Yeast and Herbs! They’ve been playing on my mind a lot lately. You see, I needed to make a dish (or drink) that combined both yeast and herbs. Why? Because Angie from ‘The Novice Gardener’ (along with her co-host Catherine, from the exquisite ‘Catherine Cuisine’) suggested it… they were the ones who put down the challenge. Fiesta Friday has recently evolved to include a monthly challenge for those who are up for it… and this month (for Fiesta Friday Challenge #1), we’ve been asked to come up with something interesting (as well as of course delicious), combining these two sensational ingredients.
My initial thought was to create a Herbed Brioche, dotted with lemon myrtle (a native Australian herb) and small chunks of feta cheese. However after struggling to find brioche moulds in the local kitchen shops… and is a brioche really a brioche if not presented with a fluted base?, I decided to go with the following instead… and I’m so thrilled that I did, as this recipe for Lebanese flatbread I will use over and over again in the future. It is a delicious accompaniment to Middle-Eastern dishes that have juices or sauce that require mopping up; as well as being a perfect breakfast or lunch bread able to support fillings such as spiced lamb or chicken, or the scrumptious vegetarian haloumi and herb option given below. The homemade zaatar (recipe to be found in the notes section below) also contains both fresh and dried herbs, which make this dish incredibly moreish.
Wishing you all a happy and relaxing weekend!
Zaatar and Haloumi Man'oushe/Flatbread | From 'Feast Magazine'
Ingredients
- 1½ Teaspoons Dried Yeast
- 250ml/1 Cup Lukewarm Water
- 450g/3 Cups Plain Flour (Sifted)
- 2 Teaspoons Caster Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (plus extra for brushing)
- 3 Tablespoons Zaatar (see notes below)
- 500g Haloumi (Sliced)
- 2 Tomatoes (Sliced)
- 1 Cup Mint Leaves
- 3 Teaspoons Dried Chilli Flakes (Optional)
Instructions
To Make the Man’oushe/Flatbreads:
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water in a medium bowl. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes, until the mixture bubbles.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and olive oil. I find at this stage a bread and butter knife can be useful for cutting through to combine the dry and wet ingredients well. When a dough has formed, knead for about 6 minutes on a clean surface until smooth and soft. Place the ball of dough back into the bowl, cover and allow to rise for about 2 hours in a warm, draught-free spot.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down and separate into 6 even pieces. Roll into smooth balls and allow to rest again on a lightly-floured baking tray covered with a clean tea-towel for about 1 hour, until slightly risen.
When ready to cook, roll out each ball of dough to a thickness of about 5mm.
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and brush each flatbread one at a time with a little olive oil, before placing in the pan (oil side down). Cook for about 2 minutes, before brushing the tops with a little more olive oil and flipping to cook the other side. Sprinkle the top with some zaatar and remove to a warm place while you cook the remaining flatbreads.
Homemade Zaatar
To Fill the Man’oushe:
When all of the breads are cooked, place a little more olive oil in the pan and fry the haloumi slices on both sides until golden brown.
Arrange the haloumi, along with the sliced tomato, mint and chilli flakes (if using) on the bread. Fold in half to serve and eat while still lovely and warm.
Notes:
To make your own Zaatar (combine the following ingredients):
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Sumac
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Oregano
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Gather & Graze 
what a stunning & exotic combination of some of my very favourite things! This looks incredible.
Thanks so much! Recently, we’ve also been adding some lamb (left overs from a roast, that I chopped and then heated with a little olive oil and seasoning (ras-el-hanout is perfect for this) – so delicious! Cheers, Margot
I am seriously excited to see this bread post! I love all kinds of flatbreads so the idea of making one with my favourite spice mix (za’atar, followed closely by dried chermoula and harissa.. see a pattern here?) and stuffing it with crisp, salty and delicious haloumi is divine. What a great use of yeast and herbs. I do think that I should join in one of these Fiesta Friday challenges myself one day. It’s always fantastic to be pushed beyond our ‘cooking boundaries’. Gorgeous post Margot xx
Thanks so much Laura! Fiesta Friday (along with the new monthly challenge) is a lot of fun – you absolutely should come along when you get a chance! Cheers, Margot 🙂
We seem to be on a similar wavelength, as I’m hoping to make pitta bread. As it’s the only bread I buy anymore. This recipe is very similar. Shame I didn’t get things organised to take part in the F&F Challenge #1.
