The first time I tried the za’atar man’ouche was in a Lebanese restaurant in Brussels. It was long time ago during a trip I took with my mum to Belgium, and that was the first time I tried Lebanese food.
At the time I wouldn’t have imagined that a few years after that trip I would be living in Brussels or that my future husband would have Lebanese origins… Life is full of surprises!
The za’atar man’ouche is very rich and healthy. In Lebanon many people would have it for breakfast to start the day with energy, as the za’atar would provide a boost of magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc.
It is common to serve the za’atar man’ouche accompanied with Lebanese cucumbers, olives, mint and tomatoes.
This is a very simple recipe, requiring less than 10 basic ingredients and hands on prep time is below 10 minutes + the rise + a short 7 minute bake time. Very little time required for enjoying this perfect, easy, savory, hearty and delicious Lebanese flat bread.
I hope you give this recipe a try, if so let me know! Leave a comment and rate it. I would love to know what you come up with. Enjoy!
- 300g (2 ½ cups) plain flour
- 75ml (2.7 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
- 150ml (5.4 fl oz) warm water
- 2 teaspoons yeast powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons za’atar mix (thyme, sumac, sesame seeds, salt)
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- The man’ouche dough is made following the same recipe as the multipurpose olive oil dough recipe published at Tasty Mediterraneo: In a big bowl combine the flour, the salt and the yeast powder. Make a well in the middle and pour into it the olive oil and the warm water. With a silicon spatula bring the flour in from the sides and mix it well with the liquid. Keep mixing until it all starts to come together, and then keep on mixing with your clean hands and knead it until you have a smooth, not sticky, dough.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and place in a warm place of the house for at least half an hour until the dough has doubled its volume.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place it in a clean flour-dusted surface.
- Divide the dough in 4 parts, knead it a bit with your hands and, with the help of a rolling pin (lightly dusted in flour), extend the 4 man’ouche gradually flattening them out.
- In a small bowl mix the za’atar and the olive oil.
- With the help of a spoon, spread the mix on top of each of the 4 man’ouche.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F)
- Bake in the oven for 7 min at 200 degrees C (400 degrees F)
- Remove from the oven and enjoy them warm or cold.
After eating this during a visit to Lebanon I fell in love with it. I made this today with the children at my Kindergarten in Australia. We mixed our own spice and measured the dough as it rose. Most of the children thought that they wouldn’t like it. Well…. when it came to eating it, they absolutely loved it. Great recipe!
Hi Ali, I’m glad to know you and the kindergarten children enjoyed my manouche recipe 🙂 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
This is one of my go-to recipes. The kids love it! When it is baking in the oven they invariably will come to the kitchen to see “what smells so good”.
Hi Margaret, I’m happy to know that your kids love this recipe 🙂 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
Recipe is amazing and very addictive. I made a batch but I think I made a bit too much. How long do they last? Do I refrigerate them? I’m afraid if I put them in the refrigerator it will turn hard.
Hi Anthony, I’m glad you like it 🙂 If you’ve done a big batch I would suggest you to refrigerate them and put them a couple of minutes in the oven when you’re going to consume them, they might turn a bit hard but they should be good anyway. They should last well in the fridge for one week. Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
Many thanks for the recipe.. this is some of the tastiest bread I’ve ever eaten! Can’t wait to try more of your food.
Hi Robert, I’m glad you like it 🙂 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
Going to do this for a dinner party next Saturday with Lamb Kofta, an Onion, Pepper and Tomato ‘Ratatouille’
(flavoured with Middle Eastern spices) and servce it with Lemon and Coriander Cous Cous with Chopped Pistachio
Nuts, Golden Sultanas and Pomegranate seeds.
Many Thanks for this recipe.
Nick
Hi Nick, you’re welcome! 🙂 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
Hi I’ve just discovered your site & recipe. I am used to making traditional British bread & use STRONG plain flour with a higher gluten content.
I would love to try your recipe but will ordinary supermarket plain flour work ?
Any helpful advice would be appreciated,. Thankyou
Hi Pauline, yes you can use ordinary plain flour, it should work. Enjoy and happy healthy cooking! 🙂
Hi thanks for the great recipe. I added some chopped olives and chilli flakes to the dough which really elevates it to the next level.
Hi MZ, I’m delighted to know you like it and that you spiced it up to your taste 😉 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
this look great, only Za’atar isn’t thyme but hyssop. Thyme would taste great too, but they taste different 🙂
Hi Jane, delighted to know you like it 🙂 Za’atar, at least in Lebanon and Syria, is a mix of thyme, sumac, sesame seeds & salt. Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
I made these as we used to live in the Middle East but Uk plain flour obviously not the same lol.
Hi Rachel, I hope you enjoyed it! 🙂
Where do I buy zaatar?
Hi Lauren, if where you live there is any middle eastern shop they will definitely sell zaatar. If you do not have any middle eastern shop nearby maybe you could do it yourself since it is a mix of thyme, sumac, sesame seeds and salt. I wouldn’t be able to indicate you the measures of each of the ingredients you should have to use, but I’m sure you can find some online recipe to prepare your own zaatar 😉 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
Hello, looks great and nice pics.
