Mana’eesh B’Jibneh or Cheese Flatbread

Name: Mana’eesh B’Jibneh or Cheese Flatbread
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour.; - 2 tsp instant yeast.; - 1 tsp sugar.; 1/2 tsp salt.; - ⅓ cup olive oil.; - 1 cup warm water.; 450 grams akawi cheese; - Nigella Seed or toasted sesame seeds.

9 steps

Prep:30minCook:10min

As we mentioned previously, Mana’eesh, are one of the most common breakfast dishes in Lebanon as well as in the Middle East. Today the recipe is for the Authentic Cheese Mana’eesh which is “Akkawi Cheese”, this kind of salty hard cheese and creamier than Halloumi, it may be a bit hard to find or quite expensive to buy for most but it worth trying. You can find Akkawi Cheese in most Middle Eastern grocery stores and can even order it online. In case you can’t find it near you, A mixture of feta and mozzarella does the trick to achieve a salt gooey Mana’eesh.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 11:27:36 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

High

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories531.2 kcal (27%)

Total Fat29.5 g (42%)

Carbs48.5 g (19%)

Sugars0.9 g (1%)

Protein17.3 g (35%)

Sodium2473.1 mg (124%)

Fiber1.7 g (6%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

6 servings

Dough Ingredients

3 cupsall-purpose flour

2 tspinstant yeast

1 tspsugar

½ tspsalt

⅓ cupolive oil

1 cupwater

warm

Filling Ingredients

450 gramsakawi cheese

Nigella Seed

or toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Step 1

Mix yeast with 4 tbsp warm water and sugar in a small bowl, cover & leave for 10 minutes until foamy.

Bowl

Plastic wrap

Step 2

Mix together flour and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, add the yeast mixture, olive oil and remaining 1.3 cups water. Mix together with a wooden spoon. Once the flour is mostly incorporated, switch to your hands and bring it together into a dough.

Bowl

Wooden Spoon

Step 3

Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand or 3 minutes on speed 6 of a stand mixer. Dough is kneaded enough when it's smooth and does not break when stretched.

Step 4

Shape into a ball, wipe inside edges of used bowl with a bit of olive oil, place dough inside. Cover with cling wrap and rise in warm place for 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.

Bowl

Plastic wrap

Step 5

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling, grate the Akkawi cheese into a large bowl, cover with cold water to soak and help draw out some of the salt for 2 hour or more (taste it every now and then until it reach the desired saltiness). Drain it and set aside.

Bowl

Step 6

6- Back to the puffed dough, punch it down to fully deflate, then divide into 4 equal pieces. Pull the sides down and tuck underneath so the top is smooth, underside is bunched up. Shape into ball and place on a lightly floured tray, smooth side up. Sprinkle surface with flour, then cover with damp tea towel. Rise 1 hour until doubled in size.

Knife

Tray

Kitchen Towel

Step 7

To assemble the Cheese Mana’eesh, Preheat oven to 240°C (220°C fan). Place shelfs on the top and the middle. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a round shape 30cm.

Step 8

Prepare 2 trays: Sprinkle 1/4 tsp semolina on each tray, place a rolled out dough on the semolina, bake in the oven until they start to bubble up; about 5 minutes or so, then remove the tray from the oven, spread the grated cheese evenly across the surface, leaving a 2cm border all around, sprinkle the top some nigella seeds and continue to bake until the cheese melts; about 5 minutes.

Step 9

Fold it or cut it in halves, Serve them with fresh vegetables like tomato, cucumber, mint, and olives.

Knife