Hope the pitta bread goes well Johnny! It’s so much better freshly made, than the bought stuff (which often tastes like cardboard to me…)
What gorgeous flatbreads Margot! Those grill marks make them look mildly crunchy on the outside, while soft and yummy on the inside. Perfect!
That’s exactly how they were Lidia! I cooked these ones in the frying pan, as it’s getting a little chilly outside now, but through summer they would be perfect done on the bbq (to get those beautiful char-grilled lines across them). Hope you’re well. M.xx
Thank you for this beautiful recipe! I love zataar, and it probably tastes even better when homemade! And your bread looks so moist , yummy!
Cheers Catherine and thanks very much for co-hosting this FF Challenge – it was a lot of fun and so wonderful to see the variety of dishes that everyone came up with! I’m so curious to know what Angie has in store for next month…
There was a lot of variety, you are absolutely right! It makes a beautiful recipe collection 🙂
This dish looks so good. You’ve inspired me to give it a try. I love making my own bread!
That’s great to hear – thank you so much!
Lovely! Homemade flatbreads with halloumi and middle easter zaatar sounds perfect!
thanks for including the recipe for homemade zaatar. I’m going to make that cause I haven’t been able to find zaatar in Singapore! but I realised I actually I have all the ingredients to make my own! So that will be my next project! Thanks!
Thanks Jo! It really is too easy to make your own zaatar… and I think it tastes better than some of zaatar blends that I’ve bought in the past too! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Thanks Margot! You can be sure I’ll be trying that very soon..
Gorgeous recipe. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome… so pleased you liked it.
Margot,
Thank you thank you thank you for the zaatar recipe!
I mean, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that the whole dish looks delicious, but I’m wagging my tail so hard about the zaatar recipe!
See, I was at my local spice shop the other day and picked up a container of zaatar. Seeing that it contained oregano, thyme, cumin, sumac and sesame I thought . . . well, I have all of those, so I could just make it at home, right? And I put it back on the shelf. A day later and Margot to my rescue!
Thanks!
How fabulous Kirsten! I’m as excited as you are to know that this zaatar recipe was posted at exactly the right time and will be used in the very near future. I hope you enjoy it and find lots of wonderful uses for it! I cooked a beautiful baked chicken dish the other night that used this zaatar as well – I might try and post it sometime soon, as it was so delicious!
I have a thing for flatbread, so this looks just so yum. I think I’ll run down to the city today and get hold of anything served with fresh flatbread. I just want the bread! 🙂
I’ve only ever made fairly simple loaves of bread before Angie, so this flatbread was quite a novelty. I’ll be making them again often and so tasty even on their own or better still with the zaatar sprinkled over the top – the family absolutely loved them! Thanks for a fab challenge… look forward to seeing what’s on the cards for next month! 🙂
I think most of us were thinking of ‘yeast and herbs’ lately. 😀
These, by the way, look delicious and a great submission to FFC#1. Fabulous recipe you have here, Margot. Thank you for bringing this to FF and have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Thanks so very much Jhuls! It was a great challenge to be a part of… I loved seeing what a wide variety of interesting dishes everyone came up with!
Hope you had a fun time hosting another FF and thanks for the warm comments! A happy weekend to you too. Cheers, Margot
I had fun co-hosting FF. 😀
Hope to see you next FF. 😉
Thank you so much for the zatar recipe. A relative-in-law is always raving about it, but refuses to tell me how to make it.
Oh I’m so happy to have been able to help! 🙂 I really don’t understand why people refuse to pass on recipes (unless it’s going to turn into a business venture…) – I did a whole post on this rather perplexing topic not so long ago. I hope you enjoy using the zaatar!
This looks fabulous, I’ve been wanting to make more recipes from Feast magazine as they all look so tempting!
Where you been, Saucy?
Thanks SG! I know what you mean – there are always so many delicious looking dishes in there. I was grateful that the March issue had a whole section on breads from around the world – really quite fortuitous with the FF challenge!