I would like to ask you at which rack
shall the tray be?
Is it on the middle or in the first rack from bottom?
Thank you
Hi Hanan, you can use a flat oven tray over the rack or a perforated pizza baking tray. As per where to place it in the oven, you should place it in the middle with upper and lower heat (or by natural convection if your oven has the option) 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi!! I just found this recipe and I will love to try it but… I’m on a KETO diet and was wondering if I can substitute the flour for almond flour or anything else other than regular flour?
Thanks
Hi Patty! I have always done it using regular flour, and I do not believe it would work using almond flower… Maybe try using a cauliflower pizza crust recipe and add later the zaatar mix on top. It will be far from the traditional zaatar manouche, but that’s all I can think about if you can’t use regular flour. Enjoy! 🙂
Very late, I know, but I tried the recipe and I’ve been sending it to all my friends. Really easy, and such well-behaved dough! Thank you!
Hi Sarah, I’m very happy to know you like my manouche recipe 🙂 And thanks so much for sharing the link to my recipe with your friends, much appreciated! Enjoy!
Hello
My godmother was of Lebanese descent from Lebanon so during my growing up years I was fortunate to have tasted and enjoyed the flavors of Lebanese cooking.The Lebanese bread(flatbread) my parents made was baked in an antique gas oven and man’ouche was great.Especially when eaten with Tabuli.One added ingredient my folks would put on the man’ouche was not too small chopped onion.It would give it that extra punch of flavor and complemented it well.
Hi Leroy, it’s great that your godmother cooked Lebanese food for you 🙂 There’s nothing like food memories from childhood! Adding a bit of onion to the manouche sounds great, enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
HI
Can i knead using dough hook on Kitchen Aid and if so for how long ?
Thanks
Geraldine
Hi Geraldine, I do not have a Kitchen Aid but I assume you could knead the dough using it. As per the time I wouldn’t be able to advise, although I guess it would be the same kneading time you may need to do any kind of pizza dough with a Kitchen Aid. I hope you enjoy the man’ouche! 🙂
Hi Margarita,
I like to bake bread in large batches, can the Man’ouches be frozen fully baked, or par baked then finished when required?
Would it be better if the Zataar be added when they are to be reheated?
Thanks
Victor
Hi Victor, what I usually do is I prepare a large batch of dough and I keep it in the fridge in a plastic food bag well sealed. It is perfect for up to 4-5 days in the fridge and having the dough ready to use in the fridge allows me to prepare manouche or even pizza (I also use my multipurpose olive oil dough for the pizza crust) in no time. If you prefer to freeze it, I would fully bake the zaatar manouche, allow it to cool and freeze it immediately once it’s cold. You could unfreeze them and heat them for a couple of minutes in the hot oven and they’ll be almost as good as freshly baked 🙂 Enjoy!
Excellent easy to follow recipe, I saw a food programme where they wrapped pieces of tomatoes and cucumber inside, so l copied…result? Fantastic, big hit with my wife and youngest son. Many thanks for the recipe.
Hi Mike, you are welcome! It’s actually common to serve the manouche with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and mint leaves, so you did great! I’m happy to know you and your family like it 🙂 Enjoy!
My friend who spent his childhood in Lebanon gave me a jar of Za’atar and I found your recipe to make the Man’oush with it. It came out perfectly the first time, as far as I can tell. I had two pieces hot and the next day enjoyed two pieces cold. I am going to make another batch for my friend to taste, and I hope he’ll be happy with the results!
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi David, great to know you enjoyed the manouche 🙂 I hope your friend will enjoy it as well. Best wishes for 2018!
How is the texture suppose to be soft or hard when done baking?
Hi Rosemary, apologies for my late answer, I am only seeing your question now. Once it’s baked the texture of the manouche should be soft, like a soft pita bread, it should not be hard nor too crunchy. Enjoy!
Thank you so much! My mom is coming from Lebanon and this js her favorite breakfast, i can’t wait to make it for her 🙂
Hi Danielle, my pleasure! Glad to know you’ll be preparing it for your mom 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi – dough is proofing now but I’m not sure how to bake. Direction oven rack, Pizza stone? My sister lives in Middle East and recently sent me some very fragrant zatar. Thx
Hi Andrea, I usually place it over an oven tray. I don’t have a pizza stone, but I guess you could use it if it’s already heated when you add the manouche on top; then simply bake it for about 7-8 minutes and enjoy 🙂
Hi
Can i prepare the dough in night and make in morning?
Will the dough become hard?
Hi Syeda, apologies for my late answer, I was a few days on holidays with very limited connection and only now I see your question. You can perfectly prepare it at night time and keep it in the fridge in a plastic food bag well sealed. It will be perfect to prepare your man’ouche in the morning 😉 Enjoy!
Looks delicious! I’m going to make it for Issamsam~^^
Yu-Hsuan! I’m sure Issam will love it 😉 Miss you a lot guys!
Omg! So delicious! Better than Lebanese bakeries!
Looking forward to trying it
Thanks Rache 🙂 Enjoy!