Manakeesh is a Levantine flat bread typically topped with zaatar, cheese or mince meat. It is one of my favourite breakfast items that I typically make on the weekends for brunch. I like to prepare them in bite-size portions that are easy to serve and perfect for any occassions. Over the years I have come up with creative ways of serving manakeesh; the first variation is the traditional zaatar manakeesh served with a dollop of labneh and finely chopped cucumber, tomatoes and fresh mint. I love the reaction I get when I make this recipe—not only does it look good but each bite is delicious.
I love the sweet flavour of roasted peppers and enjoy incorporating it in my recipes. The second recipe is a roasted red pepper sauce combined with creamy labneh and ground walnuts; each bite is wonderfully warm and comforting. The third recipe is a roasted pepper and feta cheese manakeesh; instead of using a typical tomato sauce I use the roasted red pepper sauce as the base and add my favourite toppings for a wonderful range of sweet, spicy, tangy and salty flavours.
Mini Manakeesh
April 20, 2020
Ingredients
Manakeesh Dough
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cups hand hot water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
½ cup milk
Roasted Pepper Sauce
2 red peppers, quartered
ground sea salt
ground black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
a pinch of sugar
1 cup water
Zaatar Topping
2½ cups zaatar
½ cup olive oil
1½ cups labneh
2 cucumbers, finely chopped
1 large tomatoes, finely chopped
a handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Topping
2 cups roasted red pepper sauce (see page xx)
1 cup labneh
½ cup ground walnut (optional)
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cheese Topping
2 cups roasted red pepper sauce (seep page xx)
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup Bulgarian feta cheese, crumbled
Directions
Manakeesh Dough
1In a small bowl, mix the yeast and sugar, add in hand hot water, cover the bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes. No need to mix the ingredients, as the yeast will activate on its own - hand hot water specifies the optimal temperature for the yeast, it is water that is not too hot and in which you can immerse your hand without inflicting pain.
2In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, olive oil, milk and yeast mixture. Thoroughly knead the ingredients together until the dough has a moist, non-sticky and elastic texture. Form the dough into a ball, brush some olive oil on the surface to keep it from going dry and leave to rise for a couple of hours.
3Preheat oven at 250℃. Divide the dough into small balls, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll out each ball of dough into rounds that are approximately 4 inches in diameter. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment sheet, and poke each round with a fork to prevent the dough from rising in the oven.
Roasted Pepper Sauce
1Preheat oven at 180℃. Place the quartered peppers on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with ground sea salt and black pepper. Roast in the over for 20–30 minutes. Remove from oven and store in an airtight container until it has cooled. Peel the skin and finely chop.
2In a small saucepan, on medium heat, sauté the onions until translucent. Add garlic and sauté until mixture is fragrant. To it, add the roasted red pepper, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, coriander powder, chilli powder (optional), sugar and water. Combine all the ingredients together, lower heat and allow to simmer for 10–15 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool.
Zaatar Topping
1To prepare the zaatar mix, combine the zaatar and olive oil together. Add more oil if needed.
2Add 1–2 teaspoons of the zaatar and olive oil mix on the rolled out dough and evenly spread. Bake each tray for about 8–10 minutes, until manakeesh are slightly golden. Remove and leave to cool.
3Once the mini zaatar manakeesh has cooled, add a dollop of labneh, and garnish with the cucumbers, tomatoes and mint.
Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Topping
1Combine roasted red pepper sauce with labneh and ground walnuts, and mix well.
2Add 2 teaspoons of the mixture on the rolled out dough and evenly spread. Bake each tray for about 8–10 minutes, until manakeesh are slightly golden. Remove and leave to cool.
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cheese Topping
1Add 2 teaspoons of the roasted red pepper sauce on the rolled out dough and evenly spread. Sprinkle some dried oregano and top with some olive slices and crumbled Bulgarian feta cheese. Bake each tray for about 8–10 minutes, until manakeesh are slightly golden. Remove and leave to cool.
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