Labneh Manakish with Cucumber and Herbs

Name: Labneh Manakish with Cucumber and Herbs
Prep time: 51 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 1 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 3 cups (360 g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour), spooned into the cup and leveled, plus extra for dusting; 1½ tsp (5 g) instant yeast; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 1¼ tsp (7 g) fine sea salt; 0.95 cup (225 ml) warm water, about 105°F (40°C); 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little for greasing the bowl; 1 cup (250 g) thick labneh, cold, thick and spoonable; 1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated; 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for mixing into the labneh; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the dough edges and finishing; 3 tbsp (20 g) za'atar; 3 small (about 7 oz) (200 g) Persian cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; ½ cup, loosely packed (10 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped; ¼ cup, loosely packed (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ tsp (1½ g) fine sea salt

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, chewy Lebanese flatbreads spread with garlicky lemon labneh, sprinkled with za'atar and baked until the edges blister, then piled with a cool cucumber, mint and parsley salad. Tangy, fresh and light enough for breakfast or lunch.

Prep: 51 min
Cook: 10 min
Wait: 1 hr 25 min
Total: 2 hr 26 min
Makes: 8 manakish (6-inch / 15 cm rounds), 2 per person

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the dough
3 cups (360 g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour), spooned into the cup and leveled, plus extra for dusting
1½ tsp (5 g) instant yeast
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
1¼ tsp (7 g) fine sea salt
1 cup (225 ml) warm water, about 105°F (40°C)
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little for greasing the bowl
For the labneh topping
1 cup (250 g) thick labneh, cold, thick and spoonable
1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated
1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for mixing into the labneh
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the dough edges and finishing
3 tbsp (20 g) za'atar
For the cucumber and herb topping
3 small (about 7 oz) (200 g) Persian cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
½ cup, loosely packed (10 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup, loosely packed (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine sea salt

Equipment (9)

Large mixing bowl
2 large rimmed baking sheets (about 13×18-inch / 33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Small bowl for the labneh spread
Medium bowl for the cucumber salad
Rolling pin
Pastry brush
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Kitchen scale (recommended)

