Breads
Lebanese Thyme Tart
Mana'eesh b'Zaa'tar
مناقيش بزعتر
Serve hot or warm — as a sandwich for breakfast, as a snack with tea and orange juice, or as a light dinner.
Preparing mana'eesh is fun. You get to play with the dough after rolling it out by gently punching it with your fingers, so the tart will not swell when you bake it.
Mana'eesh is usually topped with a zaatar mixture — a combination of thyme, sesame seeds, and dried sumac with olive oil — but it can also be topped with cheese, meat, or another favorite topping.
Preparation
- Pita bread dough prepared and set aside.
Procedure
- Cover the oven racks with aluminum foil, or place cookie sheets in a cold oven.
- Preheat the oven to 500 °F.
- Mix the zaa'tar and oil and set aside.
- Roll out each piece of dough into a 1/8-inch-thick round on a floured surface. Punch the dough with your fingers and spread one tablespoon of the zaa'tar mixture on the surface, leaving ¼ inch empty around the edges.
- Sprinkle a large flat platter with flour. Place one uncooked tart on the platter and slide it onto one of the hot oven racks or onto a heated cookie sheet.
- Transfer the remaining tarts the same way and bake for 5 minutes, or until golden in color.
Serve hot or warm — as a sandwich for breakfast, as a snack with tea and orange juice, or as a light dinner.
Tip — Mana'eesh freeze well for up to 2 months in an airtight bag or covered container.
Nutrition per serving · Calories 129 · Fat 5 g · Saturated fat 1 g · Cholesterol 0 mg · Carbohydrate 19 g · Fiber 1 g · Protein 3 g