Za'atar Manoush

Za'atar manoush is the Lebanese pizza! What makes this dish a favorite for many is the delicious mixture (za'atar) that you spread onto the dough. This mixture is made of spices and roasted sesame (it smells heavenly) and can also be eaten with pita bread.  We typically eat manoush for breakfast or lunch with tomatoes, cucumbers, and a Lebanese yogurt spread called labneh. Before Eva cooks this dish she always buys extra dough and cooks another pan of feta cheese manoush to go with the za-atar manoush (find the feta cheese manoush recipe here). Enjoy!

Za'atar Manoush Ingredients:

• 10-12 ounces of dough (depending on how thick you want)
• Olive oil
• Za'atar spread (can be found in most Middle Eastern stores or check out Eva's recipe for it below)

*Makes one pan or 8 slices
Za'atar Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup za'atar 
• 1/4 cup sumac
• 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
• Teaspoon of salt
• 8 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions (with Za'atar recipe):
1. Heat non-stick pan on low heat and once heated, add sesame seeds to toast. Be sure to stir often so they don't burn (this step should only take a few minutes)
2. Once the sesame seeds are toasted or have turned a brown color, add za'atar, sumac, and salt and toss them together for a few minutes over the heat.
3. Turn stove off and place mixture into a mixing bowl with 8 tablespoons of olive oil (more or less depending on how oily you want)

Now that you have your mix, here are the instructions for the manoush:

4. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
5. Butter the bottom of a baking pan
6. Spread out dough on pan as evenly as possible (like making a pizza)

7. If you bought your za'atar mix pre-made, add 4-8 tablespoons of olive oil
8. Spread za'atar mix over dough evenly and use your fingers to press down on the dough to avoid bubbles 

9. Cook in oven for up to 20 minutes on the bottom rack or until the bottom is a golden brown and for up to 5 minutes on the top rack until top is golden brown (you can cook for longer depending on how crispy you want) 
* Cook time may vary depending on your oven and how thick the dough is, you may have to turn your pan around as it cooks