Margot, this looks so delightful and I am excited to try it soon this summer. I have a pint jar full of zaatar that is begging to be used up. It will make a wonderful lunch or snack. I’ve never used Haloumi cheese before and am curious as to its taste and texture. Great contribution to the challenge!
Hi Ngan, I hope you give it a try and how perfect that you have the zaatar all prepped and ready to go! My children know haloumi as ‘Squeaky Cheese’ as texturally it can seem almost a little squeaky as you bite into it, but it has the most delicious flavour when grilled to a golden colour. Fab to through on the BBQ through the summer months!
Halloumi and fresh flatbread sounds like heaven!
Doesn’t it always make a difference having freshly-made bread! I’ll be making this one often in the future to accompany all manner of food… perfect alongside a few lovely dips too!
What a wonderful recipe! My mouth was waiting as I was reading your post! I have only had za’atar a few times but I sure like it. I would like to make my own next time and will try your recipe! Awesome entry! 😀
Such a sweet comment Julianna – thank you! Definitely make some of the zaatar – it’s a fabulous spice mix to have on hand! Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hi Margot – great choice for both Fiestas! The flat breads look so appetising as does the filling! Happy Fiesta Friday!
Thanks Selma! Hope it’s not too cheeky of me to add this in to both Fiestas!? I was sad to miss out on the party last week and didn’t want another lonely Friday night, while everyone is out enjoying themselves! 😉 Thanks so much for hosting again this week – I’ve already seen some fabulous food on the table! Happy Fiesta to you too.
These breads sound really great! As does your idea for brioche!
Thanks so much Alex… I’m still very keen to give the brioche a try in the near future – if it works, I’ll be sure to post the recipe.
Oh Margot this is lovely. Just last week I made my first ever flatbread, Kulcha. It is made with yogurt and without yeast (because I have yet to make anything with yeast) and it was fabulous! Sonal has a post today with Kulcha! However, I think you have given me the nudge to try making Man’oushe. I think this would be a good place to start with using yeast. Would an active dry yeast work? I know my family is going to love this!
I think you’d love this bread Seana and yes, I’m sure an active dry yeast would work just as well – just mix it through with the dry ingredients at the start and then add the warm water and oil and combine to form the dough. Let me know if you give it a try… I’d love to hear your thoughts!
This looks amazing!
Thank you Lori!
Your flatbread (& this dish!!) is absolute perfection!!! Help me: Where is sumac available? I would love to make this!
Thanks so much! You should be able to find sumac anywhere that does a good quality range of dried herbs and spices, if not perhaps try an online store like ‘The Spice House’. It’s a fabulous spice to have on hand – great for sprinkling over roast vegetables (particularly potatoes!) as it gives a slight lemony/zesty zing to things. I hope you can find some soon! 🙂
this looks delicious!
Simi
Thanks Simi, lovely to hear from you!
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Oh I love this, I have to make that bread and the Zaatar, the sandwich could easily become my new obsession. Love it!
The bread is fabulous… I made it again the other night to accompany a delicious Middle Eastern chicken dish, which already had zaatar included as part of the recipe – I left the bread plain and it was perfect for dipping into the sauces. Can highly recommend it! 🙂
Amazing Margot, I love the flavor of Zaatar. It looks delicious too 🙂
Thank you Linda! It’s a fabulous spice mix to use, isn’t it!? So versatile!
Absolutely wonderful, Margot. I love anything with zaatar, so I am glad you chose to make this simple yet delicious recipe (though the brioche sounds amazing too; and I must say I disagree about the brioche having to have a fluted base, I love it so much, I could eat it in any shape; I hope you’ll eventually post a recipe!). Now your post has made me realise I am out of zaatar, so I’ll have to go and make a fresh batch! 🙂
I’m still really keen to try the brioche out as well, though had it in my head that it needed to look the part as well for the photos… I’m sure it would taste the same if I made it in a loaf tin, so perhaps that’s a good place to start. Thanks for your lovely comment Darya and yes, definitely go make some more zaatar if you’ve run out!
Simple and delicious. I love it!
Thanks – much appreciated! 🙂