Cookies Preferences
Man’oushe is a breakfast and lunch staple in Lebanon. Much like you see New Yorkers desperately clinging to lox and cream cheese stuffed bagels as they head to work, Beirutis are munching on a folded half moon of crispy dough with different toppings wrapped in white paper as they begin their days. The plate-sized dough is most often simply smeared with a mixture of zaatar spices and olive oil.
Now while I still can’t quite justify pizza for breakfast, I do love it as a sort of late morning indulgence (well almost any time of day indulgence). And I love the traditional man’oushe toppings, but also can’t help but play around with local ingredients to create something more like a flatbread. This recipe is from Furn Michel (see my blog post about his little oven) and look for my recipes for seasonal topping ideas.
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1tablespoon sugar
320g or 2 cups all-purpose flour
200g or 1 ¼ cup bread flour (or substitute additional all purpose flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Proof the active dry yeast with the sugar and ½ cup of warm water until the mixture looks a little foamy on top (about 5-10 minutes). Add the all-purpose flour, 00 flour, and salt to a bowl (the bowl of a stand mixer, if you plan to knead by machine). Add the yeast mixture, ¾ cup warm water, and the olive oil and stir until the dough starts to come together into a dry, shaggy mess.
Turn the dough out onto your counter and continue to knead for 5 minutes (or use dough hook to knead in your mixer for same amount of time), adding more flour as needed. It should come together into an elastic ball that has a smooth surface.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, and then in the refrigerator overnight. If you don't have time to wait overnight, you can let it rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (resting it in the refrigerator will help it develop a better flavor and texture). Divide into 8 approximately 112g balls and set on a lightly floured tray, covering with a towel so they don’t dry out but rise again for about 25 minutes before rolling out.
You're now ready to top as desired.
