Masala Herb

Recipes + Food & Travel

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • TRAVEL
  • Contact
  • New? Start HERE!
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • RECIPES
  • Contact
  • New? Start Here!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are Here: Masala Herb » Recipes » Bread

    Lebanese Zaatar Bread - Manakish, Manoushe Flatbread Recipe

    Published: Aug 10, 2018 · Modified: Dec 19, 2022 by Helene Dsouza

    18.1K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Flipboard
    • Email
    • WhatsApp
    Helene Dsouza
    Zaatar Bread, aka Manoushe or Manakish, is a popular flatbread from the middle east. The bread can be prepared with pizza dough and is then topped with a zaatar seasoning paste before being baked in high heat for a short time. The result is soft and layered, seasoned bread.
    Total Time: 36 minutes
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 minutes
    1 large flatbread
    4.88 from 25 votes
    Jump to Recipe
    Lebanese Zaatar Bread - Manakish, Manoushe Flatbread Recipe

    Zaatar Bread is a soft flatbread topped with a zaatar seasoning mixed with olive oil paste, which is then baked like a pizza.

    The bread is enjoyed still hot in the middle east for breakfast or with a meal.

    You will love this seasoned flatbread if you are into pizza, pita, and other middle eastern/Mediterranean baked delicacies!

    Lebanese Zaatar Bread - Manakish, Manoushe Flatbread Recipe
    Recipes from around the world E-Book

    Global Food Recipes

    with Spices and Herbs

    Free E-Book available for a limited time. Grab yours now and get instantly inspired!

    00
    Days
    :
     
    00
    Hours
    :
     
    19
    Minutes
    :
     
    59
    Seconds

    You missed out!

    Recipes from around the world E-Book

    Your Free E-Book 

    was sent to your

    E-Mail Address!

    Please check your Spam folder

    Jump to:
    • 🥖 Zaatar bread ingredients
    • 👁️ More Mediterranean recipe ideas:
    • 💡 Flatbread Recipes from around the world
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Zaatar Bread is the English name.

    The flatbread is better known by various names.

    Man'ousheh is the single form for one zaatar bread and manakish the plural.

    Other writing variations include manoushe, manoush, manakeesh, manaeesh and manaqish.

    This particular flatbread is usually associated with the Lebanese and Syrian cuisine. 

    Yet, zaatar bread, in general, is super popular across the middle east as is the seasoning used on the bread, Zaatar.

    I got to taste my first zaatar bread in Austria when the village organized that the Syrian men refugees prepared Manakish for the yearly village celebrations.

    The point was to introduce their culture closer to the population, so to say to integrate them and keep them busy with things to do.

    With that said,... looks like Zaatar bread is going to be more common in Europe from now on!

    Lebanese Zaatar Bread - Manakish, Manoushe Flatbread Recipe

    🥖 Zaatar bread ingredients

    So when I tasted Zaatar bread, prepared by the refugees, I instantly fell in love with the flatbread.

    Yet I think the men who prepared it were missing an essential ingredient to prepare the zaatar (which is kind of the main ingredient here anyway).

    As I mentioned in my zaatar seasoning recipe, the blend of spices is prepared with sumac, which is a sour spice.

    It adds tartness to zaatar and that is why zaatar is such a big deal!

    Lebanese Zaatar Bread - Manakish, Manoushe Flatbread Recipe

    The refugees obviously didn't have sumac when they prepared their own zaatar. So the taste was slightly off.

    Nonetheless, the locals in the village enjoyed the flatbreads and the event was kind of a success.

    Anyhow, this brings us back to the fact that the few ingredients that are used to prepare this zaatar bread should be spot on and of great quality!

    So, keep that in mind when you buy the ingredients.

    You will need a Pizza dough, which is prepared with flour, yeast, water, salt and olive oil. 

    You can see in my how to make pizza dough video that preparing pizza from scratch is the way to go.

    The flavors are way better and you know whats in your dough.

    Lebanese Zaatar Bread - Manakish, Manoushe Flatbread Recipe

    To top the rolled out pizza dough you will need a zaatar paste, which is simply zaatar mixed with olive oil.

    The Zaatar bread is soft when finished baked and has layers and at times it creates air pockets and blows up a bit when you bake it.

    When it's baking, you will smell it from afar because the herbs with the olive oil are getting infused into the bread surface.

    You won't be able to stop yourself from finishing the whole thing by yourself.

    The amount of Zaatar Olive oil paste can be adjusted. I don't add that much.

    I think it' s sufficiently seasoned, however, feel free to double the amount of paste which you spread over the rolled out bread dough.

    Serve the hot Zaatar Bread for breakfast or enjoy with a meal, homemade Labneh or even with a delicious olive tapenade or my green cashew basil pesto.

