Cheese Manakish

If you’ve ever wanted an excuse to have pizza for breakfast, look no further! Lebanon’s Cheese Manakish is a flatbread with cheese that’s often enjoyed first thing in the morning.

Some mornings deserve more than a cup of coffee and a high five. Cheese Manakish is a cheesy flatbread recipe popular throughout the Levant (and with good reason). It’s one of my personal favorite foods, but there are honestly so many variations it’s hard to not find a manakish recipe for every taste.

this recipe

What is cheese manakish

Manakish (also spelled manakeesh, manaeesh, mana’eesh and man’oushe – which just means manakish, but referring to a single manakish) is a cherished Middle Eastern flatbread that’s often considered the Levantine answer to pizza (it’s sometimes even called a ‘Lebanese pizza’). 

While there are many varieties, this popular za’atar and cheese manakish (known as manakish bil jibneh) holds a special place in Middle Eastern breakfast culture. (Some will say manakish bil jibneh should only have cheese, but I think cheese and za’atar spice is a classic version of it.)

The word “manakish” comes from the Arabic word “manqūshah,” meaning “carved out” - referring to the traditional way of creating dimples in the dough with one’s fingertips. These dimples help hold the toppings and create a perfectly textured surface for cheese manakish.

Manakish vs pide

Pide and manakish are very similar topped dough recipes that are similar to pizza. Pide is from Turkey, and is quite similar to manakish with meat. Depending on the region you’re looking at, there are some manakish recipes that are flatbreads while Turkish pide is a leavened bread.

Ingredients

For the dough

• All purpose flour
• Lukewarm water
• Lukewarm milk 
• Olive oil
• Active dry yeast 
• Salt
• Sugar

For the zaatar mixture

• Za’atar spice
• Olive oil

For the cheese mixture

• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Nigella seeds

How to make cheese manakish

To make this Middle Eastern flatbread, you’ll prepare a dough made from flour, water, milk, olive oil, active dry yeast, salt, and sugar. You’ll create two different toppings: a zaatar mixture made from zaatar and olive oil, and a cheese mixture combining feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and nigella seeds.

Begin by dissolving the sugar and yeast in the warm water and milk mixture, letting it sit until frothy. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, then gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough comes together, add olive oil, and knead until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

While the dough rises, prepare your toppings. Mix the zaatar and olive oil to form a spreadable paste. In another large mixing bowl, combine the crumbled feta, shredded mozzarella, and nigella seeds.

Preheat your oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into portions. Roll each portion into a ball and flatten into a round disk. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheets. Top half of them with the zaatar mixture and the other half with the cheese mixture, pressing lightly to help the toppings adhere.

Bake until the edges are golden and the cheese is bubbly. Serve warm, accompanied by fresh vegetables, yogurt, or olives for a traditional presentation.

Tips

Embrace the heat. A hot oven is crucial to properly baking your manakish. If you have a pizza stone, use it!

Love the dimples. Dimpling your dough seems like a silly step, but it’s actually the secret to the texture of good manakish and is very helpful at holding the cheese. They don’t need to be super pronounced, but a quick dimpling using your fingers is helpful.

Room temperature dough. If you’ve made the dough ahead of time, make sure to let it come back to room temperature before shaping it.

Variation ideas

Other cheeses. There’s nothing stopping you from using whatever kind of cheese topping you want. Akawi cheese? Cool. Mozzarella cheese? Cool. Gruyere cheese? Still cool. Feta cheese? (Guess the answer.)

A little crunch. Za’atar is a popular addition to cheese manakish recipes, but if you don’t enjoy za’atar, you can opt for sesames seeds to get the same crunch, or omit it entirely. This applies to the nigella seeds as well, if you want to swap them out, sesame seeds are a great option and they can be omitted, if required.

Spicy cheese. If you’re looking to add a little heat, consider adding a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper over your manakish.

Meat manakish. This is a very popular version of manakish called Lahm Bi Ajeen, simply swap out the toppings with a spiced ground lamb. Another popular meat version of manakish is made with sausage (typically, sujuk but I also recommend merguez).

Adding vegetables. This was a super popular option at a local restaurant near to where I grew up. They added diced tomatoes and bell peppers.

How to eat manakish

Manakish is typically eaten using just your hands. No cutlery required (aside from cutting it into slices – it’s usually pre-cut when served). Grab a piece, take a bite. If the piece is particularly large, it’s completely fine to fold the manakish before biting into it!