Zaatar tomato manakish is possibly my favourite manoushe combination.
Manakish is the plural and man'oushe is the singular for my favourite food category ever.
Nothing beats the smell of tangy zaatar and fragrant tomatoes in the morning with fresh dough.
Seriously, my mouth waters when I think about it.
When you consider that it's made from the most basic ingredients; a few herbs, a little bit of onion and some ripe tomatoes, it's magic it can be this good.
We are manakish crazy here on this blog, and I have to make them at least once a week.
You must try the kishik manakish, cheese and basal banadoura (onion tomato) if you want the full manakish experience.
Luckily I have great recipes and tips for you to try, and you don't even need a wood fired oven.
Ingredients
Ok so you are going to need to source some high quality zaatar if you want to make the best zaatar tomato manakish.
Lebanese Zaatar blend is made from wild oregano, sumac and sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt and that's it.
No extra spices or herbs if you want the classic autentic experience.
Ask your Lebanese friend to bring you some from Lebanon, or even a Lebanese deli.
I haven't really come across a supermarket version I would be happy working with.
These are the core elements you will need.
- Zaatar blend with mild olive oil as it will go into a very hot oven
- finely chopped onion - you don't want big onion chunks in your teeth
- finely chopped ripe tomatoes - summer tomatoes are best
If you are out of tomato season you can also make a cooked tomato sauce using canned tomato and mix that with the zaatar.
You can also slice the tomatoes on top of the zaatar, but mixing them with the onions is better.
It's absolutely ok to use a food processor to pulse (not blitz) the onions or tomatoes if you are in a rush, but of course if you hand chop them finely they will retain their texture better.
Instructions
Once you have your manakish dough ready (of course our winning manakish dough recipe is the best you will find on the internet).
Heat up your oven to the highest setting, usually 230C or (350F). Then:
Step 1: Prepare your manakish dough
Step 2: Roll out a dough ball (roughly the size of a tennis ball) around ½cm thick
Step 3: Mix the finely chopped onion and tomato with the zaatar and mild olive oil
Step 4: Cook in oven for around ten minutes until they start to turn golden on the sides
Top Tips
Use your judgement when adding the olive oil to the zaatar tomato mixture, you want it not too oily and not too thick so you can spread it easily.
Bear in mind that there is moisture from the tomatoes and onion, and how much oil will depend on the size of the tomatoes.
Manakish dough consists of water, flour, salt and yeast. However you can substitute half the water with milk to give a richer dough.
Make sure the water is lukewarm never boiling hot or it will kill the yeast, and always check the yeast is not out of date.
I feel active dried yeast does the job perfectly well so no need to complicate the matter and make your own sourdough.
If you are making the dough the night before let it prove in the fridge overnight then take it out around 2 hours before to come to room temperature.
I make my dough first thing in the morning and 2 hours is usually enough to let it prove.
Cooked manakish can be heated up or even frozen so you can enjoy later, simply heat up on medium heat in an oven for around five minutes.
I always love to eat this with some good black tea, and a bowl of yoghurt to dip the edges in.
📖 Recipe
Zaatar Tomato Manakish (zaatar banadoura manoushe)
Mixed zaatar tomato man'oushe
Ingredients
For the Dough (8 manakish)
- 3 cups of bread flour
- 1 cup of lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon of dried active yeast
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of sugar
- 4 tablespoon regular olive oil or vegetable oil
For the zaatar tomato filling 4 Manakish
- ¼ small onion finely chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes finely chopped
- pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons zaatar blend
- ⅓ cup regular olive oil approx
Instructions
To make the dough
-
Add the sugar to the luke warm water along with the dried active yeast and stir well until it dissolves. Leave for 15 minutes allowing the yeast to ferment and bubble
-
In a large bowl, add the salt and flour, oil and yeast liquid and bring together until you have a smooth ball.
-
If the dough is too dry add a little water 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Adjust with more flour if it is too sticky until you have a smooth ball.
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Then turn out into a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes so the dough springs back when you poke it
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If you are using a stand mixer, knead the dough for approximately 8 minutes
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Place the kneaded dough ball into a large bowl and cover with cling film or a damp cloth. Leave to rise for at least 2 hours or until doubled in size
To make the zaatar tomato filling
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Finely chop the onions and tomatoes, add to a fine sieve and gently press so the extra moisture drains out. Transfer to small bowl
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Add the zaatar and regular olive oil until you have a spreadable dropping consistency
To assemble the manakish
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Turn on the oven on the highest setting (usually 230°C/450 F)
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Roll out a small handful of dough on a floured surface so it is quite thin (approx 5mm)
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Transfer to a non stick baking tray, spoon on the zaatar tomato mixture leaving a small margin around the edges and dimple the surface lightly with three outstretched fingers
-
Bake for 10 minutes until the sides turn slightly golden, turning half way if necessary to get an even bake.
Recipe Notes
You can also use 2 tablespoon of fresh tomato sauce in addition to the tomatoes
You can refrigerate the extra dough the next day
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Check out our Youtube page for full video tutorials, our Facebook group to discuss Lebanese cooking, as well as our tiktok page for quick tips.
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