Levantine cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Manakish bi Jibneh

Thin yeast flatbreads topped with mild akkawi cheese and baked at high heat until bubbly and golden.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500 g flour
• 1 packet dry yeast (7 g)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 300 ml lukewarm water
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g akkawi cheese (or equal parts mozzarella and white cheese instead)
• 1 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 tsp dried mint

Instructions

1. Mix flour, dry yeast, sugar and salt, add the lukewarm water and 2 tbsp olive oil and knead for 8 min. into a soft, smooth dough; let rise covered for 1 hour until doubled in volume.
2. Soak the akkawi cheese in cold water for 30 min., changing the water once, to remove its saltiness; then squeeze well and grate coarsely.
3. Mix the cheese with the dried mint and preheat the oven with a baking sheet or pizza stone to 250 °C top/bottom heat.
4. Divide the dough into eight balls and roll each out on a floured surface into a round about 18 cm across, leaving the edge slightly thicker.
5. Spread the cheese almost to the edge, sprinkle with nigella seeds and bake the flatbreads individually on the hot sheet for 7–9 min. until the cheese bubbles and the edge shows brown blisters.
6. Brush the manakish with the remaining olive oil, fold once and serve hot immediately for breakfast or as a snack.