    👁️ More Mediterranean recipe ideas:

    • Shakshuka with Feta Cheese
    • Greek Salad

    💡 Flatbread Recipes from around the world

    • Colombian Arepas
    • Indian Chapati

    Dear Reader, how did you get to know about this flatbread?

    Lebanese Zaatar Bread - Manakish, Manoushe Flatbread Recipe
    Recipes from around the world E-Book

    Global Food Recipes

    with Spices and Herbs

    Free E-Book available for a limited time. Grab yours now and get instantly inspired!

    00
    Days
    :
     
    00
    Hours
    :
     
    19
    Minutes
    :
     
    59
    Seconds

    You missed out!

    Recipes from around the world E-Book

    Your Free E-Book 

    was sent to your

    E-Mail Address!

    Please check your Spam folder

    📖 Recipe

    Lebanese Zaatar Bread - Manakish, Manoushe Flatbread Recipe

    Lebanese Zaatar Bread Recipe - Manoushe/Manakish

    Zaatar Bread, aka Manoushe or Manakish, is a popular flatbread from the middle east. The bread can be prepared with pizza dough and is then topped with a zaatar seasoning paste before being baked in high heat for a short time. The result is soft and layered, seasoned bread.
    4.88 from 25 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: Middle Eastern
    flatbread, Manakish, Manoushe, zaatar bread, zaatar seasoning
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 minutes
    Total Time: 36 minutes
    Servings: 1 large flatbread
    Calories: 1375kcal
    Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

    Ingredients

    For the bread dough:

    • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
    • 2 Teaspoon Instant Yeast *see Notes
    • ½ Teaspoon Salt
    • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
    • ½ cup Lukewarm Water

    For the Zaatar Paste:

    • 1 ½ Tablespoon Zaatar Seasoning homemade or store bought
    • 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
    US - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a bowl add the dry ingredients first. That includes the flour, the yeast, and salt. Mix all the dry ingredients.
    • Create a well in the center and add the olive oil and some of the lukewarm water.
    • Start to mix all the ingredients and add some water when it gets dry. That way you mix the dough ingredients and form it slowly into a smooth ball while incorporating step by step all the water.
    • Then work out the dough. This is important because layers get formed and the dough will be able to rise properly. You want an airy light dough.
    • Place your dough into a bowl, cover with some flour and a cloth and keep in a warm and dry spot.
    • Leave the dough to rise for as long as possible. You can prepare the flatbread once your dough has doubled in size.
    • Preheat your oven to 210 Celsius/410 Fahrenheit.
    • Work out your dough again before you roll it out.
    • Roll out or stretch out your dough to a circle or elliptical shape and place on a baking tray.
    • In a bowl mix the zaatar seasoning with the olive oil.
    • Spread the zaatar paste over the flatbread all over evenly.
    • Bake your Zaatar bread for 6 minutes at 210 Celsius/410 Fahrenheit.
    • Enjoy the manoushe still hot for breakfast or as a flatbread with middle eastern meals.

    Notes

    1.  I use instant yeast to prepare the dough with yeast without having to proof the yeast. You may use fresh yeast or dry active yeast as well. In that case, refer to the package instructions for the yeast proofing.
    2. You can heat up your oven for a few seconds and place the bowl with the dough into the warm oven (not hot!) while the oven light is on. The oven light creates more warmth, and that helps the dough to rise. It mimics the warming cupboards in commercial bakeries and kitchens. Keep in mind the yeast will be most active in a dry warm environment. Humidity levels above 75% in the air are not beneficial for yeast growth in homemade bread dough.
    3. For the best yeast rising result. Leave the dough to rise for at least 4 hours or overnight.
    4. You can split the dough in two or three and create smaller flatbreads, instead of one large one.
    5. You may double the amount of paste used on bread if you want to add even more flavors.
    6. One large Manoushe flatbread serves two. Nutrition is calculated for 2 servings.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Lebanese Zaatar Bread Recipe - Manoushe/Manakish
    Amount Per Serving (216 g)
    Calories 1375 Calories from Fat 414
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 46g71%
    Saturated Fat 6g30%
    Sodium 1190mg50%
    Potassium 545mg16%
    Carbohydrates 204g68%
    Fiber 15g60%
    Protein 36g72%
    Vitamin A 230IU5%
    Vitamin C 3mg4%
    Calcium 151mg15%
    Iron 19.5mg108%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made this? Get featured!Mention @real.masalaherb or tag #masalaherb!

    More Bread Recipes

    • Paul's Baguette Recipe
    • Indian Roti Flatbread Recipe
    • Quick + Easy Garlic Bread
    • Quick Spelt Bread Recipe
    18.1K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Flipboard
    • Email
    • WhatsApp

    about masalaherb
    Get to know me & Paul...

