Cheese Zaatar Flatbread Food

CHEESE & ZA'ATAR FLATBREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Pour in the 2 tablespoons oil and the water gradually. Mix to form a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and smooth.
• Place in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise in a draft-free place for 1-1/2 hours until it doubles in size.
• Cut the dough into 8 equal parts and shape into balls. Dust with a little flour and cover with a towel. Leave to rest for an additional 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Combine the za'atar and the 1/2 cup olive oil to make the topping. Shred the cheese and set aside.
• On a floured surface, flatten each ball and with a rolling pin roll into a circle of approximately 6-8". Place on greased baking sheets and spread the za'atar/oil mixture on some of the circles leaving a 1/2" border. Do the same for the cheese flatbreads. Use your fingers to spread the fillings evenly. Pinch and crimp the edges to create a decorative border.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden, and serve hot.

ZA'ATAR FLATBREAD WITH LEBANESE VEGGIE SLAW AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• For the veggie slaw: In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, Aleppo pepper and salt. Whisk well, and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add the romaine, cherry tomatoes, parsley, mint, cucumber, red onion and red pepper. Mix together until well combined. Pour the lemon dressing over the slaw and toss to thoroughly coat, being careful not to bruise the lettuce.
• For the za'atar flatbread: Place a wok, dome-side up, over a burner and preheat over medium heat.
• Divide the pizza dough in half and roll into balls. Oil the dough and set aside at room temperature until it can be easily rolled out, about 30 minutes. Flatten the dough balls and, with a floured rolling pin, roll each into a 12- to 14-inch circle.
• In a small mixing bowl combine the za'atar and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil; reserve to the side. Season the pre-heated wok with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil. Set the first flatbread over the domed wok surface; it will start to cook immediately. Brush with half of the olive oil-za'atar mixture, spreading it evenly to 1/4-inch from the edges. Cook the flatbread until just lightly brown on the bottom. Remove to a flat surface, and repeat for other flatbread.
• To serve, add some veggie slaw to each flatbread, garnish with the goat cheese and roll up like a burrito. Cut in half and serve. Skewer if needed.

MIDDLE EASTERN ZAATAR (MANAKISH ZA'ATAR)

Steps:

• I use this simple Middle Eastern Dough. This recipe will require about an hour and a half (due to the hour-long proving time), so plan accordingly.
• Once the dough is prepared, split it into 5 equal pieces for larger breads or 8 pieces for medium-sized breads. You can weigh it out for complete accuracy, but I just do this by eye.
• Roll out the dough pieces with a rolling pin into round pizza-shaped pieces around 1/4-inch in thickness.
• Use your fingers to lightly dimple the top of the bread. This will not only help keep the topping in place as the bread bakes, but it will also stop it from puffing up too much in the oven. You can do this step before or after adding the topping. I did it after this particular time, as I forgot to do it before - whoops!
• Place an inverted tray or a pizza stone in the oven and preheat it to the highest it can possibly reach (Mine is 500ºF/260ºC).
• In a small bowl combine the za'atar and olive oil and mix well into a paste similar to pesto rather than a thick paste.
• Top each of the Middle Eastern Flatbread with some of the za'atar oil blend, leaving about a 1/2-1 inch 'crust' at the edges.Feel free to increase/decrease the amount of topping that you add based on how strong you want the flavor to be.
• Transfer the topped zaatar bread onto the pre-heated inverted oven tray (or pizza stone). Do this carefully, so you don't burn yourself.
• Bake for between 5-7 minutes, until it's lightly golden-brown, without burning the spices on top.
• Remove the manakish za'atar from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. This will allow the topping to 'dry' to the flatbread. Then, enjoy- make sure to wrap/cover it with a kitchen towel to keep the bread soft.
• Store: Store the baked zaatar bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you used oil in the dough in place of oil then you can store the bread at room temperature for 3-5 days (covered).Freezer: Wrap the zaatar manakish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to three months, Thaw in the refrigerator before enjoying or heat from frozen.Reheat: You can reheat the bread from frozen in the oven at 250ºF/120ºC until warmed through (20-25 minutes usually). If heating from chilled or room temperature, then reduce the time in the oven.

MANAQEESH (ZA'ATAR FLATBREADS)

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, mix both flours, the salt and sugar. Add the oil, yeast and 1 cup water, and knead in the bowl with your fingers. Gradually knead in another 1/4 cup water, then knead in more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together into a somewhat sticky ball. Let rest 5 minutes, then knead until smooth, supple and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Alternatively, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all the dough ingredients with 1 cup water and mix on low speed, gradually adding water until the dough comes together. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Rub the dough ball lightly with some oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until the dough doubles in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Timing will vary depending on water and room temperatures.
• Meanwhile, make the topping: Combine the za'atar and olive oil in a bowl and mix well.
• Divide the risen dough into 6 equal portions, roll into spheres and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel so the dough doesn't dry out. Let rise again until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 500 degrees. Very lightly grease 2 baking sheets with olive oil.
• Place a dough round on a prepared sheet. With your fingers, flatten it into a thin circle 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Use a spoon to spread about one-sixth of the za'atar mixture on top, leaving a narrow border along the perimeter and pressing the za'atar into the dough firmly with the spoon to prevent the bread from rising as it bakes. If your baking sheet can fit another piece or two of dough, repeat the process on the same sheet.
• Bake until golden at the edges and the topping is lightly bubbling, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. While the first batch is in the oven, prepare more on the second sheet. Bake as soon as the first sheet comes out. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.
• Serve as soon as they're cool enough to handle or at room temperature. Once cooled, leftovers can be stored in the freezer, with parchment or wax paper between each piece, for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven when ready to enjoy.