Za'atar Bread Rolls (Manaiesh Bi Za'atar)

Submitted by COOKGIRl

"From the cookbook Mediterranean Dishes by Diane Seed. Za'atar (or zahtar) is easy to make and several good recipes are found on this site. I have used an automatic bread machine to prepare the dough. This yields a light textured bread."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Yields: 6 mini-loaves

ingredients

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 8 ounces tepid water (more or less depending on your bread machine and or or the type of flour you use)
• 7 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 -3 tablespoons za'atar spice mix, to taste (homemade is best)

directions

1. MANUAL: Dissolve the yeast in 3 tablespoons tepid water. Next add the egg, 4 tablespoons olive oil and the sugar. In large bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually stir in the yeast mixture and add the tepid water, enough to make a dough ball. On a floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Put dough in an oversized bag and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. *Proceed with recipe where indicated.
2. BREAD MACHINE: Add all ingredients to the bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions EXCEPT for the za'atar and add ONLY 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once dough is done, remove from bread pan and place dough in an oversized plastic bag in a bowl. Allow to proof in a warm area for about 45 minutes.
3. *Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
4. Divide the dough into six pieces. On a floured cutting board shape each piece of dough to form an oblong.
5. Arrange the oblongs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic (cling) wrap and leave for 15 minutes.
6. In a small bowl combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the za'atar. Brush the mixture evenly over each bread loaf, pressing gently into the dough making "dimple" patterns with your fingers.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. While waiting for bread to bake, belly dance.
8. Serve warm.

Reviews

[loof751]

This bread is fantastic! I used the manual method and the directions were easy to follow and produced wonderful results. The bread came out soft and light and we just loved the za'atar topping. Thanks for sharing a keeper! Made for the Best of 2011 event, recommended by awalde

 

[Annacia]

I made this yesterday using the machine to do the mixing and kneading. We had friends for dinner and she had said that she would like to try something simple to see if she liked Middle East flavors. She loved this bread and is ready to try something "more daring". Thanks CG, I now have a budding convert to the fabulous flavors of NA/ME cuisine. :D

 

[mianbao]

I love it! The rolls are delightfully light and tender, and the za'atar is a good accompaniment. I used 2 tablespoons honey instead of sugar, out of personal preference. I needed about 3 tablespoons extra flour, maybe because of the honey. The recipe yielded 6 rolls of about 145 grams each. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe with us. While I like the za'atar, I'm also thinking of different toppings for these excellent rolls.

 

[Sephardi Kitchen]

This bread was so incredibly quick and easy to make, and the texture is wonderful! I almost removed one star because I ended up needing to use almost a full cup of flour more than what the recipe called for, but I figured that it depends on the flour used and other factors. The texture of this bread is very soft, and the dough is excellent! I may consider adding more za'atar to the outside next time, or maybe even add za'atar to the dough itself, since I love it that much! Made for January NA*ME Tag.

 

[basya]

A friend of mine served something like this several months ago and I wanted to make something to go with a soup tonight. This recipe was perfect! I would love to make it in whole spelt flour sometime when my white-flour-loving kids aren't around. <br/><br/>The rolls came out light and yummy. I have commercial za'atar with sesame seeds, and good fresh olive oil. I used the amounts in the recipe and was delighted. Each roll was lightly coated in delicious za'atar. Thanks for posting!