    MasalaHerb.com as seen on

    Comments

    1. Elizabeth Erkel says

      March 27, 2021 at 11:05 pm

      Do you really use 2 teaspoons instant yeast? That sounds like a lot for 2 cups flour.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        March 29, 2021 at 8:27 am

        Yep 2 Teaspoons instant yeast.

        Reply
    2. Peter Dsouza says

      November 23, 2020 at 6:44 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks Helene Bai for introducing us to this new version of bread that may seem very similar to our indian naans and kulchaas. Such interesting correlation between cultures and food..

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        November 24, 2020 at 2:41 pm

        You are welcome Peter. Glad to hear that you liked it. 🙂

        Reply
        • Ya ya says

          February 22, 2021 at 2:08 pm

          Why didn’t you mix the warm water and milk with yeast and wait for it to foam? Why did you throw it altogether?

          Reply
          • Helene Dsouza says

            February 26, 2021 at 6:37 am

            Sounds like you are using a yeast that requires to foam. Those type of yeasts are not that common anymore. Instant dry yeast doesn't require a proofing. Same goes with fresh cubed yeast.

            Reply
    3. Kartik says

      September 09, 2020 at 7:50 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is really awesome.

      Reply
    4. Findee says

      September 02, 2020 at 7:16 pm

      ahhhh. this is nice...

      Reply
    5. Nidhi Kataria says

      August 29, 2020 at 7:57 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        August 29, 2020 at 12:37 pm

        Great! Glad you loved it 🙂

        Reply
    6. Airswacch says

      August 25, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      We have a similar bread with dried peas called 'matar' and this bread as 'kulcha' 🙂

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        August 25, 2020 at 4:00 pm

        Hi Airswacch, I didn't know that there is a flatbread in India with peas. I know kulcha. They are delicious and resemble manakish. 🙂

        Reply
    7. boss. says

      August 06, 2020 at 1:40 pm

      This looks like a masala kulcha.

      Reply
    8. Kavira Joshi says

      July 27, 2020 at 3:46 am

      I can also us this as pizza base. I will try it.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        July 30, 2020 at 5:19 pm

        Hi Kavira, you can try but it's not really meant to be used as a pizza base. I recommend using a regular yeast pizza dough as a base or I have developed an instant pizza dough base too.

        Reply
    9. Amirah Waber says

      April 16, 2020 at 5:48 pm

      Hey , I’m Amirah. I just want to try make a manoushe and found ur recipe. Is the zaatar seasoning same as Italian seasoning ? Cause I get difficult to find the zaatar seasoning In Indonesia.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        April 16, 2020 at 7:35 pm

        Hi Amirah,
        No Zaatar and Italian seasoning are not the same. I have a from-scratch recipe for zaatar seasoning. The recipe includes sumac which is a sour-tasting spice. In the recipe, I mention substitutions for sumac so theoretically you can try to make the spice blend from scratch. I hope you get to try it! Now, if you can't get zaatar, you ca entry to use Italian seasoning instead but the taste will be quite different (but at least you will get to try this flatbread). Hope this helps!

        Reply
    10. Sally says

      March 23, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      Seems delicious I will try it but the ingredients for how many people?? And can I leave the dough overnight!? Like 8 or 9 hours!

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        March 24, 2020 at 5:00 pm

        Hi Sally, yes you can leave the dough out overnight for 8-9 hours. In fact, your dough would have more time to rise. The ingredients are for 1 flatbread, which is about 1-2 servings.

        Reply
    11. Varun Rana says

      March 17, 2020 at 8:53 am

      5 stars
      this is very delicious.

      Reply
    12. Piyush says

      October 31, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      Guys you must try this. this is delicious.

      Reply
    13. Shubz says

      June 19, 2019 at 1:09 pm

      This looks like a masala kulcha.

      Reply
    14. Jenn says

      August 19, 2018 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      This Zaatar bread is perfect for serving with my Harissa Chili recipe! The flavors are great!

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        August 19, 2018 at 9:26 pm

        Great serving idea!

        Reply
    15. Linda says

      August 19, 2018 at 1:41 pm

      5 stars
      I like the sound of a zesty flatbread and all those layers look mouthwatering. Will this cook well on a pizza stone or is it best on a cookie sheet? And now I'm wondering where to get zaatar seasoning.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        August 19, 2018 at 9:26 pm

        It will cook on a pizza stone Linda but you can bake it on a cookie sheet too. The oven should be very hot, that's most important. I added a link to the zaatar seasoning in the post, but here again the zaatar recipe. 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Categories

    Powered by

    Home
    About
    As seen in
    Contact
    Terms and Conditions
    Privacy Policy

    By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies.

    Masala Herb is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

    Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress