Levantine cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Khubz bi Zaatar wa Jibneh

Oven bread, half topped with zaatar oil and half with melted white cheese, folded together hot to eat.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 400 g flour
• 1 tsp dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 240 ml lukewarm water
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp zaatar spice blend
• 250 g white cheese
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water, let sit for 10 min. and knead with the flour, salt and 2 tbsp olive oil into a smooth dough for 8 min.; let rise covered for 45 min.
2. Stir the zaatar with 4 tbsp olive oil into a spreadable, dark green paste and let it sit for 10 min.
3. Coarsely grate or crumble the white cheese; if it's a very salty variety, soak it briefly in cold water and squeeze out.
4. Divide the dough into four pieces and stretch each into an oval about 20 cm long, dimpling the surface densely with your fingertips.
5. Spread zaatar oil over one half of each flatbread, top the other half with cheese, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. Bake at 240 °C top/bottom heat for 10–12 min. until the cheese melts into bubbles and the edge is crisp, then fold together hot and eat right away.