Whole Wheat Za'atar Manakish
Soft, nutty 100% whole wheat flatbreads brushed with a generous olive oil and za'atar paste and baked on a screaming-hot sheet until puffed at the edges and fragrant. A lightly honeyed dough keeps the whole wheat tender, not dense.
- Prep
- 37 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 20 min
- Total
- 2 hr 15 min
- Makes
- 8 manakish (about 6-inch / 15 cm rounds)
Steps
Before you start
- Plan on about 2¼ hours start to finish; most of it is hands-off rising time.
- Place two heavy rimless or inverted rimmed baking sheets on the oven racks before preheating so they get fully hot.
- Measure flour by weight if you can. Whole wheat flour packs densely, and too much flour gives dry, tough manakish.
- Use fresh, fragrant za'atar. If yours is very coarse or dry, it will still work because the olive oil softens it.
Mix yeast liquid
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water (300 ml / 1¼ cups), honey, and instant yeast.
- Add the 2 tbsp olive oil for the dough.
- Let it sit until the surface looks slightly foamy.
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Ready when: Surface is foamy and smells yeasty
Tip: If there is no foam after 10 minutes, the yeast or water temperature was off. Start over with fresh yeast.
Form the dough
- Add the 420 g whole wheat flour and the salt to the yeast mixture.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or the dough hook on low speed for about 2 minutes until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets remain; dough looks shaggy and tacky
Tip: Do not add extra flour yet. Whole wheat absorbs water slowly and the dough will firm up as you knead.
Knead until smooth
- Knead on medium-low speed in the mixer for 7 minutes, or by hand on a lightly floured counter for 9 to 10 minutes.
- The dough should be soft, slightly tacky, and elastic.
- If it sticks stubbornly to your hands after 4 minutes, sprinkle in 1 tbsp of the dusting flour at a time, but no more than 2 tbsp total.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, springs back slowly when poked, and pulls away from the bowl sides
Tip: A slightly tacky dough bakes into softer bread than a stiff one.
First rise
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
- Leave it in a warm spot (about 75–80°F / 24–27°C) for 60 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is almost doubled and a finger pressed in leaves a dent that fills back in slowly
Tip: Whole wheat dough rises a bit more slowly than white dough. In a cool kitchen, allow up to 90 minutes.
Divide and restOven 475°F / 245°C
- Place a rack in the upper third and one in the lower third of the oven, with the baking sheets on them, and preheat to 475°F (245°C).
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into 8 equal pieces of about 98 g each.
- Roll each into a smooth ball by cupping your hand over it and moving in small circles.
- Place the balls on the floured counter, cover with a towel, and rest for 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Balls look slightly puffy and are no longer springy when pressed
Tip: Weigh the pieces so they bake evenly.
Make za'atar paste
- While the dough rests, stir the za'atar and 90 ml (6 tbsp) olive oil together in a small bowl until it forms a loose, spreadable paste, like wet sand.
- Let it stand so the herbs soften.
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Ready when: Paste is glossy and spoonable, not dry or clumpy
Tip: Stir again right before using; the za'atar settles to the bottom of the bowl.
Roll the rounds
- Cut 4 pieces of parchment about 10 inches (25 cm) square.
- On a lightly floured counter, roll 4 of the balls into 6-inch (15 cm) rounds about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, then transfer each to a parchment square.
- Press your fingertips all over the surface to make shallow dimples, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) border undimpled.
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Ready when: Rounds are an even ¼ inch thick with dimples across the center
Tip: Keep the remaining 4 balls covered so they do not dry out.
Top the dough
- Stir the paste again.
- Spoon about 1½ tbsp onto the center of each round and spread it with the back of the spoon to the dimpled edge, keeping the border bare so it can puff up.
- Work quickly so the dough does not stick to the parchment.
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Ready when: Surface is evenly covered in glossy paste with a clean ½-inch border
Tip: Do not top the second batch until the first is in the oven; oil makes the dough soggy if it sits.
Bake first batchOven 475°F / 245°C
- Carefully slide the parchment squares with the 4 rounds onto the hot baking sheets (2 per sheet) and bake at 475°F (245°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, swapping the sheets' positions halfway.
- Meanwhile, roll and top the remaining 4 balls the same way.
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Ready when: Edges are puffed and golden brown, the underside is browned and the za'atar smells toasty
Tip: The sheets are extremely hot; use thick oven mitts. Pull them out early if the za'atar starts to darken; it turns bitter if scorched.
Bake second batchOven 475°F / 245°C
- Move the finished manakish to a wire rack.
- Slide the second 4 rounds onto the hot sheets and bake the same way for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Brush the warm breads with a little extra olive oil if desired, and serve warm, folded or rolled.
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Ready when: Edges are golden and puffed, the bottom is browned, and the bread is soft and flexible, not stiff
Tip: Let them cool for 3 to 5 minutes on the rack so they stay soft and do not steam each other soggy.
Good to know
Tips
- Hot sheets give the bottoms crispness and a fast rise (oven spring), so do not skip preheating them.
- Keep the paste off the very edge so the rim puffs and does not burn.
- Roll thin (¼ inch). Thicker rounds bake up doughy and bread-like instead of soft and flat.
- Serve with sliced tomato, cucumber, mint, olives and labneh for a classic Lebanese breakfast.
Make ahead
Make the dough through step 3, then refrigerate in an oiled covered bowl for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, then continue from step 5 (divide and rest). You can also bake the manakish fully and reheat later.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: cool completely, then keep in an airtight container or zip bag up to 1 day. Fridge: up to 4 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes (10 to 12 from frozen), or in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Substitutions
- honey → maple syrup or granulated sugar. Same amount; it only feeds the yeast and softens the whole wheat flavor. Use sugar to keep it vegan.
- za'atar → 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 2 tsp ground sumac, and ½ tsp salt. Blend to roughly make your own; use the full amount in place of the 40 g za'atar.
- instant yeast → active dry yeast. Use 2¼ tsp (7 g) and stir into the warm water for 10 minutes until foamy before adding other ingredients.
- whole wheat flour → half whole wheat flour and half bread flour. Gives a lighter, softer crumb; use 210 g of each and reduce the water by 1–2 tbsp if the dough feels too wet.
