Gluten Free Manakish Za’atar (Middle Eastern Pizza)

Sarah Nevins of the Saucy Kitchen

5 Manakish

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 1/4 cup at about 110°F
• 3 teaspoons sugar, divided
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, ensure gluten free (one packet)
• 1 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp xanthan gum – It isn’t recommended to omit the xanthan gum. If you’re intolerant to xanthan you can use guar gum in its place. The xanthan helps hold on to the moisture in this dough and without it the dough stays more like a batter making it hard to form.
• 2 tbsp | 30 ml olive oil

Topping

• 1/4 cup
• 6 tablespoons Za’atar Spice
• 1/2 Shredded Dairy-free Mozzarella

Instructions

1. 1. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in the warm water. Once dissolved, whisk in the yeast until fully combined. Set aside the yeast-water mixture for about 10 minute until the yeast has foamed up.
   2. In a large mixing bowl: Whisk together the rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum and salt until well combined.
   3. Pour the foamed up yeast-water into the flour mixture along with the two tablespoons olive oil. Use a large spoon to mix the wet and dry ingredients together until a thick, smooth batter-like dough forms. Scrape down the sides and make sure no flour pockets remain. Your dough will look and feel sticky at this point.
   4. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel, store in a warm, dry place and let rise for 45-60 minutes. The dough should rise in volume by at least 1/3 of its original size.
   5. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place a couple of large baking sheets inside your oven to heat up.
   6. While the dough is rising, prepare the Za’atar blend. In a small bowl: whisk together the olive oil and Za’atar spice form a thick paste. Set aside until later.
   7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough between 5 or 6 portions. Scoop the dough portions out of the bowl and plop down onto your baking sheet. Leave about 5 inches in between each portion. You will likely need to divide the dough between two baking sheets.
   8. Get a little bit of olive oil on your hands and pat the dough to form round discs, about 5 inches across. The dough will be very sticky so pat it down quickly to prevent it from sticking to your hands too much.
   9. Once your dough has been formed, assemble the manakish. If you’re using gluten-free cheese, sprinkle the cheese over the centre of each piece of dough. Spread the za’atar over the cheese or across the top of the dough. Leave about 1/2 inch around the sides, untouched.
   10. To bake: remove the baking sheets from the oven. Slide the baking paper with the manakish onto the hot sheets and place in the oven to bake for 12-14 minutes.
   11. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving and enjoy.