Zaatar manakish

Name: Zaatar manakish
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 3 cups flour; 1 tablespoon instant yeast; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 cup warm water; 1/2 cup wild thyme; 1/2 cup olive oil

Soft dough rounds with a mix of wild za'atar and olive oil — the smell of morning across our lands.

Vegan

Cooking time: 2 hr
Hands-on time: 50 min
Free time: 1 hr
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 390
Contains: Gluten

Manakish isn't just breakfast; it's a morning ritual: dough dimpled with the fingertips so the za'atar and its oil settle in. From the neighborhood oven to the home oven, the same aroma wakes the appetite and the memories.

Before you start

Before you beginRead the steps completely, measure the ingredients, and prepare the tools before turning on the fire or oven.
Rising and the ovenAllow enough time for the dough to rise, and preheat the oven fully before the tray goes in.

Ingredients

6people

Amounts follow the number of people

For the dough

3 cups flour — Sifted, then spooned lightly into the cup
1 tablespoon instant yeast — Instant, and within its use-by date
1 teaspoon sugar — fine white
1 teaspoon salt — Add gradually, tasting as you go
1/4 cup olive oil — extra-virgin
1 cup warm water — approximately

For the topping

1/2 cup wild thyme — Washed and thoroughly dried
1/2 cup olive oil — extra-virgin

When increasing the quantity, knead in two batches and leave space between the pieces in the tray so that they rise evenly.

Equipment

Kneading bowl — Big enough for the dough once it has risen.
Baking tray — A hot oven, preheated to 230° before anything goes in.

Method

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water and leave it until it foams.
10 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
Clear foam on the surface.
Knead the flour and salt with the oil and yeast mixture until you get a soft dough.
12 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Smooth, does not stick to the hand and pulls away from the wall of the bowl.
Cover it and leave it to rise until doubled in size.
1 hrYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
It has doubled, and a finger poke leaves a mark.
Mix the za'atar with olive oil into a moist paste.
5 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
A consistency that flows slowly from the spoon and is not dry and crumbly.
Tip: Dry za'atar burns in the oven — the oil is what protects it.
Divide the dough into balls, let them rest, then roll them out into discs half a centimeter thick.
15 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Even discs that don't spring back when rolled out.
Spread the za'atar on each disc, leaving a small border, then dimple the surface with your fingertips.
8 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
An even layer of za'atar, with light dimples to stop it puffing up.
Tip: The holes prevent the disc from inflating like a balloon.
Bake it at 220° on the bottom shelf.
10 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The base is firm and golden, the edge puffed slightly, and the za'atar still dark green, not black.
Tip: A hot oven and a short time: that is the formula for soft manakish.