Step 1

Place the yeast, sugar and half the water in a large bowl (big enough to take the flour and the rest of the water. Mix and leave to froth, in a warm room, for 10 - 15 minutes. If you are mixing your dough using a food processor, just do this stage straight in your mixing bowl. Make sure that your metal bowl isn't too cold to begin with. My kitchen is cool-cold, unless the oven is turned on, so the metal bowl is always cold.

Step 2

When the yeast is all activated and frothy/foamy, sift the flour straight into your bowl. Add the rest of the water, the salt and the olive oil. If using the food processor, mix on the lowest setting with a dough hook, for 1 minute. If using your hands, mix everything up with a wooden spoon, then finish off with well floured hands.

Step 3

If using your hands, tip the dough onto your well floured work surface, and knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a smooth and slightly shiny dough. Keep flouring your hands regularly, but don't add too much flour to the dough.

Step 4

Lightly grease a large glass bowl, and place the dough into it. Cover with a cling film, and leave to rise and double in size for 90 minutes in a warm place. I place the bowl in amy airing cupboard.

Step 5

At the end of that time, tip the dough out onto a well floured surface, and divide into 6 balls.

Step 6

Using well floured fingers, flatten each dough ball into a flat, round bread. I also squash any large air bubbles at this stage, to stop the bread from puffing up unnecessarily, because we didn't flatten the dough earlier, if you remember.

Step 7

Spread the za'atar mixture on each bread, as in the image here, stopping short of the edges. You'll probably need 2-3 tsp for each manoushe. Leave the manakish to rest for 5 minutes. Place 2 pizza stones or baking sheets in the oven and turn the oven on to 250˚C (500˚F/230˚C Fan).

Step 8

Transfer the za'atar manoushe onto the pizza stone using a pizza peel. If you don't have a pizza peel, place a layer of baking paper on a baking sheet, transfer the manoushe onto it, then slide the whole thing onto the pizza stone.

Step 9

Bake for 7-8 minutes, until a lovely shade of medium brown. As mentioned above, you can top the manoushe with anything you like.