Labneh with oil and thyme

Name: Labneh with oil and thyme
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 720 min
Total time: 730 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 1 kg Full-fat yogurt; 1 teaspoon salt; to taste olive oil; 2 tablespoons Wild thyme or dried mint

Homemade labneh, strained, spread out and drizzled with good olive oil — the most authentic breakfast there is.

Vegetarian

Cooking time: 12 hr 10 min
Hands-on time: 10 min
Free time: 12 hr
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 360
Contains: Dairy

Before it was a dish, labneh was a memory: a cheesecloth bag hung over the sink overnight, slowly dripping into thick, white yogurt. With good olive oil and fresh bread, breakfast needed nothing more.

Before you start

the night beforeLabneh needs 12–24 hours of straining in the refrigerator — prepare it today for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Ingredients

4people

Amounts follow the number of people

To prepare labneh with oil and thyme

1 kg Full-fat yogurt — Full-fat and chilled until needed
1 teaspoon salt — Add gradually, tasting as you go
to taste olive oil — Extra-virgin; add just before serving
2 tablespoons Wild thyme or dried mint — For the top

For a larger number of guests, double the ingredients, adding salt and acidity gradually after tasting.

Equipment

Muslin or clean cotton cloth — Straining is the entire recipe; a sieve alone will not hold back the whey.
Deep bowl — The bag hangs over it in the fridge.

Method

Mix the yogurt with the salt, and pour it into a clean gauze bag or cotton cloth.
5 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The mixture is homogeneous, and the flavors and texture are distributed evenly.
Tip: Mix only until homogeneous and taste before adding more salt.
Hang the bag over a bowl in the refrigerator to drain its whey.
12 hrYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
A thick, spreadable consistency — longer straining gives a thicker labneh.
Tip: Don't cut the resting time short; it is part of getting the final texture right.
Spread the labneh in a dish, drizzle the top with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, and serve with bread and vegetables.
5 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The ingredients are spread in an even, tidy layer.
Tip: Smooth the surface gently without applying excessive pressure so that the texture remains light.