Manakish Cheese (Middle Eastern Flatbread)
Why this recipe works
- Classic flatbread structure: A yeasted dough gives the manakish a soft, pliable base with enough strength to hold the cheese topping.
- Balanced cheese melt: Mozzarella provides stretch and bubbling browning, while feta adds saltiness and a creamy, tangy contrast.
- Hot-tray baking: Preheating the tray helps the base cook quickly, giving the flatbread a better lift and a lightly crisp underside.
Get the most out of this recipe
Timing notes
- Let the dough double: The rise time matters for a soft, airy flatbread. If the kitchen is cool, allow a little longer rather than rushing the dough.
- Rest if it springs back: If the dough resists rolling, leave it briefly on the work surface so the gluten relaxes and the rounds shape more evenly.
- Best served warm: Manakish has the best texture when eaten soon after baking, while the edges are tender and the cheese is still bubbling.
Authenticity notes
- Levantine-style flatbread: Manakish is widely associated with Middle Eastern and Levantine bakeries, where it is commonly served as a breakfast or snack flatbread.
- Cheese topping: Cheese manakish is one of the familiar variations, alongside versions topped with za’atar or minced meat.
- Home oven method: Using a very hot oven and preheated tray helps approximate the quick, direct heat used for bakery-style flatbreads.
Ingredient notes
- Grate the mozzarella: Grated mozzarella melts more evenly than torn pieces and helps create a smoother, more consistent topping.
- Keep feta in small crumbles: Small pieces soften into the topping without staying chalky or drying out too much in the oven.
- Use pasteurised feta when needed: For anyone pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised, pasteurised feta is the safer choice.
Make-ahead tips
- Prepare the cheese ahead: The mozzarella and feta can be grated and crumbled in advance, then kept covered in the fridge until ready to assemble.
- Reheat on a tray: Reheat chilled manakish on a baking tray at 200°C (390°F) until piping hot so the base firms up and the cheese softens again.
- Freeze after baking: Cool completely, wrap well and freeze. Reheat from frozen at 200°C (390°F) until hot throughout.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Dough
Cheese topping
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the lukewarm milk, caster sugar and instant yeast. Leave for 5 minutes until the surface looks slightly foamy.
- Add the plain flour and fine sea salt, then mix to a shaggy dough. Drizzle in the olive oil and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Heat the oven to 230°C (445°F) and put a baking tray inside to heat up. Grate the mozzarella and crumble the feta, then mix them together in a bowl.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, then roll into a round about 15 to 18 cm wide, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the edges.
- Carefully remove the hot tray and place the rounds on it. Pile the cheese mixture on top of each round, leaving a 1 to 2 cm border so the edges can puff and brown.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden and the cheese is bubbling with a few browned spots. Serve warm straight from the oven.
Recipe notes
Tips
- If the dough springs back while rolling, leave it to rest for 5 minutes, then roll again for a more even round.
- For the best melt, grate the mozzarella rather than tearing it, and keep the feta in small crumbles so it softens without drying out.
- If you are pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised, use pasteurised feta cheese.
Substitutions
- Replace whole milk with water for a slightly lighter dough.
- Replace mozzarella with pizza cheese blend for a more stretchy, browned topping.
- Replace feta cheese with goat cheese for a tangier, creamier finish.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 2 days
- Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat on a baking tray at 200°C (390°F) for 6 to 8 minutes until piping hot; freeze well wrapped for up to 2 months and reheat from frozen at 200°C (390°F) for 10 to 12 minutes.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 4 servings
- Yield: manakish flatbreads
- Total time: 1h 45min (25min active)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
-
Allergens:
Gluten Milk Wheat
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