Za'atar and Cheese Manakish

Name: Za'atar and Cheese Manakish
Prep time: 44 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt; 1¼ cups (300 ml) water, warm, about 105–110°F (40–43°C), comfortably warm to the touch; ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing the rising bowl; 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the counter; ¼ cup (30 g) za'atar blend; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2¼ cups (250 g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely shredded, at room temperature

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, chewy Lebanese flatbreads baked hot and fast, each one half-topped with fragrant za'atar-olive oil paste and half with stretchy melted mozzarella, so every bite can go herby, cheesy, or both.

Prep: 44 min
Cook: 16 min
Wait: 1 hr 38 min
Total: 2 hr 38 min
Makes: 8 manakish, each about 6 inches (15 cm) wide

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
1¼ cups (300 ml) water, warm, about 105–110°F (40–43°C), comfortably warm to the touch
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing the rising bowl
2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the counter
For the topping
¼ cup (30 g) za'atar blend
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2¼ cups (250 g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely shredded, at room temperature

Equipment (8)

Large mixing bowl
Small bowl for the za'atar paste
Rolling pin
2 large rimless baking sheets or rimmed baking sheets (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm), one used for preheating
Parchment paper
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Kitchen scale (optional but helpful)
Instant-read or dough thermometer (optional)

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 2½ hours start to finish; most of it is the dough rising while you do nothing.
Shred the mozzarella from a block of low-moisture cheese. Fresh or pre-soaked mozzarella releases water and makes the dough soggy.
Check that your za'atar blend is already mixed with sesame seeds and sumac. Smell it: it should be fragrant and tangy, not dusty.
Your oven needs to reach 475°F (245°C) and hold it, so give it a full 30 minutes of preheating.

1
Bloom the yeast
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm water (300 ml), sugar and instant yeast together.
- Let it stand for 8 minutes.
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Ready when: The surface is covered with a thin, foamy, beige layer and smells yeasty.
Tip: If there is no foam after 10 minutes, the yeast is dead or the water was too hot or cold. Start again with fresh yeast.
2
Mix the dough
- Add the 500 g flour, salt and ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil to the yeast mixture.
- 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 left and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl in a rough mass.
Tip: Do not add extra flour at this stage. The dough firms up as it kneads.
3
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough onto a clean counter and knead for 8 minutes (or 6 minutes in a stand mixer on medium-low with the dough hook).
- Fold the dough over itself, push it away with the heel of your hand, and rotate it a quarter turn.
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Ready when: The dough is smooth, soft and elastic, and springs back slowly when you poke it with a finger. It should be slightly tacky but not stick to your hands.
Tip: Use just a light sprinkle from the 2 tbsp dusting flour only if the dough sticks stubbornly; keep the rest for rolling later.
4
First rise
- Coat a large bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Shape the dough into a ball, turn it in the oil to coat, cover with a 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: The dough has doubled and a floured finger leaves a dent that fills back in slowly.
Tip: In a cool kitchen, allow up to 90 minutes. Judge by size, not the clock.
5
Divide and roll
- Gently press the air out of the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces, about 110 g each.
- Roll each piece into a tight ball.
- On a lightly floured counter, roll each ball into a round about 6 inches (15 cm) wide and ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Place the rounds on two parchment-lined baking sheets, 4 per sheet, leaving a little space between them.
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Ready when: Each round is an even thickness with no thin, see-through spots.
Tip: If the dough springs back when rolling, cover the rounds and let it relax for 5 minutes, then continue.
6
Make the toppings
- In a small bowl, stir the za'atar and ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil into a loose, spreadable paste.
- It should look like wet sand.
- Have the shredded mozzarella ready in a separate bowl.
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Ready when: The paste is spreadable with a spoon and not dry or crumbly.
Tip: Stir the paste again right before using. The za'atar settles to the bottom of the bowl.
7
Preheat and restOven 475°F / 245°C
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and put a spare baking sheet or baking steel on it.
- Preheat to 475°F (245°C).
- Cover the shaped rounds loosely with a towel and let them rest for 25 minutes while the oven heats.
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Ready when: The rounds look slightly puffy and the oven has been at 475°F (245°C) for at least 15 minutes.
Tip: A hot baking surface gives the bottoms of the manakish a good crust and bubbly rims.
8
Top the first batch
- Leaving a ½-inch (1.25 cm) border, spread 1 tbsp of the za'atar paste over one half of each of the first 4 rounds.
- Press the dough with your fingertips to make dimples.
- Pile about 30 g (¼ cup) of mozzarella over the other half of each round, keeping the cheese off the edge so it doesn't leak.
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Ready when: Each round is neatly divided into one herb half and one cheese half, with a bare border.
Tip: Keep the second batch covered so it doesn't dry out and form a crust.
9
Bake batch oneOven 475°F / 245°C
- Slide the parchment with the 4 topped rounds onto the preheated baking sheet in the oven.
- Bake at 475°F (245°C) for 8 minutes.
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Ready when: The edges are golden brown, the bottoms are lightly browned, and the cheese is melted and spotted with golden patches.
Tip: Check at 6 minutes. Ovens vary, and the high heat browns the cheese quickly.
10
Top and bake batch twoOven 475°F / 245°C
- While batch one bakes, top the remaining 4 rounds in the same way (1 tbsp za'atar paste on one half and about ¼ cup mozzarella on the other).
- Move the first batch to a wire rack, then slide the second batch's parchment onto the hot baking sheet and bake at 475°F (245°C) for 8 minutes, until golden.
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Ready when: The edges are golden brown, the bottoms are lightly browned, and the cheese is melted and speckled with gold.
Tip: If any za'atar paste is left over, brush it on the hot manakish as soon as they come out.
11
Cool briefly and serve
- Let the manakish cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes so the cheese sets slightly.
- Serve warm, folded or torn, as they are or with cucumber, tomato and mint.
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Ready when: The cheese is no longer molten and the bread is soft and pliable.

Good to know

Tips

Roll the dough to an even thickness; thin patches burn and thick patches stay doughy.
Keep the topping off the edge so you get a puffy, golden rim and no cheese sticking to the pan.
For a crisper bottom, bake directly on a preheated baking steel or heavy sheet instead of cold parchment-lined trays.
Serve straight away; the bread is at its softest in the first 15 minutes.

Make ahead

"The dough can be made through step 3, then refrigerated in the oiled, covered bowl for up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temperature for 45 minutes, then continue from step 5. Alternatively, shape, rest and bake the unbaked rounds topped only with the za'atar paste, then add cheese to the hot bread for the last 2 minutes."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 4 hours, covered. Fridge: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 2 months, wrapped individually in foil. Reheat from the fridge or frozen on a baking sheet in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 6–8 minutes (10–12 minutes from frozen), until hot and the cheese is soft."

Substitutions

low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella → Akkawi cheese (soaked and drained to remove salt), or a half-and-half mix of mozzarella and crumbled feta. Akkawi is the traditional choice and melts well; feta adds salty tang, so use less if it's very salty.
za'atar blend → Homemade blend of 2 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp sumac and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds with a pinch of salt. Use if you can't find ready-made za'atar; it makes about ¼ cup.
instant yeast → Active dry yeast, 2¼ tsp (7 g). Bloom it in the warm water for 10 minutes until foamy; it needs slightly longer than instant.
all-purpose flour → Up to 150 g whole wheat flour replacing the same weight of all-purpose. Dough will be denser; add 1–2 tbsp more water if it feels stiff.