.
Instructions
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 | In a small bowl, mix yeast and sugar with ¼ cup of lukewarm water. Combine well together until yeast is fully dissolved.
Step 2 | Let it sit for 5 minutes or until a foam appears on top which is an indication that yeast is activated.
Step 3 | In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 and ½ cups of flour and salt. Then pour in the yeast mixture and the remainder of the water. Use a hand whisk or a stand mixer, combine the mixture well, then cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Step 4 | Add the rest of the flour and oil to the mixture and then knead on a floured surface or in the mixing bowl for about 5-7 minutes.
Step 5 | Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. With your hands rub the bowl and the dough with a few drops of oil cover with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
Step 6 | Dough rising after 30 minutes.
Step 7 | Divide the dough into smaller balls.
Step 8 | With a rolling pin flatten each ball into a flat disc (about ¼ inch thick) and 7-inch rounded and place on a greased baking pan With the top of your fingers tap on each dough, this step to prevent it from puffing while baking.
Step 9 | In a small bowl pour olive oil over za'atar spice and mix well until it looks pasty.
Step 10 | With a spoon scoop some of the zaatar with oil mixture and spread over each piece.
Step 11 | Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Other options to eat manakeesh
Adding akkawi cheese or any other cheese over za'atar before baking.
Once baked make it into a warp: add slices of tomatoes, olives, and fresh mint.
Substitution and Variation
- Add fresh vegetables toppings or sliced olives over cheese.
- Use the same dough to make cheese manakeesh.
- Use any other neutral oil with the dough instead of olive oil.
- You can shape manakeesh into smaller pieces and serve as finger food at a party gathering.
Expert Tips
- Tap each dough piece after flattening with the tips of your fingers or with a fork before adding the zaatar-oil mixture that will prevent the dough from overpuffing during baking.
- It's easier to place each flattened piece in the baking tray before adding the za'atar mixture.
- Make sure you are using instant yeast, if you’re using regular yeast it will take much longer for the dough to rise.
- If the dough is too dry you can add 1 - 2 tablespoons of warm water (add one tablespoon at a time and knead).
- If the dough is too sticky add 1-2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (add one tablespoon at a time and knead).
- This recipe makes 8 pieces, each is about 7 inches.
- Cover them after they're cooled in a plastic wrapper so they'll stay soft.
Storage and Reheating
- You can store zaatar manakeesh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in a zip bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Place cheese manakeesh in a preheated 350 F toaster oven and bake for 3-4 minutes and 5-7 minutes coming out of the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Zaatar's taste is naturally earthy. But it also has a lemony flavor that comes from sumac Its flavor is subtle yet aromatic, rich but not overpowering, and deep yet slightly tangy.
Manakeesh are often served for breakfast or brunch, or even an afternoon snack. Best served with slices of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and mint tea.
Read the label carefully and look for ingredients that include wild thyme and sumac. It should have a good texture and look more deep green and not brownish. You should be able to see sumac which has a deep red color and toasted sesame in the mixture.
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More Delicious Recipes
Zaatar Manakeesh (Zaatar Bread)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Resting 30 minutes:
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 flatbread pieces 1x
- Category: Breakfast/Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Palestinian/Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Zaatar manakeesh (zaatar bread) or manakish is a popular Palestinian flatbread topped with a mixture of za'atar spice mixed with extra virgin olive oil and then baked. A delicious treat so popular and loved, often served for breakfast or a snack.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups flour and 2-3 tablespoons extra
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon yeast (do not exceed more than 2 tablespoons of triple this recipe)
- ¼ cup olive oil and 1-2 tablespoons for greasing the baking sheet
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix yeast and sugar with ¼ cup of lukewarm water. Combine well together until yeast is fully dissolved.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes or until a foam appears on top which is an indication that yeast is activated.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 and ½ cups of flour and salt. Then pour in the yeast mixture and the remainder of the water.
- Use a hand whisk or a stand mixer, combine the mixture well, then cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the flour and oil to the mixture and then knead on a floured surface or in the mixing bowl for about 5-7 minutes.
- Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- With your hands rub the bowl and the dough with a few drops of olive oil, cover with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 420°F.
- Once risen uncover the dough, and divide into smaller balls, about the size of a tennis ball.
- With a rolling pin flatten each ball into a flat disc (about ¼ inch thick) and 7-inch rounded and place on a greased baking pan.
- With the top of your fingers tap on each dough, this step prevents it from puffing while baking.
- In a small bowl pour olive oil over za'atar spice and mix well until it’s more pasty.
- With a tablespoon scoop some of the za’atar with olive oil mixture and spread over each piece.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Notes
- Tap each dough piece after flattening with the tips of your fingers or with a fork before adding the zaatar-oil mixture that will prevent the dough from overpuffing during baking.
- Make sure you are using instant yeast, if you’re using regular yeast it will take much longer for the dough to rise.
- If the dough is too dry you can add 1 - 2 tablespoons of warm water (add one tablespoon at a time and knead).
- If the dough is too sticky add 1-2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (add one tablespoon at a time and knead).
- This recipe makes 8 pieces, each is about 7 inches.
- Cover them after they're cooled in a plastic wrapper so they'll stay soft.
Alice Mola says
This was delicious but I had to double the water amount that was written since my dough was so dry. Thank you!
Wafa Shami says
Great to heat that. I make this dough often and never used that much water! I'm glad it all worked out.
Fazela says
Just made this and it came out absolutely perfect. Had to add some extra water when kneading the dough. Snacking on this as I make your MA’LOUBEH recipe. Thank you!!
Wafa Shami says
Excellent to hear. Sometimes the the flour measurement vary due to humidity which makes the water measurements vary, glad you were able to manage the dough by adjusting the water. I hope you'll enjoy ma'loubeh.
Lorraine says
Many different varieties of Zaa,tar on the shelf, what do you recommend, should sumac be added?
Wafa Shami says
Hi Lorraine, a few things to know what a good zaatar looks like:
The dried zaatar color is more of a deep green.
It has a good amount of sesame.
It has some sumac.
If the mixture looks more brownish, then it's full of other spices and more than zaatar, not a good option.
If what you bought doesn't include sumac at all or you'd like to add more, yes you can certainly mix in more sumac.
I hope this answers your question.
Maya says
Salam Wafa,
As a neighbour knew that I'm advocating for Palestine for years, she wanted to ask some questions. Another neighbour joined, then I spontaniously organized a Palestine info evening, asking these two people to invite more people. I made this recipe, with za'atar and some with cheese (and falafel) It turned out to be a wonderful evening, with even more people showing up then I dared to hope for. Everyone liked this manakeesh so much.
That was a few months ago. My neighbour was at my door today, asking for the recipe and telling that she now is telling others about Palestine, the Palestinian hostages, BDS, etc. This brought me to tears, and made me wanted to tell you, and to thank you for this amazing website - Food can be a useful tool in resistance, breaking bread, manakeesh, with strangers can be one of the roads to liberate Palestine - with thanks to you 🇵🇸🤍🇵🇸
Wafa Shami says
Hi Maya, messages like this warm my heart, thank you so much for letting me know. Keep cooking, keep sharing, keep advocating until Palestine is Free!