Gluten-Free Chickpea Flour Manakish with Za'atar

Name: Gluten-Free Chickpea Flour Manakish with Za'atar
Prep time: 27 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1.4 cups (330 ml) water, warm, 105–110°F (40–43°C); about 1⅓ cups plus 1 tablespoon; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast, one 7 g packet; 1½ cups (180 g) chickpea flour (besan), spooned into the cup and leveled, or weighed; 1 cup (120 g) tapioca starch, spooned into the cup and leveled, or weighed; 2 tbsp (16 g) psyllium husk powder; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for oiling hands and parchment; 4 tbsp (30 g) za'atar; ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small (100 g) small Persian cucumber, sliced into thin rounds (optional); ¼ cup (6 g) fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, whole leaves (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, lightly chewy flatbreads made from chickpea flour and tapioca starch, held together with psyllium husk and topped with the classic Levantine mix of za'atar and olive oil. They bake up golden at the edges and fragrant, and they're naturally vegan.

Prep: 27 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 1 hr 20 min
Total: 2 hr 2 min
Makes: 6 manakish (about 6 inches / 15 cm each)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the dough
1½ cups (330 ml) water, warm, 105–110°F (40–43°C); about 1⅓ cups plus 1 tablespoon
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast, one 7 g packet
1½ cups (180 g) chickpea flour (besan), spooned into the cup and leveled, or weighed
1 cup (120 g) tapioca starch, spooned into the cup and leveled, or weighed
2 tbsp (16 g) psyllium husk powder
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for oiling hands and parchment
For the topping
4 tbsp (30 g) za'atar
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
To serve
1 small (100 g) small Persian cucumber, sliced into thin rounds (optional)
¼ cup (6 g) fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, whole leaves (optional)

Equipment (8)

Large mixing bowl (3–4 qt / 3–4 L)
Whisk and silicone spatula
Kitchen scale
2 rimless baking sheets or 2 large rimmed baking sheets turned upside down (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Instant-read or oven thermometer (optional but helpful)
Small bowl for the topping
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Use psyllium husk POWDER, not whole husks. Whole husks make a gritty, purple-tinged dough and need a different amount.
This dough is soft and tacky, much wetter than wheat dough. Keep a small bowl of olive oil nearby to oil your hands, and don't add extra flour.
Cut four pieces of parchment about 12×8 inches (30×20 cm) before you start. You'll shape the manakish on them and slide them straight onto the hot pans.
Measure by weight if you can. Chickpea flour packs differently from cup to cup, and weight keeps the dough hydration right.
Allow about 2 hours from start to finish, most of it hands-off.

