Manoush in the UK: what it is, how to order it, where to find it
Manoush (man'oushe) is Lebanese flatbread baked with a topping, most classically za'atar and olive oil, eaten for breakfast straight from the bakery. The za'atar version is the daily bread of Lebanon; cheese (jibneh) and spiced-meat (lahm bi ajin) versions are the other staples. Folded and eaten in the hand, it is one of the great cheap breakfasts.
What manoush is
A soft flatbread dough is spread with a topping and baked in a hot oven, traditionally a saj (a domed griddle) or a stone oven. The classic is za'atar: the wild-thyme, sumac and sesame blend mixed with olive oil into a paste and spread over the dough, baked until the bread is soft and the topping fragrant. Jibneh manoush uses a stretchy white cheese (akkawi); lahm bi ajin is topped with spiced minced lamb, tomato and pine nuts. It is Lebanon's breakfast, bought hot from the corner bakery (the furn), folded over and eaten walking. Some shops offer a za'atar-and-cheese half-and-half (cocktail).
How to judge it
The bread should be soft and freshly baked, the za'atar fragrant and generous with good olive oil, or the cheese melted and stretchy. Dry, sparse topping or stale bread is the low end. Baked to order and eaten hot is the whole point; manoush does not keep. A good furn turns them out through the morning.
Manoush versus lahmacun versus pizza
Manoush is a Lebanese topped flatbread, closest to the Turkish pide or the Levantine lahm bi ajin (which is like a lahmacun). The za'atar version has no direct equivalent elsewhere; it is a herb-and-oil bread. All are flatbreads with toppings but the za'atar manoush is distinctively Lebanese.
Where it is done well in the UK
Lebanese bakeries and restaurants. The list below shows areas with the most Lebanese restaurants.
How to order it
Order za'atar manoush for the classic, or cheese (jibneh) or spiced lamb (lahm bi ajin); ask for a za'atar-and-cheese half-and-half if offered. Eat it hot and freshly baked, folded in the hand. The za'atar version is vegan.
Where it's done well
UK councils with the most manoush specialists, by restaurant name, in our directory.
Restaurants near you
Search by postcode or use your location to find restaurants likely to serve manoush near you.
Make it at home
Serves 4 · 90 min
Ingredients
- for the dough: 400 g flour, 250 ml warm water, 7 g yeast, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp olive oil
- for za'atar topping: 6 tbsp za'atar mixed with 6 tbsp olive oil
- or: 200 g akkawi or mozzarella, grated
Method
- 01Make a soft dough, knead, and prove for an hour until doubled.
- 02Divide and roll into rounds; spread with the za'atar-oil paste or scatter the cheese.
- 03Bake on a hot stone at 230°C for 6 to 8 minutes until the base is set and the topping fragrant or the cheese melted.
- 04Eat hot, folded.
A hot oven and fresh dough are the whole thing; manoush is best minutes from the oven. Use a real za'atar blend with good olive oil.