Okonomiyaki-Style Manakish

Name: Okonomiyaki-Style Manakish
Prep time: 46 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 57 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 1⅓ cups (315 ml) warm water, about 105°F (40°C), comfortably warm to the touch; 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast; 2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt; 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp (45 ml) for the dough, 1 tbsp (15 ml) for oiling the bowl and brushing the edges; 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface; 4 cups (300 g) green cabbage, cored and very finely shredded (about ¼ small head); ¾ tsp (4 g) fine sea salt; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts; 2 tbsp (30 g) pickled red ginger (beni shoga), drained and finely chopped (optional); 1 whole (50 g) large egg, lightly beaten; 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp (30 ml) okonomiyaki sauce, mixed into the cabbage; 1 cup (120 g) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (optional); 6 tbsp (90 ml) okonomiyaki sauce; 6 tbsp (90 ml) Kewpie mayonnaise, in a squeeze bottle or snipped zip-top bag if you have one; 1 cup (10 g) bonito flakes (katsuobushi), loosely packed; 2 tsp (2 g) aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, olive-oil-rich Lebanese flatbread rounds are topped with a seasoned cabbage-and-egg mixture, baked until the edges blister, then finished with the classic okonomiyaki trio: sweet-savory sauce, Kewpie mayo and dancing bonito flakes. It's crisp at the edges, tender in the middle and a little bit of everything.

Prep: 46 min
Cook: 11 min
Wait: 1 hr 20 min
Total: 2 hr 17 min
Makes: 6 manakish (7-inch / 18 cm rounds)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the dough
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1⅓ cups (315 ml) warm water, about 105°F (40°C), comfortably warm to the touch
2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp (45 ml) for the dough, 1 tbsp (15 ml) for oiling the bowl and brushing the edges
2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
For the topping
4 cups (300 g) green cabbage, cored and very finely shredded (about ¼ small head)
¾ tsp (4 g) fine sea salt
3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
2 tbsp (30 g) pickled red ginger (beni shoga), drained and finely chopped (optional)
1 whole (50 g) large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (30 ml) okonomiyaki sauce, mixed into the cabbage
1 cup (120 g) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (optional)
To finish
6 tbsp (90 ml) okonomiyaki sauce
6 tbsp (90 ml) Kewpie mayonnaise, in a squeeze bottle or snipped zip-top bag if you have one
1 cup (10 g) bonito flakes (katsuobushi), loosely packed
2 tsp (2 g) aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) (optional)

Equipment (8)

Large mixing bowl
2 heavy rimmed baking sheets, about 13×18 inches (33×46 cm)
Rolling pin
Kitchen scale
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Instant-read thermometer
Squeeze bottle or spoon for drizzling sauce and mayo
Pastry brush