1
Activate the yeast
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the warm water (105–110°F / 40–43°C), sugar and instant yeast.
- Let it stand for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: The surface is covered with a creamy, foamy layer and smells yeasty.
Tip: If the water feels hot on your wrist, let it cool first. Water above 120°F (49°C) can kill the yeast.
2
Mix and rest dough
- In a separate bowl, whisk the chickpea flour, tapioca starch, psyllium husk powder and salt until evenly combined.
- Add the dry mix and the 2 tablespoons olive oil to the yeast water.
- Stir vigorously with a silicone spatula for about 2 minutes.
- The dough will look like a thick batter at first, then tighten as the psyllium absorbs water.
- Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: The dough is thick, smooth and tacky, and pulls away from the bowl sides in a soft mass. It should hold a shape when scooped.
Tip: Don't add extra flour if it feels sticky. It will firm up as it rests. If it is still pourable after 10 minutes, rest 5 minutes more.
3
First rise
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
- Set it in a warm spot (about 75–80°F / 24–27°C) for 45 minutes.
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Ready when: The dough has grown by about half, has a domed top and shows small bubbles on the surface.
Tip: Gluten-free dough will not double like wheat dough. Look for puffiness and bubbles, not a big rise.
4
Divide and shape
- Line your work surface with the four pieces of parchment.
- Rub a little of the 1 tablespoon olive oil on your hands and on the parchment.
- Scoop the dough out and divide it into 6 portions of about 115 g each.
- Place 3 portions on each of two parchment sheets, spaced 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- With oiled fingertips, pat each into a round about 5½–6 inches (14–15 cm) wide and ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Leave the outer ½ inch slightly thicker to form a rim.
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Ready when: Each round is even in thickness with a slightly raised rim and no tears or thin spots.
Tip: Re-oil your fingers whenever the dough starts to stick. Oil works better than flour here.
5
Preheat and rest roundsOven 450°F / 230°C
- Place two rimless baking sheets (or upside-down rimmed sheets) on two oven racks, one in the upper third and one in the lower third.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) for at least 15 minutes.
- While it heats, stir the za'atar and ¼ cup olive oil together in a small bowl.
- Leave the shaped rounds uncovered nearby.
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Ready when: The oven has reached 450°F (230°C), and the rounds look slightly puffy. The topping is a loose, spoonable paste.
Tip: Hot pans give the bottoms a fast set so they bake crisp-chewy instead of pale and gummy.
6
Dimple and top
- Press your fingertips into each round to make dimples all over, which keeps the centers from puffing up like pita.
- Stir the topping again, then spoon about 1 tablespoon (roughly one-sixth) onto each round.
- Spread it with the back of the spoon to within ½ inch (1 cm) of the edge.
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Ready when: Each round is coated in a thin, even layer of za'atar oil with a clean rim.
Tip: Stir the topping right before each spoonful. The za'atar settles to the bottom and the oil separates.
7
Bake the manakishOven 450°F / 230°C
- Carefully slide each parchment sheet, with its 3 rounds, onto a hot baking sheet.
- Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 13–15 minutes.
- Halfway through, swap the pans between racks and rotate them front to back so both bake evenly.
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Ready when: Rims are deep golden brown, the tops look dry with bubbling oil, and the bottoms feel firm and sound slightly hollow when tapped.
Tip: If the za'atar looks like it's darkening too fast, move the pan to a lower rack. Burnt za'atar tastes bitter.
8
Cool briefly
- Use a spatula to transfer the manakish, parchment and all, to a wire rack.
- Let them cool for 5 minutes.
- They are fragile and steamy right out of the oven and firm up as they cool.
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Ready when: The manakish bend slightly without cracking and are warm, not steaming.
Tip: Don't stack them while hot. Trapped steam softens the bottoms.
9
Serve
- Serve warm, whole or folded in half.
- If you like, pile on cucumber slices and mint leaves to eat alongside or tucked inside.

Good to know

Tips

For a cheesy version, scatter 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella or crumbled Akkawi cheese over each round after the first 8 minutes of baking.
Chickpea flour can taste raw if underbaked. Make sure the rims are properly golden and the bottoms feel firm.
Dough weight matters more than shape. Weigh each portion so all six bake in the same time.
If your dough tears when patting it out, dampen your fingertips with a little water or oil and gently press the seam closed.

Make ahead

Shape the rounds (step 4) up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate them on parchment, loosely covered with oiled plastic wrap. Bring them to room temperature for 20 minutes, then top and bake, adding 1–2 minutes if needed. You can also bake fully and reheat later (see storage).

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: cool completely, then keep in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Refrigerator: up to 4 days. Freezer: separate with parchment and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from the fridge or freezer on a baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 5–8 minutes (8–10 minutes from frozen) until hot and the edges are crisp. A skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes per side also works.

Substitutions

tapioca starch → arrowroot starch or potato starch (not potato flour). Use the same weight. The texture will be very similar, perhaps slightly less stretchy.
psyllium husk powder → whole psyllium husks, ground to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Grind first, then weigh out 16 g. Unground husks make the dough gritty and the structure weaker.
za'atar → 2 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp sumac and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus ½ tsp salt. A quick homemade mix. Taste your store-bought za'atar first, since some blends are already quite salty.
extra-virgin olive oil → avocado oil. A neutral option, though you'll lose the fruity olive flavor that defines manakish.