Levantine cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Manakish bi Lahme

Yeast flatbread topped with spiced ground lamb, tomatoes, pomegranate molasses and toasted pine nuts.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500 g flour
• 1 packet dry yeast (7 g)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 300 ml lukewarm water
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g ground lamb
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 onions
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 2 tsp baharat (seven-spice blend)
• 3 tbsp pine nuts

Instructions

1. Mix flour, dry yeast, sugar and 1 tsp salt, knead with the lukewarm water and 2 tbsp olive oil for 8 min. into a soft dough and let rise covered for 1 hour until doubled.
2. Dice the onions very finely, peel, seed and finely dice the tomatoes so the topping doesn't turn watery later.
3. Knead the ground lamb by hand with onions, tomatoes, pomegranate molasses, baharat, the remaining salt and 1 tbsp olive oil into a moist, spreadable mixture.
4. Preheat the oven with a baking sheet to 250 °C top/bottom heat and divide the dough into eight balls, each rolled out into a round about 18 cm across.
5. Spread the meat topping thinly to the edge, sprinkle with pine nuts and bake the flatbreads individually for 8–10 min. until the meat is cooked and the edge turns golden brown.
6. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve hot — classically with a squeeze of lemon and fresh mint.