Sujuk Manakish
Soft, chewy flatbreads topped with spiced Armenian sujuk sausage, juicy tomato and melted mozzarella, baked hot until blistered and golden. A Lebanese-bakery-style breakfast or snack with a rich, garlicky, cumin-scented bite.
- Prep
- 37 min
- Cook
- 26 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 15 min
- Total
- 2 hr 18 min
- Makes
- 6 round manakish (about 7 inches / 18 cm each)
Steps
Before you start
- Start the oven preheat about 30 minutes before the dough finishes rising so the baking surface is fully hot: 475°F (245°C) with a baking stone, steel or upside-down heavy baking sheets inside.
- Check your sujuk package. Dry-cured or fully cooked sujuk only needs browning. Fresh, raw sujuk must be cooked to 160°F (71°C) in step 4.
- Use low-moisture mozzarella (the firm block kind), not fresh mozzarella in brine, which will make the topping watery.
- Water for the dough should feel comfortably warm on your wrist, about 105–110°F (40–43°C). Hotter water can kill the yeast.
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, whisk 400 g flour, the yeast, sugar and salt.
- Add the 240 ml warm water and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or the dough hook on low until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms, about 1 minute.
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Ready when: No dry flour left; dough looks shaggy and slightly sticky.
Tip: If the yeast is not instant, stir it into the warm water with the sugar and let it foam for 5 minutes first.
Knead until smooth
- Knead with the dough hook on medium-low for 6 minutes, or by hand on a lightly floured counter for 8–10 minutes.
- Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time only if the dough sticks to your hands like glue; it should stay soft and slightly tacky.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, elastic and springs back slowly when poked.
Tip: Too much added flour makes dense manakish; a soft dough bakes up fluffier.
First rise
- Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl lightly greased with olive oil, turning once to coat.
- Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot (75–80°F / 24–27°C) for 60 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough has doubled and a fingertip dent springs back slowly.
Tip: Start preheating the oven with the stone or sheets about 30 minutes before the end of this rise.
Brown the sujuk
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the quartered sujuk (no oil needed) and cook, stirring often, for 4–5 minutes until it has released its red fat and the edges are lightly crisp.
- Fresh raw sujuk must reach 160°F (71°C) inside.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the fat behind, and let cool for a few minutes.
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Ready when: Sausage is sizzling, fat has rendered and the edges are slightly crisp.
Tip: Do not over-crisp; the pieces cook further in the oven and can turn hard.
Make the topping
- Place the diced tomatoes in a sieve and press gently, then drain for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the drained tomatoes, tomato paste, grated garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and Aleppo pepper if using.
- Stir in the cooled sujuk.
- Keep the shredded mozzarella separate.
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Ready when: Mixture is thick and spoonable, not watery.
Tip: Sujuk is already salty, so no extra salt is needed in the topping.
Shape and rest
- Turn the risen dough onto a floured counter and divide into 6 equal pieces (about 115 g each).
- Shape each into a tight ball, cover, and rest 10 minutes.
- Then roll or press each ball into a 7-inch (18 cm) round about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Place 3 rounds on each of two parchment sheets cut to fit your stone or sheets, spacing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
- Press a slight rim into the edges with your fingertips.
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Ready when: Rounds hold their size when rolled instead of shrinking back.
Tip: If a round keeps shrinking, cover it and let it rest 3 more minutes.
Top the roundsOven 475°F / 245°C
- Make sure the oven is fully preheated to 475°F (245°C) with the stone or sheets inside.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup of the sujuk-tomato mixture onto each round, spreading to within ½ inch (1.25 cm) of the edge.
- Scatter about 28 g (¼ cup) mozzarella over each.
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Ready when: Toppings are evenly spread with a clean border of dough.
Tip: Do not overload; heavy toppings keep the center doughy.
Bake first batchOven 475°F / 245°C
- Slide the first parchment sheet with 3 manakish onto the hot stone or sheet in the center of the 475°F (245°C) oven.
- Bake 9–11 minutes.
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Ready when: Edges are deep golden with brown blisters, the cheese is bubbling and spotted brown, and the underside is golden.
Tip: Keep the second batch covered with a towel so it doesn't dry out or over-proof.
Bake second batchOven 475°F / 245°C
- Remove the first batch to a wire rack.
- Let the oven recover for 2 minutes, then slide in the second parchment sheet and bake 9–11 minutes, until the same golden, blistered look.
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Ready when: Edges deep golden, cheese bubbling and lightly browned.
Finish and serve
- Brush the edges of the hot manakish with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
- Cool 3–5 minutes so the cheese sets, then serve warm, folded or cut into wedges.
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Ready when: Cheese no longer runs when you tilt the manakish.
Tip: Serve with cucumber, mint and olives to cut the richness.
Good to know
Tips
- A very hot baking surface gives a crisp base and a fast bake that keeps the dough tender inside.
- Drain the diced tomatoes well; excess moisture is the main cause of soggy centers.
- Pat the sujuk with paper towels after browning if it seems very greasy.
- For a bakery-style look, brush the dough rims with a little olive oil before baking.
Make ahead
"The dough can be made through step 3, then refrigerated in a covered, oiled bowl for up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature for 45 minutes before shaping. The topping mixture (without the mozzarella) keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight container up to 3 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 2 months. Reheat from the fridge or frozen on a baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 6–8 minutes (10–12 minutes from frozen) until hot and the bottom is crisp."
Substitutions
- sujuk sausage → spicy beef sausage or soppressata, plus ½ tsp cumin and a pinch of allspice. Approximates sujuk's warm spiced flavor; pre-cook raw sausage to 160°F (71°C).
- low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella → Akkawi cheese or a mix of mozzarella and Monterey Jack. Akkawi is traditional; soak it in water first to remove excess salt.
- all-purpose flour → bread flour. Gives a chewier crumb; add 1–2 tablespoons more water if the dough feels stiff.
- Aleppo pepper or mild chili flakes → sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne. Use ½ tsp paprika and a tiny pinch of cayenne.
