Manaqish bi Za'tar

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g flour
• 1 packet of dry yeast
• 3 tbsp olive oil, approx.
• 250 ml water, lukewarm
• 4 tbsp marjoram, preferably wild
• 4 tbsp thyme
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp sumac
• ½ tsp salt
• 8 tbsp olive oil, approx.
• n. B. Vegetables for topping

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 25 minutes

Lebanese yeast flatbreads with herbs and oil – Mezza

Make a smooth, non-sticky yeast dough from the first five ingredients and let it rise for 1-2 hours. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan oven, top/bottom heat: 220°C). Mix together the herbs, salt, and oil. The herb mixture should be slightly thick but spreadable. Divide the yeast dough into 8 portions and roll out into a round shape. Spread the herb mixture onto the flatbreads using the back of a tablespoon. Bake in the oven for about 3-5 minutes. The edges should not become brown or crispy. Optionally, the dough can also be divided into 4 portions and rolled out into a round shape (again, the flatbreads should not become crispy). After baking, top the flatbreads crosswise with tomatoes, cucumber (or Lebanese cucumber), parsley, onions, and Lifit (Lebanese white beetroot colored with beetroot juice), according to taste, roll up, and enjoy like a wrap. We ate it for breakfast on the beach in Beirut. It was delicious! Za’tar is also available in Lebanese/Turkish shops. If you’re lucky enough to have Lebanese relatives, you should ask for this herbal blend from Lebanon. Most housewives make their own blends, and the herbs are simply incomparably better. It takes some getting used to, but it’s very tasty, and we often eat it for breakfast on weekends. If you don’t have enough time, you can simply spread the herbal blend on Arabic flatbread.