Steps

Before you start

Read the timing: the dough needs about 1 hour to rise, and the oven and baking sheets need about 20 minutes to preheat while the dough rests.
Measure the flour by weight if you can. Scooping with a cup can add up to 20% extra flour and make the dough dry.
Shred the cabbage as finely as you can (a mandoline or very sharp knife). Thick pieces stay raw and lift off the dough.
Bonito flakes, okonomiyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo, aonori and pickled red ginger are sold at Japanese or Asian grocers and many large supermarkets.
Bonito flakes are fish-based, so this recipe is not vegetarian. The bonito is optional if you skip it.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and dough salt.
- Add the warm water and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or your hand for about 2 minutes, until no dry flour remains and the dough forms a shaggy mass.
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Ready when: No dry flour left in the bowl; the dough looks rough and sticky.
Tip: The water should feel comfortably warm, not hot. Water above 120°F (49°C) can kill the yeast.
2
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface (use part of the dusting flour).
- Knead for 8 minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand, folding, and turning.
- Add only a teaspoon of flour at a time if it sticks badly.
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Ready when: The dough is smooth, soft and slightly tacky, and a poked dent springs back slowly.
Tip: A soft, slightly tacky dough bakes into a tender manakish. Resist adding too much flour.
3
First rise
- Brush a clean large bowl with about 2 teaspoons of the remaining olive oil.
- Add the dough, turn it once to coat, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.
- Leave it in a warm spot for 60 minutes.
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Ready when: The dough has doubled in size and a floured finger leaves a dent that fills back in slowly.
Tip: Make the topping during this rise so everything is ready when the dough is.
4
Prepare the topping
- While the dough rises, toss the cabbage with the topping salt in a bowl and leave it for 10 minutes.
- Squeeze handfuls of the cabbage firmly over the sink to remove as much liquid as you can (you should end up with about 200 g).
- Return it to the bowl and mix in the scallions, pickled ginger if using, beaten egg, topping flour and the 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of okonomiyaki sauce until evenly coated and slightly sticky.
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Ready when: The cabbage is limp, evenly coated in a sticky egg mixture, with no pooled liquid in the bowl.
Tip: Squeezing out the water is important. Wet cabbage will steam and leave the dough soggy in the middle. The 10-minute salting happens while the dough rises, so it adds no extra time.
5
Divide and preheatOven 475°F / 245°C
- Gently press the risen dough flat to release the large bubbles.
- Divide it into 6 equal pieces of about 150 g each.
- Roll each piece into a smooth ball, tucking the edges underneath.
- Place the balls on a floured surface, cover with a towel and rest for 20 minutes.
- At the start of this rest, put the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds, set the 2 baking sheets inside and preheat to 475°F (245°C).
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Ready when: The balls are puffy and relaxed, and the oven has been at 475°F (245°C) for at least 15 minutes.
Tip: Preheating the sheets gives the bottoms of the manakish a quick, crisp start.
6
Roll out the rounds
- Roll each ball into a 7-inch (18 cm) round, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Press your fingertips around the edge to make a slightly raised rim about ½ inch (1 cm) wide.
- Lightly brush the rim with a little of the remaining olive oil.
- Place the rounds on 2 sheets of parchment paper (3 per sheet) so you can slide them onto the hot pans.
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Ready when: Each round is evenly thin with a defined rim and does not shrink back when you stop rolling.
Tip: If a round springs back as you roll, cover it, move to the next one and return after 5 minutes.
7
Add the topping
- Spread about ⅓ cup of the cabbage mixture over each round, keeping it within the rim and pressing it down lightly so it forms a thin, even layer.
- If using, scatter 1 heaping tablespoon (about 20 g) of mozzarella over each.
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Ready when: The cabbage is a thin, even layer, with no thick piles, and does not cover the rim.
Tip: Don't overload the topping. Thick piles of cabbage take longer to cook and weigh the dough down.
8
Bake the manakishOven 475°F / 245°C
- Carefully slide the parchment with the rounds onto the hot baking sheets.
- Bake at 475°F (245°C), 3 per sheet on the upper and lower racks, for 10 minutes, swapping the sheets' positions after 5 minutes.
- Bake until the rim is deep golden with a few dark spots, the bottom is firm and golden, the cabbage edges are browned, and the egg in the topping reaches 160°F (71°C) when checked with a thermometer.
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Ready when: Rim is deep golden, the bottom is firm and golden, the cabbage edges are browned and the topping reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Use oven mitts when sliding the parchment onto the sheets, since they will be very hot.
9
Sauce, mayo and bonito
- Transfer the manakish to a cutting board or serving platter.
- While still hot, brush or spoon about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of okonomiyaki sauce over each topping.
- Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of Kewpie mayo in a zig-zag.
- Scatter each with a pinch of bonito flakes and aonori if using.
- Serve right away, cut into wedges, while the bonito flakes are still swaying from the heat.
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Ready when: The sauce and mayo form a glossy zig-zag pattern, and the bonito flakes visibly move from the steam.
Tip: Add the sauce, mayo and bonito just before serving. They make the crust soggy if left to sit.

Good to know

Tips

Squeeze the salted cabbage thoroughly. Moisture is the main reason the center turns soggy.
Use a thin layer of topping. About ⅓ cup per 7-inch round cooks fully in 10 minutes.
If your oven runs hot or your sheets are dark metal, check at 8 minutes to keep the bottoms from over-browning.
Add mozzarella for a cheesy version, as in the Lebanese cheese manakish, or leave it out for a lighter one.

Make ahead

The dough can be refrigerated after kneading, in an oiled covered bowl, for up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temperature for about 45 minutes before dividing. The squeezed cabbage mixture (without the egg and flour) can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Mix in the egg and flour just before topping.

Storage & reheating

Best eaten fresh. Keep leftover undressed baked manakish at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze undressed baked manakish, wrapped individually, for up to 2 months. Reheat from fridge or frozen on a baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 8–12 minutes until hot in the center, then add fresh sauce, mayo and bonito.

Substitutions

okonomiyaki sauce → Homemade sauce: 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar per 4 tbsp. Whisk together before using. The taste is slightly less fruity but close to bottled okonomiyaki sauce.
Kewpie mayonnaise → Regular mayonnaise with a pinch of sugar and a few drops of rice vinegar. Kewpie is richer and tangier because it's made with egg yolks and rice vinegar. This mimics it closely.
bonito flakes (katsuobushi) → Crumbled toasted nori or extra aonori. This makes the dish vegetarian, though it loses the smoky fish flavor.
all-purpose flour → Bread flour. Gives a chewier crumb. Reduce the water by 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) if the dough feels too wet.