Man'ousheh
If you are just meeting me through this recipe or the website, I have a confession to make: I am completely addicted to the Man’ousheh. Happily addicted to be precise! :))
If you already came to one of the cooking classes I give in Miami, or read my regular posts on social media platforms; you are fully aware of the symptoms! :)))
One Zaatar Man’ousheh or 10 Manakish. I can eat them all!! My favorite herb and sesame blend on a warm unevenly puffed dough. It’s almost like a pizza but 10000 times better.
The cravings are so serious I had to figure out some hacks for a quick zaatar man’ousheh fix. If you don’t have time to prepare the dough or you are in an breakfast-emergency-situation I have a trick for you; Re-bake a thick medium sized pita bread with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and homemade zaatar. It’s not a man’ousheh but it is very very close and can be done in under 10 minutes… You can see the results here, here, here and also here.
Make your own zaatar and follow the easy steps in the detailed recipe. You can easily find zaatar mixes at a middle-eastern store. Try to buy the brand with the most toasted sesame seeds, then add some more toasted sesame seeds at home and revamp the blend.
Video recipe: Zaatar Mix on IGTV
MAN’OUSHEH
Recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Makes 6 medium manakish
Zaatar and Oil mixture*
1/2 cup zaatar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Zaatar and Oil Directions
In a small bowl, mix the Zaatar with the vegetable oil and extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
Dough Ingredients**
250 g bread flour
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
170 g water
Additional all purpose flour for shaping / baking
Dough Directions
Prep all the ingredients.
You will need one big bowl, plastic wrap, a rolling pin, and a dough scraper (or large knife).
In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and mix with a spoon until the dough starts coming together. When the dough begins forming a rough ball use your hand and work the mixture a little bit making sure to “include” the remaining flour on the bottom of the bowl. At this point, the dough will be sticky and uneven. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until double in size (between 90 and 120 minutes).
Meanwhile, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and dust them very lightly with flour.
Heat the oven to 400F (200C).
Dust a clean working surface with a little bit of flour. Place the risen dough and deflate by slightly pressing down on the dough with your hands. Using a dough scraper (or a large knife), divide the dough in two equal parts then, each part in 3 approximately equal parts. You will end up with 6 dough portions. Shape small buns with each dough portion let them rest for 5 minutes (on the working surface). Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a 7 inch (18 cm) disc. (like a small pizza).
Place the rolled out dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. (on a single layer…)
If you like your man’ousheh flat (no bubbles!): using a fork, prick each rolled out dough a few times towards the center of the disc. Leave the edges clear.
I like mine with some personality and uncontrolled bubbles… so I leave the dough as is.
Man’ousheh Directions
Spread two tablespoons of Zaatar and oil mix on the rolled out dough.
Bake in the hot oven until the dough is cooked through. Depending on the thickness of the man’ousheh, it should take around 10 minutes. If you like your man’ousheh with crispy edges, leave it to bake a little longer and check every couple of minutes.
You can also make cheese man’ousheh with the same dough. Just substitute the Zaatar and oil mixture with grated cheese; I combine Halloumi cheese (or queso blanco) and mozzarella.
*If you have Zaatar and Oil mix leftovers, it keeps well in an airtight container for up to a week, at room temperature.
**Baking ingredients and measurements are in grams for best results. Most kitchen scales display results in both the US and international metric systems.
