Bedouin-Style Flatbread with Labneh and Olive Oil

Preparing thin Bedouin flatbread on a saj griddle — Traditional flatbread preparation on a saj. The recipe below uses a home skillet.

Warm, thin flatbread with labneh, olive oil and za’atar. Traditional Bedouin flatbread is cooked on a saj griddle. This home version uses a flat skillet, making smaller breads that fit a home kitchen.

Makes: 8 thin flatbreads
Total time: about 75 minutes, including resting
Diet: vegetarian, contains dairy and wheat.

Ingredients

Flatbread

500 g all-purpose flour, plus a little for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
300 to 330 ml room-temperature water
1 tablespoon olive oil

To serve

300 g Project Wadi Attir sheep and goat milk labneh
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Project Wadi Attir za’atar spice blend
Sliced cucumber and tomato, to taste

Method

Combine the flour and salt. Add 300 ml water and the olive oil, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough is dry, add the remaining water gradually. It should be soft, flexible and slightly tacky.
Cover and rest for 30 minutes. This dough has no yeast. Resting helps it relax so it can stretch.
Divide into 8 balls, cover and rest for another 15 minutes.
Heat a dry, heavy flat skillet. On a lightly floured surface, roll one ball into a very thin round about 25 cm across, or sized to fit your skillet. Brush off excess flour and keep the other balls covered.
Cook on the hot skillet for about 45 to 60 seconds, until brown spots appear. Turn and cook for another 20 to 40 seconds. The bread should remain flexible. Reduce the heat slightly if it scorches too quickly.
Immediately wrap the cooked bread in a clean towel. Repeat with the remaining dough, keeping the breads covered to stay soft.
Just before serving, spread labneh over the warm bread, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar. Serve with vegetables, folded or rolled.

Tips

If the dough springs back while rolling, cover and rest it for another 5 to 10 minutes. Roll thinly and avoid prolonged cooking to keep the bread soft.

You can also mash Project Wadi Attir labneh balls in olive oil into a spread. Drain them first and use less finishing oil, to taste. The product page is in Hebrew.

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