Egg and Tomato Breakfast Manakish

Name: Egg and Tomato Breakfast Manakish
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 26 min
Total time: 1 h 16 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 3 cups (375 g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour), spooned and leveled; 1 tsp (3 g) instant yeast; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt; 0.95 cup (225 ml) water, warm, about 105°F (40°C), comfortable to the touch; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface; 3 tbsp (20 g) za'atar; 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling at the end if you like; 2 medium (about 9 oz total) (250 g) medium ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, for salting the tomatoes; 4 oz (115 g) feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces, patted dry; 4 large (200 g) large eggs, cold, each cracked into a small cup or ramekin just before using; ¼ cup (6 g) fresh mint leaves (or flat-leaf parsley), roughly torn; ½ tsp (1 g) Aleppo pepper flakes (optional); black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, chewy Levantine flatbreads brushed with olive oil and za'atar, topped with juicy tomato and salty feta, then finished with a runny-yolk egg baked right in the center. Tear the edge, dip it in the yolk, and enjoy.

Prep: 50 min
Cook: 26 min
Wait: 1 hr 13 min
Total: 2 hr 29 min
Makes: 4 manakish (about 8-inch / 20 cm each), 1 per person

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the dough
3 cups (375 g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour), spooned and leveled
1 tsp (3 g) instant yeast
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
1 cup (225 ml) water, warm, about 105°F (40°C), comfortable to the touch
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
For the topping
3 tbsp (20 g) za'atar
4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling at the end if you like
2 medium (about 9 oz total) (250 g) medium ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, for salting the tomatoes
4 oz (115 g) feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces, patted dry
4 large (200 g) large eggs, cold, each cracked into a small cup or ramekin just before using
¼ cup (6 g) fresh mint leaves (or flat-leaf parsley), roughly torn
½ tsp (1 g) Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Equipment (7)

Large mixing bowl
2 large sheet pans (about 13×18-inch / 33×46 cm), rimless or turned upside down for preheating
2 sheets of parchment paper, cut to fit the pans
Pizza peel or a second flat baking sheet for sliding dough onto hot pans
Small bowl for the za'atar mixture and pastry brush or spoon
Instant-read thermometer
Paper towels and a plate for draining tomatoes

