What an interesting month it has been. Apart from researching for flat breads around the world for my blog, I have read numerous interesting recipes from friends who have done their research so well. We got to learn so many new varieties of breads and dosas from India and around the world and I enjoyed it to the core. Being the last day of this interesting BM, I had to make something for myself. Yes, you heard it right. I made this manakeesh for myself. Usually I don’t eat the bread I bake, but today’s is one exception. I am eating a slice as I draft and it is so yum.
Do you remember the taboon bread I posted at the beginning of the week? This is a twist to the taboon bread. Taboon is a yeast leavened bread which is usually used as a wrap, but the same dough can be used to make manakeesh, but with toppings. You can call this as the Lebanese pizza. There are so many variations of manakeesh available, the famous one being zaatar. It is also topped with cheese, meat, chilly, kishq and spinach.
Zaatar is an amazing spice from the middle east and I got a pack from Priya during one of her visits. The pack I got was so big, I still have it in my freezer. I have used zaatar in various bread recipes and they go so well together. You can even use roasted paneer with zaatar. The flavour of zaatar is quite interesing. It is something I have never had, so I couldn’t explain to you. I have made a zaatar manakeesh for a previous BM, so I added cheese to the recipe as a variation. Baking the bread in a hot oven is so important to replicate the taboon oven they use to bake the bread. The bread turns out so crisp, you can hear the sound while slicing it.
Makes 2 Breads
Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour/ Maida – 1 cup + 1/4 cup
Sugar – 1 tsp
Instant Yeast – 3/4 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Water – 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup
Olive Oil – 2 tbs
Zaatar Spice – 2 tbs
Mozzarella Cheese – 1/2 cup, grated
Procedure:
In a bowl mix together 1/4 cup of flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast.
Add 1/4 cup of water and make a smooth thick batter.
Cover and set aside for 15 minutes until bubbly.
Add the remaining flour and mix well.
Add water to make the dough sticky and soft.
Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 250°C along with the baking tray.
Dust the dough with flour and divide it into two equal portions.
Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
Pat the dough into a slightly thin disc on a board.
Apply olive oil and sprinkle zaatar on top.
Top it with grated cheese.
Tilt the board so that the disc falls into the hot tray.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the top is browned.
Serve it hot out of oven.
Zaatar Cheese Manakeesh Recipe
Ingredients
- cup All Purpose Flour / Maida - 1 1/4 cup
- Sugar -1 tsp
- Instant Yeast - 3/4 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- cup Water - 1/4+ 1/2 cup
- Olive Oil-2 tbs
- Zaatar Spice - 2 tbs
- Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 cup grated
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together 1/4 cup of flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast.
- Add 1/4 cup of water and make a smooth thick batter.
- Cover and set aside for 15 minutes until bubbly.
- Add the remaining flour and mix well.
- Add water to make the dough sticky and soft.
- Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 250°C along with the baking tray.
- Dust the dough with flour and divide it into two equal portions.
- Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
- Pat the dough into a slightly thin disc on a board.
- Apply olive oil and sprinkle zaatar on top.
- Top it with grated cheese.
- Tilt the board so that the disc falls into the hot tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the top is browned.
- Serve it hot out of oven.
What an interesting month na, loved and learned so many interesting flatbreads during this whole month. Zaatar cheese looks absolutely incredible. How cheesy those manakeesh looks. You have done a good job Gayathri. And enjoyed going through all your flatbread, bookmarked many to try. Kudos to you yaar.
That is such a brilliant take on pizza, Gayathri. This month ahs been a spectacular one with you dishing out each bread after unique bread. It was a fantastic journey to follow you through the series. Kudos to you.
Ok , I can hear that crisp sound on slicing this Lebanese pizza ! And I can visualise you enjoying that slice while drafting the post ! How nice ! It is such a great feeling when you accomplish such a task . Beautiful Marathon with so much to learn . Kudos Gayathri , you are par excellence !
You are really perfect in baking.. looks so sinful , nice aand crisp bread.
Awesome finish Gayathri…this bread is simply stunning and to know you made for yourself, is so nice to know. Baking and not eating a tiny bit takes a lot of determination. You have done so making one for yourself is allowed. This bread looks like something I would love with all that cheese, so will be making it soon. Of course, your entire series is bookmarked..so thanks for all the efforts you put in!
Adding cheese along with the zaatar spice is a good idea, makes the manakeesh look so tempting. I had a huge pack of zaatar and used it in breads, in salads, sandwiches. Try it.
The Zaatar cheese bread looks simply delicious with all that cheese who is going to say no. I made a bread only with Zaatar and we loved it, will try your cheese version.
hahahah love the way you said that you made for yourself. yeah, sometimes it feels awesome to do something for ourselves. but this bread actually looks great and mouthwatering. I too feel like having one slice by my side and read my book. Cool finally we all done mega BM with so many great recipes.
What a nice treat you have made for yourself Gayathri and a well deserved one too!I too have the Zaatar that Priya sent us and have fallen in love with its flavor! An awesome way to end the series Gayathri
I like your idea of using cheese along with the za’atar. That would have cut down the spice flavor a little bit. My boys did not like the za’atar flavor much. I will try it this way next time.