With savory, toasty za'atar seasoning and a wonderful sourdough crust, this Middle Eastern pizza recipe (also called manakish or manaqish) is a favorite recipe from my childhood. Enjoy it as a make-ahead snack, appetizer, dinner, or even brunch!
The morning of the evening you'd like your pizza, pour starter, oil, and salt into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir.
Add 1 cup of flour to the mixture. Mix well.
Sprinkle your counter with flour. Place dough mixture on top and begin kneading, adding flour as necessary.
Knead the dough until all ingredients are happily combined. Remember, you are looking for a dough that is soft and not sticky. (If you find your dough is too wet, add more flour. If it is too dry, add more water, starter, or whey.)
Once dough is complete, place dough ball back in the (lightly-greased) bowl, cover with a plate, and leave to sour for 6 to 7 hours.
An hour or two before you're ready to eat, divide the dough evenly into 3" to 4" balls.
Roll out each ball of dough to 7" to 8" circles.
Allow to rise until puffy, covered with towel to keep warm. (This takes an hour to several hours, depending on room temperature.)
Press into the top of the dough with your fingertips, making little wells for the toppings to reside, but leave the edges thick.
In a small bowl, mix za’atar spice blend with enough extra virgin olive oil to make a paste. You may need more or less depending on the size of your pizzas, how many pizzas you're making, and how much you add to each.
Put manakish in the oven to bake for 5 to 8 minutes.
Optionally, switch to the upper rack and broil for a final browning. Sometimes this isn’t necessary, so just play it by ear and according to how crispy you want your pizza.
Remove from oven and top with optional labneh and/or herbs.
Manakish (Middle Eastern Pizza) https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/middle-eastern-pizza/?utm_campaign=autoblog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=bloglink&utm_content=Manakish+%28Middle+Eastern+Pizza%29