Authentic Mana’eesh Dough

Name: Authentic Mana'eesh Dough
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 12 mana'eesh, standard size
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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Breakfast Burgers & Sandwiches Lebanese Classics

The mana'eesh dough I spent 15 attempts perfecting — golden underneath, light and chewy on top. Just like the bakery.

PREP TIME

1 Hour 20 Minutes (plus 4+ hours resting)

COOK TIME

4–5 minutes per mana'eesh

SERVES

12 mana'eesh, standard size

About this recipe

If there is one food that takes me straight back to Lebanon, it is mana’eesh. This is the street food of my childhood — and I can still see myself as a little girl, carrying our own za’atar and cheese down to the local baker. You would hand your ingredients over the counter, and they would top their beautiful dough with them, right there in front of you. Rounds of dough covered in za’atar and cheese lined up on long wooden peels, making their way into the roaring oven. That smell, that moment — it never leaves you.

What’s more, mana’eesh dough is not the same as pizza dough, and this matters. Pizza dough is usually wetter, fermented longer and stretched thin for a crisp, blistered base. Mana’eesh dough is softer and gentler — it bakes into something closer to bread, with a golden bottom and a light, airy, slightly chewy crumb that folds without cracking. That said, getting this right at home took me a long time. I have tested this mana’eesh dough recipe more than 15 times — chasing that bakery finish where the base turns golden and the inside stays pillowy — and this is finally it. One thing I will be honest about: you need heat bricks or pizza tiles in your oven. I really wanted to tell you a standard tray would work, but it will not give you that golden, bread-like bottom. I have tried. That said, if a tray is all you have, don’t worry — in the Q&A below I explain how you can still make it work, with just one extra step.

If you love homemade dough as much as I do, you will also love my Mini Mana’eesh with Three Fillings — perfect little party versions made in your oven on a tray, because it’s a different dough. My No-Knead Olive Focaccia is a totally different dough but beautiful topped with za’atar, and my Bolani Afghan Potato Flatbread is another homemade dough worth your time. All homemade, all different, all made with love.

Ingredients

Dough

1 kg plain flour, sifted
10 grams dried yeast (approximately 3 teaspoons)
12 grams sugar
20 grams salt
600 ml warm water
40 ml olive oil (approximately 3 tablespoons) plus extra for the bowl

Za'atar Filling

1 cup za'atar herb mix
⅔ cup olive oil, extra if required adjust to make a spreadable paste

Cheese Filling

1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 cup halloumi, shredded
1 teaspoon nigella seeds

Notes from Rouba

Weigh your whole dough after resting, then divide that number by twelve — every dough weighs slightly different, so portioning by weight keeps them all even.
If you prefer smaller mana’eesh, simply portion into more than 12 pieces.
Heat bricks or pizza tiles are non-negotiable for that golden bakery bottom — a standard tray will not give you the same finish, I promise you I have tried.
Give your oven a full 1 to 2 hours to heat with the bricks inside before you start baking. The bricks need that time to hold the heat properly.
Every oven is different — start checking your mana’eesh at the 4 minute mark.
Adjust the olive oil in the za’atar until it is a spreadable paste — not runny, not stiff.

Equipment

For this recipe I used heat bricks — having the right baking surface really does make a difference, and it is what gives mana’eesh that golden, bread-like bottom. You can find heat bricks at places that sell or build wood-fired ovens.

Another great option is a pizza stone — they come in round or rectangular, and it is actually the next thing on my own list. You can find the one I’m getting on my Amazon storefront here. You will also need something flat to slide the mana’eesh onto the hot bricks, like a pizza peel — you’ll find that in the same section of my Amazon storefront.

If you’d rather skip the bricks altogether, an electric pizza oven is a brilliant option too — it cooks fast, even one mana’eesh at a time, and it’s so easy to store when you’re done. I’ve popped a few of my favourites here

Method

Step 1. Make the Dough

Place your heat bricks or pizza tiles in the oven and preheat to your oven's highest temperature on top and bottom heat only — no fan — for 1 to 2 hours before baking (around 250°C conventional) (480°F).