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 2 hours 25 minutes in total; most of it is hands-off rising and resting time.
Use thick, spoonable labneh (like soft cream cheese). If yours is loose, drain it in a cheesecloth-lined sieve in the fridge for a few hours first, or it will run off the dough.
Use warm water at about 105°F (40°C): comfortably warm to the touch, not hot, which would damage the yeast.
Position two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and have two large baking sheets ready.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the bread flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt_dough together.
- Add the warm water and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or your hand for about 2 minutes until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
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Ready when: No dry flour is visible and the dough forms a shaggy mass.
Tip: Keep the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl when whisking in the first moment if you are not mixing right away; direct contact can slow the yeast.
2
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8 minutes, dusting with only a teaspoon or two of flour if it sticks badly.
- Push the dough away with the heel of your hand, fold it back, and turn it a quarter turn each time.
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Ready when: The dough is smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky, and springs back slowly when poked.
Tip: Resist adding too much flour; a slightly soft dough bakes into a tender, chewy flatbread.
3
First rise
- Lightly oil a clean large bowl with a little olive oil.
- Place the dough in it, turn to coat, and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
- Leave it in a warm spot (75–80°F / 24–27°C) for 60 minutes.
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Ready when: The dough has doubled and a floured finger leaves a dent that fills back in slowly.
Tip: In a cool kitchen, set the bowl in the oven with only the light on.
4
Prepare the toppings
- While the dough rises, stir the labneh, grated garlic, lemon zest and olive_oil_labneh together in a small bowl until smooth and spreadable.
- Cover and refrigerate.
- Dice the cucumbers and chop the mint and parsley, then keep them in separate covered containers in the fridge; do not combine or dress them yet.
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Ready when: The labneh mixture is thick, smooth and holds a spoon-shaped swirl.
Tip: If the labneh seems loose, don't add oil. Chill it longer or drain it so it stays put in the oven.
5
Divide, rest and preheatOven 475°F / 245°C
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Punch down the risen dough, divide it into 8 equal pieces (about 75 g each), and roll each into a smooth ball.
- Place the balls on a floured surface, cover with a towel, and rest for 15 minutes.
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Ready when: The balls look puffy and relaxed, and the oven has reached 475°F (245°C).
Tip: Allow the oven a full 15 minutes to come to temperature for a good rise and blistered edges.
6
Shape and top
- Roll or pat each ball into a 6-inch (15 cm) round about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, and place 4 rounds on each prepared sheet.
- Press a fingertip dimple into each, then brush the outer ½-inch (1.5 cm) border with olive_oil_brush.
- Spread about 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the labneh mixture over the center of each round, leaving the border bare.
- Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon za'atar.
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Ready when: Each round has an even layer of labneh with a clean oiled rim.
Tip: Spread the labneh thinly and keep it off the rim; thick or overflowing labneh makes the edges pale and gummy.
7
Bake the manakishOven 475°F / 245°C
- Slide both sheets into the 475°F (245°C) oven, one on each rack.
- Bake for 10 minutes, swapping the sheets top to bottom and rotating them front to back at the 5-minute mark.
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Ready when: The edges are puffed and golden brown with a few darker spots, the underside is golden, and the labneh is warm, slightly set and lightly speckled.
Tip: Don't wait for the labneh to brown deeply; it can turn dry and grainy. Pull the breads once the crust is golden.
8
Dress the cucumber salad
- While the manakish bake, or right as they come out, combine the diced cucumber, mint and parsley in a medium bowl.
- Add the lemon juice, olive_oil_salad and salt_topping and toss gently to coat.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
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Ready when: The cucumbers are glossy and the herbs are evenly distributed but still crisp.
Tip: Dress the salad no more than 5 minutes before serving or the cucumbers will release water and the salad will turn soggy.
9
Finish and serve
- Let the manakish cool on the sheets for 2 minutes.
- Spoon a generous mound of the cucumber salad over the center of each warm flatbread, drizzle with any remaining olive oil from the brush bowl or a little extra, and serve right away, folded or flat.
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Ready when: The flatbreads are warm and tender, with a cool, bright topping.
Tip: Top just before eating so the bread's crisp edges stay crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the flour if you can; 360 g is more reliable than cups, which can vary by 40 g or more.
A hot oven is key. If you have a baking stone or steel, preheat it and bake the manakish on parchment, one sheet at a time, for crisper bottoms.
Make sure the rolled rounds are an even thickness so they bake at the same rate; thin centers will brown before the thick edges are done.
For extra tang, finish with a light sprinkle of sumac over the cucumber salad.

Make ahead

"The dough can be made through step 3, then refrigerated for up to 24 hours after kneading (let it come to room temperature for 45 minutes before dividing). The labneh mixture can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and kept chilled. Chop the herbs and dice the cucumber up to 4 hours ahead, but keep them undressed."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: baked, undressed manakish keep for up to 4 hours. Fridge: store leftover manakish (without the cucumber salad) in an airtight container for up to 3 days; keep the salad separate and use within 1 day. Freezer: freeze cooled, undressed manakish wrapped well for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 6–8 minutes (10–12 minutes from frozen) until warm, then add fresh salad."

Substitutions

thick labneh → Strained full-fat Greek yogurt (drained 6–8 hours) or whipped cream cheese. Greek yogurt is tangier and must be strained very thick; cream cheese is milder and richer.
za'atar → 2 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and 1 tsp sumac. A close homemade stand-in; use a pinch of salt if your mix is unsalted.
bread flour (or all-purpose flour) → All-purpose flour. The manakish will be a bit softer and less chewy; you may need 1–2 tablespoons less water.
fresh mint leaves → Fresh dill or extra parsley. Dill gives a different but equally fresh flavor with cucumber.