Man’oushe Halloumi
Man’oushe is a Middle Eastern flat bread that originated in Lebanon, and is a staple on breakfast tables across the Levant. Traditionally topped with Za’atar, a spice made with Thyme, Oregano and Sesame, Cheese, or a mix of Ground Beef and Lamb. A popular street food and perfect after school snack for hungry kids.
Traditionally you’d top the entire Man’oushe with Cheese, Za’atar or Meat as you would Pizza, but because Halloumi releases a good amount of liquid during baking, and due to the water content of Tomatoes and Cucumbers, I top only half, and serve this as a sandwich to catch all the delicious drippings.
If you live in the DC area, Z&Z Bakery in Rockville serves hot, fresh Man’oushe made to order just like you’d get in the Middle East with a delicious variety of toppings.
It’s true that once you start baking Bread at home it becomes addictive. It’s so easy and you can’t beat the flavor and texture of freshly baked bread. This recipe was created using the same dough as that of my Sheet Pan Spelt Pizza. Spelt Flour is nutritionally superior to wheat, and is less inflammatory. The gluten in spelt has a different molecular make up to the gluten in modern wheat, making it easier to digest. It’s also higher in fibre which aids in the digestion of gluten. Spelt contains more protein, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals than wheat, and is rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and niacin. I’m so happy to feel confident baking with Spelt at home.
You could pretty much use any flour you have on hand, including All Purpose and 00 Flour; you may have to adjust the quantity of liquid if your dough seems too sticky or dry. If using Spelt, be sure to acquire White Spelt not Whole Wheat. Of course, you could substitute store bought Pizza Dough as well.
Organic Ingredients, makes 4 Man’oushes
4 Dough Balls (recipe below)
1 Lb. Halloumi Cheese, thinly sliced
2 Salad Tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 an English Cucumber or 3 Persian Cucumbers, thinly sliced
A Handful of fresh Mint, thinly sliced
Celtic Sea Salt to taste
4 Tbsps. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dough Recipe
290 Grams or mls. Water
10 Grams Sea Salt
8 Grams Brown Sugar
5 Grams Active Dry Yeast (make sure Yeast in newly bought as they can become inactive)
500 Grams White Spelt Flour
Note that it’s important to use White Spelt and not Whole Grain Spelt for this recipe.
To make Dough, place Water in a small pot and heat to just above room temperature, so that it’s lukewarm. Place Water in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Add Sea Salt, Sugar and Yeast to the liquid and using a whisk, mix well to incorporate. Add Flour into the mixture and using your hands mix well until you form a ball. Once you’ve formed a ball, place your ball on a wooden chopping board or work surface to knead.
Here is a video on how to knead dough. Knead for approx. 10 minutes, then form into a smooth ball and place it into your large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Pop into the oven on ‘proof’ setting and leave to proof for 1.5 hours. By this point the Dough should’ve more than doubled in size. If it hasn’t, something went wrong, likely that your yeast was inactive.
Sprinkle a little bit of Flour on top of your dough ball - about 1/2 a teaspoons worth and on your fingers. Using your fingers, release the dough from the bottom of the bowl going round the bowl until its all released. With your fingers under the dough ball, and the sprinkled flour on top, flip the ball onto a chopping board. Flatten the dough a little so that it forms a circular shape. Using a knife or dough cutter cut down the center horizontally and vertically so you have 4 equal pieces. Remove your first piece and on a lightly floured surface fold a few times and form into a ball. Leave to rest on the side as you fold the the other 3 pieces and form into balls. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Heat a pan stove top, large enough to fit your individual flat breads, with a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. One by one, roll out your dough into flat round pieces. Make them as thin as you can without breaking the dough. As soon as it’s rolled out, pop it into the hot pan to cook the base. Once the dough starts forming air bubbles and the base is brown in areas, remove from stove and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once all your dough is rolled out and the bottom cooked you are ready to add your Cheese.
Place Man’oushe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil on each Man’oushe. Place Halloumi slices on half of your Man’oushe and bake in a 450f oven for approx. 7 minutes or until the Halloumi starts the brown in areas.
Remove from oven and add Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Mint. Season with Salt to taste. Drizzle a little more Olive Oil on top of your veggies, fold in half and enjoy.
Note:
To make in advance, after you’ve cooked the bottom of the dough stove top, leave to cool counter top, wrap with parchment paper, and leave at room temperature for a few hours, or refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, top with cheese and continue as above.
As you’re rolling out each dough ball, be sure to keep your resting dough balls covered
Roll dough as thin as you can without breaking, 1/4 inch is what we’re aiming for
Cook the bottom of your flat bread in a little Olive Oil in a hot pan
Until air bubbles form at the top and the bottom starts to brown in places
Brush some Olive Oil on your flat bread and top half of it with thinly sliced Halloumi
Place into the oven for approx. 7-10 minutes or until Halloumi starts to brown
Perfectly cooked, starting to brown in areas along Cheese and Bread
Topped and ready.
Folded, to catch all the delicious drippings from the Cheese and Veg.
Sammy’s afterschool Man’oushe Halloumi