Sift the flour straight into the bowl of your stand mixer, then add the yeast, sugar and salt. Mix together with the dough hook on low speed, then slowly add the warm water and bring the mixer up to medium-high speed. Once the dough starts coming together, add the olive oil and knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and lightly oil the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 2 hours — it will rise and nearly double in size.

Weigh your whole dough and divide it into 12 even portions according to the total weight — every dough will weigh slightly different. Cover and rest for another 1-2 hours.

Step 2. Prepare the Fillings

While the dough rests, stir the za'atar with the olive oil until it forms a spreadable paste, adjusting the oil as needed. For the cheese filling, toss the shredded mozzarella and halloumi together with the nigella seeds.

Step 3. Portion and Roll

Roll each portion out on a lightly floured surface to approximately 20 to 22 centimetres in diameter. Spread with the za'atar paste or scatter generously with the cheese filling, leaving a small border around the edge.

Step 4. Bake

Slide each mana'eesh onto a floured wooden board or pizza peel, then transfer it straight onto the hot bricks in the oven. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until the base is golden and the top is cooked through — all ovens run differently, so keep an eye on your first one and adjust from there.

A FEW THINGS YOU'LL WANT TO KNOW

Can I make mana'eesh without heat bricks or pizza tiles?
Yes and no. To get the exact result I'm giving you in this recipe — that golden, bread-like bottom with the light, airy crumb — you really do need heat bricks or pizza tiles. But to get something close, here is what you do. Follow all the instructions exactly as written, including top and bottom heat with no fan, as high as your oven goes, and bake your mana'eesh on a tray. Because the bottom will not brown the way it does on bricks, have a pan sprayed with oil already hot on your stove, ready to go. As soon as the mana'eesh comes out of the oven, pop it straight into the hot pan for a moment so the bottom can brown — and you're ready to go.

What is the difference between mana'eesh dough and pizza dough?
Pizza dough is generally wetter, often fermented for much longer, and bakes up thin and crisp with blistered edges. Mana'eesh dough is a softer, bread-style dough — light, airy and slightly chewy, with a golden base that stays tender enough to fold in half and eat with your hands, the way we do in Lebanon.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes — after kneading, you can cover the dough and let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight. Bring it back to room temperature before portioning and rolling, as cold dough will resist you.

Why won't my dough roll out easily?
The dough has not rested enough. Cover it and rest it for another half an hour, and that's it — it will roll out beautifully.

Can I freeze mana'eesh?
Absolutely. Bake them, cool completely, then freeze in an airtight bag. Reheat straight from frozen in a hot oven for a few minutes and they come back to life beautifully.

What cheese is best for cheese mana'eesh?
Traditionally it is akkawi in Lebanon, but it is not always easy to find here. The mozzarella and halloumi combination gives you the best of both — the stretch from the mozzarella and that salty bite from the halloumi. The nigella seeds are a must for me, just like the bakeries back home.

Can I freeze mana'eesh?
Absolutely. Bake them, cool completely, then freeze in an airtight bag. Reheat straight from frozen in a hot oven for a few minutes and they come back to life beautifully.
What is the best way to spread the za'atar mix?
With your hands. I know most people reach for a spoon — and you'll notice I've styled one in the photo, but that was just for visual purposes. Hands covered in za'atar don't exactly photograph well especially when you’re the photographer too! To work the za'atar properly into the dough and get that beautiful, even texture, traditionally we use our hands — fingertips pressing the mix right into the surface. It makes a difference, I promise.

My dough didn't come together when I added the water — there were still crumbs at the bottom of the bowl. What do I do?
Simply bring it together with your hands and continue kneading. Every flour absorbs water a little differently, so a few dry crumbs at the bottom of the bowl are nothing to worry about — a quick press together by hand and the dough hook will take care of the rest.

My dough came together before I added all the water — do I stop?
No — keep going and add all of the water. This dough needs at least 60% hydration, which is exactly what this recipe gives you, so every bit of that water belongs in there. It will come together as you knead, and remember — a wetter dough does not mean you need to add flour. That softness is what gives mana'eesh its light, airy crumb, so trust the recipe and let the mixer do its work.