Lahm Bi Ajeen and Manakish (Zaatar, Cheese and Egg)

Ingredients

Dough

• 5 cups flour, sifted
• 1 sachet yeast (1 tbsp)
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Meat topping

• 250 g minced meat
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large onion
• 5 large garlic cloves
• 1 cup parsley
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp pepper paste
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Cheese topping

• 1 cup grated halloumi
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1/4 cup nigella seeds

Egg topping

• 1 egg
• Salt and black pepper

Zaatar topping

• 1/2 cup zaatar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Method

1. Dough: mix 1 1/2 cups warm water with 1 1/2 cups flour, the yeast and sugar and let it ferment for 15 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups flour with the salt, yogurt and oil and knead in a mixer until smooth. Rest an hour in a warm place, then shape into balls of the desired size and rest 10 minutes.
2. Meat topping: blend the onion, tomato and garlic in a food processor until smooth, add the parsley and pulse, then add the meat with the spices, pepper paste, tomato paste, oil and pomegranate molasses. Mix and set aside.
3. Zaatar topping: mix the oil and zaatar. Cheese topping: mix the halloumi, mozzarella and nigella. Egg topping: beat the egg with salt and black pepper.
4. Preheat the oven grill and a non-stick pan, and keep a brush with a little oil ready. For lahm bi ajeen, roll a ball very thin with a dusting of flour, oil the pan, lay the dough on the hot pan and spread 2 tbsp of the meat mixture over the whole surface. Leave a minute to brown underneath, then transfer to an oven tray to brown the top.
5. For zaatar and cheese, do not roll the dough as thin; place it on the hot pan, add the topping, let it brown underneath, then move to the oven tray. Once you have a batch, grill the tops, or use a large flat spoon to brown each one as it is done.