During our brief stay in Lebanon, particularly Beirut, we discovered something that many others have previously discovered – Lebanon has absolutely delicious food. We regret that we didn’t have all the time in the world to fully explore the cuisine, but we were at least introduced to it. Since then, we’ve made a point to experiment with the food and spices, and we have something that is sure to please – Za’atar Man’oushe. Here, we’re going to go over how to make it the traditional way, as well as a way to bulk it up a bit as Za’atar Man’oushe Pizza.
Za’atar Man’oushe Pizza
Bread is kind of a big deal in the Middle East, particularly in the Levant region – Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus. As such, you’ll find all sorts of awesome bread, particularly the flatbreads. And that is exactly what Za’atar Manoushe is – an awesome flatbread. But just what is Za’atar Manoushe exactly?
At it’s most basic, it is a chewy flatbread that is topped with za’atar. Wait, you’ve never heard of za’atar before? Well, it’s a local spice blend of thyme, sesame seed, and sumac. It’s commonly eaten as a breakfast dish, where the flatbread is covered with a topping of za’atar and olive oil. The result – divine.
One of the best things about Za’atar Man’oushe is just how easy it is to pull off. Even a beginner cook can make this in just a few minutes with near-perfect results. And if you’re comfortable making the traditional recipe, it is super easy to take it up a notch to make a Za’atar Man’oushe pizza. Ready? Awesome, let’s go!
Making Za’atar Man’oushe
I will go over my dough process in another post, as it deserves its own attention. But for your own purposes, all you need to use is your favorite flatbread dough, whether it be pita, naan, whatever. You can even use pre-made flatbread if you’re uncomfortable making your own, though I would be careful about overcooking.
In any case, I use my Napoletana Pizza Dough recipe. I like to use pizza dough because it has a good amount of chewiness to it, as well as just a slightly sour taste – which really makes the dough as much a star of the dish as the toppings and dressings. I really feel like if you’re going to go through the effort of making something, you might as well make all of it good, right?
So let’s start off with the most basic form: Za’atar Man’oushe.
Traditional Style Ingredients
- 6 oz Dough (flatbread dough)
- 14 grams Za’atar
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Cornmeal
Traditional Style Directions
- If you’re working with fresh dough, allow it to rest at room temperature (if bringing out of the fridge) for around 30 minutes to come to room temperature. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) or as high as it will go. Dust a pan with cornmeal (this makes it so the bread easily comes off your pan without sticking or burning).
- Prep your za’atar spice by mixing it with olive oil. You will likely need to stir thoroughly just before applying to ensure everything is properly mixed together.
- Once your dough has rested, flatten it out on a lightly floured surface. I use a hand-pressed, hand-tossed method, but if you are uncomfortable doing this, a well-floured rolling pin will do just as well.
- Evenly spread your za’atar and olive oil mixture over the top of your dough, ensuring that all the dough but the outer-rim is completely covered.
- Turn on your broiler and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. You may need to go a little over or under depending on your oven. But what you are looking for is a toasty look all around. It should look like the bread dough itself is almost bubbling.
And there you have it! A traditional Lebanese Za’atar Man’oushe. Easy and delicious. So, now that we have the basics of the dish down, let’s explore a slightly more complicated, less traditional, but no less delicious variety.
Making Za’atar Man’oushe Pizza
Ok, so we have the basics down for Za’atar Man’oushe, but as you can probably already tell, this makes a perfect base for a pizza. But it has to be treated just a little bit different than your ordinary pizza. Obviously, we will not be using a marinara sauce, and regular cheese isn’t going to cut it. So let’s take a quick look at the local cuisine to figure out how we want to treat our pizza.
Food is just a little bit different in this part of the world, and you will notice it immediately when it comes to cheese. Melty cheeses like mozzarella aren’t all that common, instead, you’re going to find soft yogurt-like cheeses such as labneh – or hard, grillable cheeses like halloumi. As well, tomatoes are pretty ubiquitous and can be found in many different varieties and forms. So with this in mind, we’ll lead with these ingredients in building our pizza.
Pizza Style Ingredients
- 6 oz dough
- 14 grams za’atar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup halloumi (or equivalent hard cheese – I use paneer)
- 6 grape/cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 4 sundried tomatoes (sliced)
- red onion slices (optional)
Pizza Style Directions
- Allow your fresh dough to rest at room temperature (if bringing out of the fridge) for around 30 minutes to come to room temperature. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) or as high as it will go. Dust a pan with cornmeal.
- Prep your za’atar spice by mixing it with olive oil.
- Prepare your ingredients: tomatoes by slicing your grape/cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. Thinly slice the sun-dried tomatoes into long strips. Cube your halloumi into 1/4″ cubes. Thinly slice the red onion.
- Once your dough has rested, flatten it out on a lightly floured surface.
- Evenly spread your za’atar and olive oil mixture over the top of your dough, ensuring that all the dough but the outer-rim is completely covered. Then evenly distribute all your toppings (halloumi, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and red onion) on top of the za’atar.
- Turn on your broiler and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. You may need to go a little over or under depending on your oven. But what you are looking for is a toasty look all around. It should look like the bread dough itself is almost bubbling. You’ll also want to see the edges of the halloumi turning a toasty brown/black and a distinct roasted look to all of your toppings.
And there you have it! Your Za’atar Man’oushe Pizza is complete. It’s a delicious take on a traditional dish. It is a little bit more complicated, however, so be sure to check out a few tips about this.
Recipe Tips
While the recipe is pretty simple there are few things you may want to keep in mind.
- The higher the temperature of the oven, the better the bread will be. A wood-burning oven that reaches 800F would be ideal, but most people don’t have that. Because of the high temperatures and quick cooking time, you’ll want to keep a close eye on it as it cooks. Don’t rely on a timer, because even 1 minute could mean it’s burnt.
- While I went a little overboard with the toppings, ideally will want to be able to see the bread dough underneath the toppings. This ensures it cooks evenly.
- If you’re having trouble finding halloumi, you can substitute it with paneer which is very easy to make at home, or even just some good ol’ feta.
- If you are vegan or can’t consume dairy, you will have to change the recipe slightly to create a pizza. Za’atar Man’oushe is vegan by default, but the pizza style is not if you follow these ingredient directions. Either substitute your favorite hard vegan cheese, or just omit the cheese.
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