This might be one of the most iconic middle eastern brunch foods. Easy to make, easy to eat, and absolutely delicious. What more could we ask for? These flatbreads can be topped with za’atar (an arabic seasoning blend), cheese, or even a pepper spread!
Za’atar is an Arabic staple that has made its way to the mainstream. Growing up, I used to watch my Grandma Salwa as she mixed together sesame, sumac, thyme, coriander, cumin, fennel, (the list rly just goes on and on) in big batches, send them off to be ground, and later eaten with some olive oil and bread.
Traditionally, za’atar halabi (the kind my grandma makes) isn’t used for man’oushe, instead we use Palestinian/Jordanian/Lebanese za’atar which has a different ratio of ingredients and is more tangy (easily found in arabic stores or on amazon). Either way, use whichever za’atar you can get your hands on!
This is the easiest brunch recipe you can make! (I adapted the dough recipe from King Arthur Flour)
Man'oushe: Arabic Flatbread
Ingredients
Flatbread
- 3 cups flour, (361 grams)
- 1/4 teapsoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup ice water
Za'atar topping
- za'atar
- olive oil
Pepper topping
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon pepper paste (Sera mild pepper paste)
- 1 tablespoon pepper sauce (Canary shatta hot pepper sauce)
- 1 small onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon nigella seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Flatbread
- Mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
- Add cold water and olive oil to the bowl. Mix well to incorporate and form into a dough. (add more flour and water to make a dough that is not sticky)
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 10 to 12 pieces that are around 2 oz each.
- Dredge each dough ball in flour and roll out to a circle that is 1/4 inch thick.
- WHEN ASSEMBLING/COOKING: heat a heavy-bottomed skillet on low heat and place the dough circles on top. Spread the topping on the dough and cook for around 4-5 minutes or until the bottom of the flatbread looks golden in some areas.
- Remove from heat and place on a cooling rack.
Za'atar
- Mix olive oil and za'atar. You want it to be a spreadable texture so add more olive oil as needed.
Pepper topping
- Chop the onion in a blender.
- Combine the chopped onion, pepper paste, pepper sauce, nigella seeds, sesame seeds, cumin, olive oil, and salt in a bowl.
- Taste the topping and adjust spice as desired.