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 2½ hours start to finish; most of it is hands-off dough rising.
Bake 2 manakish at a time on two preheated sheet pans, so you will bake in 2 batches. Keep the second batch's eggs in the fridge until needed.
Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and put two large rimless or inverted rimmed sheet pans on it to preheat. A hot pan gives the bread a crisp bottom.
Use ripe but firm tomatoes. Watery tomatoes make a soggy base, so don't skip the salting and draining step.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, instant yeast, sugar and fine salt.
- Add the warm water and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon, then your hand, until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes.
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Ready when: No dry flour remains and the dough is shaggy and slightly sticky.
Tip: If your water is hotter than 115°F (46°C) it can kill the yeast. It should feel pleasantly warm, not hot.
2
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (use about 1 tablespoon / 8 g of the dusting flour).
- Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, pushing it away with the heel of your hand, folding it back and rotating, until it is smooth and elastic.
- Add flour only a pinch at a time if it sticks heavily.
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Ready when: The dough is smooth, slightly tacky but not sticking to your hands, and springs back slowly when poked.
Tip: Resist adding too much flour. A slightly soft dough gives a tender manakish.
3
Let the dough rise
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl (a drop of oil from your measured amount is fine).
- Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for 60 minutes.
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Ready when: The dough has doubled in size and a fingertip pressed in leaves a dent that fills back slowly.
Tip: In a cool kitchen, put the bowl in the turned-off oven with the light on.
4
Prep the toppings
- While the dough rises, lay the tomato slices in a single layer on a double layer of paper towels and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt.
- Let them drain for 15 minutes, then blot the tops with more paper towel.
- In a small bowl, stir the za'atar with 4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil to make a loose, spreadable paste.
- Crumble the feta, tear the mint, and have the eggs, pepper and Aleppo flakes ready.
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Ready when: Tomato slices look glossy and the paper towels are damp; the za'atar mix looks like a thick, pourable paste.
Tip: Stir the za'atar mix again right before using, as the oil separates.
5
Preheat the ovenOven 475°F / 245°C
- About 30 minutes before the dough finishes rising, set an oven rack in the upper third and place two sheet pans on it.
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) so the pans get very hot.
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Ready when: The oven has reached 475°F (245°C) and has held it for at least 20 minutes.
Tip: Use oven mitts when handling the hot pans later and never leave the oven door open for long; heat loss makes the bread pale.
6
Divide and rest
- Gently press the risen dough down to release the large bubbles.
- Divide it into 4 equal pieces (about 160 g each).
- Roll each into a tight ball, place on a floured surface, cover with a towel, and let rest for 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough rolls out easily.
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Ready when: Balls are smooth and puffy, and the dough no longer snaps back when pressed flat.
7
Shape the rounds
- Cut 2 pieces of parchment to fit your peel.
- Roll or pat 2 dough balls into 8-inch (20 cm) rounds about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, placing each on parchment.
- With your fingertips, press a well into the center, leaving a rim about ¾ inch (2 cm) wide.
- Leave the center about 4 inches (10 cm) wide and slightly thinner than the rim.
- Keep the other 2 dough balls covered.
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Ready when: Each round is even in thickness with a clearly raised rim around a shallow well.
Tip: Make the rim firm and high enough to hold the egg in place while it bakes.
8
Top the first batch
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the za'atar-oil paste over the rim of each round and 1 tablespoon into the well, spreading it in a thin layer.
- Arrange overlapping tomato slices (about ½ tomato per round) around the inside of the well, leaving a small gap about 2 inches (5 cm) wide in the center for the egg.
- Scatter one quarter of the feta (about 28 g) over the tomatoes on each round.
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Ready when: The rim is brushed with za'atar and the well holds a ring of tomato and feta with a clear space in the middle.
Tip: Keep the center gap free of cheese and tomato so the egg white can set evenly.
9
Bake the baseOven 475°F / 245°C
- Using oven mitts, carefully slide the parchment with the topped rounds onto the hot sheet pans (or slide them on with the peel).
- Bake at 475°F (245°C) for 8 minutes, until the rim is lightly golden and the tomatoes have softened.
- Remove the pans and set them on the stovetop or a heatproof surface, leaving the oven closed or quickly closing it.
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Ready when: The rim is pale golden, the underside is firm, and the feta is beginning to soften.
Tip: Do not add the eggs from the start; they will overcook before the bread is done.
10
Add eggs and finishOven 475°F / 245°C
- Working quickly, pour one cracked egg into the center well of each manakish.
- Season the egg with black pepper.
- Return to the oven and bake 4 to 5 minutes more, until the whites are opaque and set but the yolks still jiggle slightly.
- Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer for a firmer yolk.
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Ready when: The egg whites are completely opaque with no clear, jiggly liquid, and the rim is deep golden brown.
Tip: Cook until whites are fully set. For a fully cooked egg, the yolk should reach 160°F (71°C).
11
Bake the second batchOven 475°F / 245°C
- While the first batch rests, shape, top and bake the remaining 2 dough balls exactly as in steps 7 to 10, using fresh parchment and returning the sheet pans to the oven for 5 minutes to reheat before sliding the rounds on.
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Ready when: Same as the first batch: golden rim, set whites, softly jiggling yolks.
Tip: Crack the eggs into cups only right before adding them to avoid delays.
12
Garnish and serve
- Let the manakish sit for 3 minutes so the egg finishes setting and the bread is easier to handle.
- Top with the torn mint, Aleppo pepper flakes if using, and a few extra grinds of pepper.
- Serve hot, tearing the rim and dipping it into the yolk.
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Ready when: Cheese is soft, the yolk is glossy, and the bread can be handled without burning your fingers.

Good to know

Tips

Bake on a very hot pan or stone. The initial blast of heat gives a crisp bottom and puffed rim.
Salting and blotting the tomatoes is what keeps the center from turning soggy.
For runnier yolks, bake the second stage 4 minutes and check; for fully set eggs, go 6 to 7 minutes.
Make a double batch of the za'atar paste and use leftovers on plain flatbreads or as a dip for bread.

Make ahead

"The dough can be made through step 3, then refrigerated in a covered, oiled bowl for up to 24 hours. Bring it to room temperature for 45 minutes before dividing. The za'atar-oil paste can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and stored covered at room temperature. Top and bake with fresh eggs just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Best eaten immediately. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 1 day; reheat on a sheet pan at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes (the yolk will be fully set). Not recommended to freeze with the egg. Plain baked dough rounds without egg can be frozen for up to 1 month and reheated from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes."

Substitutions

feta cheese → Akkawi cheese, halloumi (grated), or mozzarella. Milder and meltier; add a pinch more salt to the tomatoes if using a low-salt cheese.
za'atar → 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tsp sumac. Approximates a homemade za'atar blend; scale to make 3 tbsp total.
bread flour (or all-purpose flour) → all-purpose flour. Gives a slightly softer, less chewy crumb; no other changes needed.
medium ripe tomatoes → 1 cup (150 g) halved cherry tomatoes. Cut-side down, salted and blotted like the sliced tomatoes.