Larb Manakish

Name: Larb Manakish
Prep time: 47 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 3¼ cups (400 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1 tsp (3 g) instant yeast; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt; 1.06 cups (250 ml) water, warm, about 100°F (38°C), comfortably warm to the touch; 3 tbsp (42 ml) olive oil, divided: 2 tbsp (28 ml) for the dough, 1 tbsp (14 ml) for the bowl and brushing the rims; 2 tbsp (25 g) uncooked jasmine rice, raw, for toasting and grinding into powder (glutinous rice also works); 1 tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil; 1 lb (450 g) ground pork, 80/20, cold, from the fridge; 3 medium (90 g) shallots, peeled and very thinly sliced; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic, finely minced; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes, divided: 2 tbsp (30 ml) into the pork, 1 tbsp (15 ml) for finishing; 1 tsp (2 g) Thai chili flakes or crushed red pepper, adjust to taste; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 2 whole (30 g) scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts; ½ cup (15 g) fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, torn if large; ½ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, loosely packed, roughly chopped; 1 small (100 g) small cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons; 1 whole (65 g) lime, cut into 6 wedges; ½ cup (120 g) labneh or thick plain yogurt, cold, for dolloping (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, chewy Lebanese-style flatbreads topped with Thai larb-seasoned ground pork: fish sauce, lime, chili, shallot and nutty toasted rice powder. They're baked until the edges blister, then finished with cool mint, cilantro and cucumber.

Prep: 47 min
Cook: 23 min
Wait: 1 hr 18 min
Total: 2 hr 28 min
Makes: 6 flatbreads (7-inch / 18 cm), serves 6

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the dough
3¼ cups (400 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1 tsp (3 g) instant yeast
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
1 cups (250 ml) water, warm, about 100°F (38°C), comfortably warm to the touch
3 tbsp (42 ml) olive oil, divided: 2 tbsp (28 ml) for the dough, 1 tbsp (14 ml) for the bowl and brushing the rims
For the topping
2 tbsp (25 g) uncooked jasmine rice, raw, for toasting and grinding into powder (glutinous rice also works)
1 tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil
1 lb (450 g) ground pork, 80/20, cold, from the fridge
3 medium (90 g) shallots, peeled and very thinly sliced
3 cloves (10 g) garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes, divided: 2 tbsp (30 ml) into the pork, 1 tbsp (15 ml) for finishing
1 tsp (2 g) Thai chili flakes or crushed red pepper, adjust to taste
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
2 whole (30 g) scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
To finish
½ cup (15 g) fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, torn if large
½ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, loosely packed, roughly chopped
1 small (100 g) small cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 whole (65 g) lime, cut into 6 wedges
½ cup (120 g) labneh or thick plain yogurt, cold, for dolloping (optional)

Equipment (8)

Large mixing bowl
Dry 10-inch (25 cm) skillet for toasting rice
Spice grinder or mortar and pestle
12-inch (30 cm) nonstick or cast-iron skillet
2 heavy baking sheets, about 13×18 inches (33×46 cm), lined with parchment
Rolling pin
Instant-read thermometer
Kitchen scale (helpful)

