Easy Arabic Bread Dough (Manakish Dough)

Add the water, sugar, and yeast to a small bowl, mix well and then allow it to stand for between 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate. It should froth up and become quite bubbly during this time.Meanwhile, combine the sifted flour and salt in a large bowl.

Add the yeast mixture and yogurt to the bowl, mix into a rough dough, and then knead for around 10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough. When poked with a finger, the dough should bounce back again - if it doesn't, knead it a little longer.The dough should be smooth and not sticky. If it’s a little sticky, then add an extra tablespoon of flour at a time. Likewise, if it’s too dry (crumbly), then add a tablespoon of water and then knead until you have a smooth texture.

Knead the dough by hand, or use a stand mixer (which usually takes a couple of minutes less). You could also use a food processor with a dough blade, but this usually takes quite a lot less time due to the faster speed. Check after two minutes, then every 20-30 seconds after.

Form the dough into a rough ball and cover lightly with oil, then place back in the bowl.Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or cling film and place it in a warm place to prove for between 45 minutes to an hour. During this time, it should double in size.

If it's particularly cold on that day/where you are, then it may be best to turn the oven on its lowest temperature for 5-10 minutes, switch it off then allow the dough to rest in the switched-off oven.

At this point, you're ready to use it for whatever recipe you'd please, which will affect your next step (i.e., how big, what shape, etc., the dough you use will be).

I was making manakish, so I used an inverted oven tray (a pizza stone will also work) in the oven at its' highest temperature (for me, that's 500ºF/260ºC).

For manakish (manakeesh), I divided the dough into 5 balls (you can weigh it for exact pieces, but I did it by eye) to achieve bigger flatbreads (you can also make 8 medium-sized ones). Roll the dough out to around 1/4-inch thickness and shape into either circles or oblong shapes.

Press your fingers into the dough all over the surface. This will create more space for toppings and will prevent the dough from puffing up too much in the oven.Then top with your toppings of choice - like this za'atar manakish or cheese manakish.

Carefully transfer the Arabic bread dough to the inverted tray/pizza stone and bake for between 5-6 minutes until it's lightly browned on the edges and underneath.

Remove it from the oven and cool slightly before wrapping/covering it with a kitchen towel to keep the bread soft.

Mahe ahead: If you don't plan on using all the Middle Eastern bread dough at once time, you can store the prepared dough, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.Store: The freshly baked bread can also be store in an airtight container or the fridge for up to five days. Enjoy at room temperature or warmed.Freezer: The baked bread (like manakish) is freezer-friendly for up to three months. Depending on how you use the dough and what fillings/toppings you use with it, this time may vary.Reheat: You can reheat the baked Middle Eastern flatbread from frozen in the oven at 250ºF/120ºC until warmed through (20-25 minutes usually). If heating from chilled or room temperature, then reduce the time in the oven.