The man’oushe
is a Lebanese flatbread, which is smeared with za’atar—a heady mixture of
predominantly sesame seeds and thyme, among other ingredients (in fact, the
word “za’atar” means “thyme” in Arabic). The stillwarm flatbread is rolled up
around various fillings: sprightly fresh herbs like mint and parsley, crunchy
pickled turnips, studs of finely chopped onion, and creamy labneh (strained
yogurt).
The man’oushe
is often referred to as “Lebanese pizza,” but here I’m busting out the artistic
license and calling it a wrap, which makes it a sandwich (the same dirty trick
can be pulled with lahmacun, or “Turkish pizza”—just wrap it around similar
fillings).
Makes 8–10
INGREDIENTS
FOR
THE FLATBREAD:
4 cups (500g) all-purpose (plain) flour
7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast
1½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp superfine (caster) sugar
Generous 1 cup (250ml) warm water
1½ tbsp olive oil
Za’atar (available from Middle Eastern
stores)
Olive oil
Fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly
chopped
Tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
Red onion, finely chopped
Pickled turnips or other pickled
vegetables, drained and sliced
Labneh or plain yogurt (it is easy to
make your own labneh—see Cook’s Tip opposite)
Ground sumac
To make the flatbread, combine the flour, yeast,
salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the warm water, mixing
until you have a soft dough. Knead for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured
surface, gradually adding the olive oil as you do so.
Rub a bowl with a little oil
and place the dough in it. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm
place for about 3 hours, until doubled in size. Once risen, gently punch down
(knock back) the dough and knead again for a few minutes. Divide the dough into
8–10 pieces, then roll out into flatbreads, each
about ¼in (5mm) thick. Cook the flatbreads, 1 or 2 at a time, in a hot, dry
large skillet for about 3 minutes on each side, until brown spots appear in
places. The cooked flatbreads can be kept warm in a low oven while you cook the
remainder.
To assemble the sandwiches, mix some za’atar
with a little olive oil to make it easier to spread and brush it onto each
flatbread while still warm. Top with mint and parsley leaves, some chopped
tomato and red onion, and some sliced pickles, then dollop with labneh.
Sprinkle with sumac, wrap, and eat posthaste.
COOK’S
TIP:
To make your own labneh, just mix a good pinch of sea salt with a 1lb
2oz (500g) tub of full-fat plain yogurt, then wrap it in a piece of cheesecloth
(muslin), tie the top with string, hang it over a bowl, and leave in a cool
place for about 8 hours or overnight. Use the strained yogurt or labneh as
required. Any leftover labneh will keep in an airtight container in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days.