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 2½ hours total; most of it is dough rising and resting, so you can make the topping while the dough rises.
Set out 2 oven racks (upper-middle and lower-middle) and two heavy rimless or rimmed baking sheets. You'll preheat the oven while the dough rests.
Slice the shallots, scallions and cucumber and mince the garlic before you start cooking, because the pork cooks fast.
Use ground pork with some fat (80/20). Lean pork turns dry and crumbly on the flatbread.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, dough sugar and salt.
- Add the warm water and 2 tbsp (28 ml) of the olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy, sticky dough, about 2 minutes.
- Turn it onto a lightly floured counter.
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Ready when: No dry flour remains and the dough is shaggy and tacky.
Tip: Water hotter than 115°F (46°C) can damage the yeast. It should feel warm, not hot.
2
Knead until smooth
- Knead by hand for 6 minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand, folding, and turning.
- Dust with only a tablespoon of flour at a time if it sticks badly.
- Shape into a ball.
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Ready when: The dough is smooth and elastic, slightly tacky, and springs back slowly when poked.
Tip: A slightly soft dough bakes up tender. Don't add much extra flour.
3
Let the dough rise
- Brush a clean bowl with about ½ tbsp (7 ml) of the remaining olive oil.
- Add the dough, turn it once to coat, and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
- Leave it in a warm spot (75–80°F / 24–27°C) for 60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, start the topping.
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Ready when: The dough is doubled and a floured finger leaves a dent that fills back in slowly.
Tip: In a cool kitchen, give it up to 30 extra minutes.
4
Toast and grind rice
- Put the raw rice in a dry 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium heat.
- Stir constantly for 5 minutes.
- Pull it off the heat when the grains are deep golden brown and smell nutty.
- Tip onto a plate to cool for 1 minute, then grind in a spice grinder or mortar to a coarse, sandy powder, about 1½ tbsp.
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Ready when: Grains are deep golden brown, smell nutty, and the powder looks like coarse sand.
Tip: Stir without stopping. Burnt rice tastes bitter, so start over if it goes dark brown.
5
Cook the pork
- Heat the neutral oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the pork and break it into small crumbles with a spatula.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes.
- Add the shallots and garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
- Tilt the pan and spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat and liquid.
- Remove from the heat.
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Ready when: The pork has no pink, the liquid has mostly cooked off, and it reads at least 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part.
Tip: Don't leave the pork wet. Excess liquid makes the flatbread soggy.
6
Season the larb
- Stir the fish sauce, 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the lime juice, chili flakes, topping sugar, scallions and all the toasted rice powder into the warm pork.
- Taste: it should be salty, sour, and spicy with a gentle sweetness.
- Add a little more chili or lime if you like.
- Let it cool in the pan while you shape the dough.
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Ready when: The mixture is moist but not dripping, and it tastes bright and well seasoned.
Tip: The topping should taste slightly too strong, because the plain bread will mellow it.
7
Shape and restOven 475°F / 245°C
- Move both oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat to 475°F (245°C).
- Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 6 equal pieces, about 115 g each.
- Roll each into a tight ball and place on the counter, covered with a towel, for 15 minutes while the oven heats.
- Then roll or press each ball into a 7-inch (18 cm) round about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Place 3 rounds on each sheet.
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Ready when: The dough rounds are even, relaxed, and spring back only slightly when pressed.
Tip: If the dough shrinks back as you roll, cover it and rest it 5 more minutes.
8
Dress the rounds
- Brush the rim of each round with the remaining olive oil (about ½ tbsp / 7 ml total).
- Use your fingertips to dimple the dough all over so it doesn't puff up.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup (75 g) of pork over each round and spread it in an even layer, leaving a ½-inch (1.25 cm) border.
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Ready when: Each round has a thin, even layer of topping with a clear border.
Tip: Pile the pork too thick and the center stays doughy.
9
Bake the manakishOven 475°F / 245°C
- Bake both sheets at 475°F (245°C) for 10 minutes.
- Swap the sheets between racks and rotate them front to back after 5 minutes.
- Remove when the edges are golden brown with a few darker spots and the underside is browned.
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Ready when: The crust edges are deep golden, the bottom is browned when lifted, and the pork looks sizzling and slightly crisp at the edges.
Tip: If the bottoms brown before the tops, move the sheet up a rack for the last 2 minutes.
10
Finish and serve
- Let the flatbreads cool on the sheets for 3 minutes.
- Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice over them.
- Scatter on the mint, cilantro and cucumber.
- Add a dollop of labneh if using, and serve at once with lime wedges.
- Fold in half to eat.
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Ready when: The bread is cool enough to handle and the herbs stay bright green on top.
Tip: Add herbs only after baking, since they turn dark and lose their flavor in the oven.

Good to know

Tips

Dimple the dough and leave a border. This keeps the bread from puffing into a dome that spills the topping.
Keep the pork topping fairly dry and add the lime juice at the end. Wet topping makes a soggy center.
The hotter the oven, the better the crust. Preheat a full 15 minutes, and put the sheets in without waiting.
For more heat, add 1 finely sliced fresh Thai chili to the finishing herbs.

Make ahead

"The dough can rise in the fridge for 8–24 hours (covered, in the oiled bowl); let it sit at room temperature 45 minutes before shaping. The toasted rice powder keeps for 1 week in an airtight jar. The seasoned pork topping can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; bring it to room temperature before topping the dough."

Storage & reheating

"Best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover baked manakish (without herbs and cucumber) keep at room temperature for up to 2 hours, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze baked, cooled flatbreads wrapped individually for up to 2 months. Reheat from the fridge or freezer on a baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 6–10 minutes until hot in the center (pork should reach 165°F / 74°C), then add fresh herbs, cucumber and lime."

Substitutions

ground pork, 80/20 → ground chicken or turkey (thigh meat). Cook to 165°F (74°C). Add an extra 1 tsp of oil because the meat is leaner.
fish sauce → light soy sauce plus a squeeze of extra lime. Use 1½ tbsp soy sauce; the flavor will be less funky but still savory.
all-purpose flour → bread flour. Gives a chewier crust. Add 1 extra tbsp of water if the dough feels stiff.
uncooked jasmine rice → store-bought toasted rice powder (khao khua). Use 1½ tbsp. It's sold at Asian grocers and skips the toasting step.