Best 4 Syrian Manoushi Bread Recipes

SYRIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle; press Start.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds with a damp cloth and let rest.
• Roll dough into thin flat circles, about 8 inches in diameter. Cook two at a time on preheated baking sheets or a baking stone until puffed up and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Repeat for remaining loaves.

SYRIAN MOUNTAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Make the dough and leave it to rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the chillies, onions, leeks and lemon juice. Cook gently for 12-15 minutes, until everything is tender. Add the spices and salt and stir well. Leave to cool and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to its highest temperature. Knock the air out of the dough, then tip it out onto a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 12 portions, then lightly flour each one and roll it out as thinly as you can. You are aiming for rough circles, around 18 cm (7 in) in diameter. Cook each round on a baking stone for 1-2 minutes until its starts to blister and color slightly. Actual baking time for the whole batch will depend on how many breads will fit comfortable on your stone at a time as stones come in a wide range of sizes.
• Wrap the breads in a tea towel to keep warm while you bake the rest.
• When all the breads are ready, smear each with a dollop of the chilli mixture. Roll them up and pack them into a baking tray. Warm them through briefly before serving with the goat's cheese, if using.

SYRIAN MANOUSHI BREAD

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast and salt.
• Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and dribble it into the dry ingredients until they absorb enough to make a sticky dough, how much water is required will entirely depend upon your flour.
• Mix in the olive oil and use your hands - or the dough hook on your electric mixer - to knead the dough until it is smooth and silky. It will take about 10 minutes.
• Lightly oil the ball of dough and put it into a bowl.
• Cover and leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours, by which time it should have at least doubled in size.
• Knock the air out of the dough, then tip it out onto a floured work surface. Cut the dough into12 portions, then lightly flour each one and put them on a tray, covered, for another 10 minutes.
• When ready to cook, roll each portion out to a 15 cm (6 in) circle and cover with the topping of your choice.
• Bake in a hot oven (450 -500f) until done to your liking.

MAN'OUSHE

Steps:

• To make the dough, in a bowl of a stand mixer (if mixing by hand, use a large bowl), sprinkle the yeast over the water along with the sugar and let sit in a warm place until the yeast starts to bubble, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the olive oil, flour, and salt. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment. If mixing by hand, stir with a wood spoon or spatula until it becomes too thick to stir, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough in the machine on medium-high speed, or by hand, until the dough forms a smooth ball, but is slightly sticky when you touch it with your finger. It'll take about 5 minutes and will pull away from the sides of the mixer bowl. Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
• To make the flatbreads, preheat the oven to 500ºF/260ºC and move the oven rack to the upper third of the oven. Set a baking steel on the rack. (Check the manufacturer's instructions for your baking steel or stone.) Otherwise, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the baking steel or stone for 45 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and divide the dough into six pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small oval, rolling it just until each starts to resist. When each one does, set it aside on the countertop and begin rolling another. Continue to roll each of the six pieces of dough into ovals, stopping when the dough starts stretching back on itself.
• When ready to bake, take the first oval of dough and roll it out to its final size, adding a bit more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to the counter or rolling pin, turning it over a few times to ensure it's not sticking. Roll it until it's about 12-inch long by 4- or 5-inches wide (30cm by 10- to 12cm).
• Spread the oval with a layer of the za'atar mixture, about 1 1/2 tablespoons per flatbread leaving, not quite reaching the edge so there's space for a crust. Don't worry about any bare spots when smearing on the za'atar: it doesn't need to be perfect.
• (Note: My za'atar was quite fresh, and strong. But if yours isn't, you can use more of the topping is you wish. If you need more for spreading, mix za'atar and olive oil together in even amounts.)
• Lift the finished flatbread with your hands, or slide a pizza peel dusted with flour underneath, and transfer the flatbread on the baking steel or stone. Continue rolling and topping the rest of the flatbreads, baking each until the crust is golden brown, about 7 minutes.
• (If you don't have a pizza peel and are worried about transferring the dough, another option is to cut six sheets of parchment paper to a size that will fit under the rolled dough, then transfer the unbaked flatbreads to the parchment paper before smearing them with za'atar. Leave the parchment paper under the flatbreads and lift them, holding the ends of the paper, then bake the man'oushe breads on the parchment paper, setting them directly on the baking steel or stone.)
• Remove the flatbreads from the oven when the crusts are golden brown and serve warm or at room temperature.