Cheese & Za'atar Flatbread

Total Time: 3 hrs 12 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
• 1 cup za'atar spice mix (spice mixture with dried thyme)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb akkawi cheese (can use a combination of both or can sub any cheese you like) or 1 lb mozzarella cheese (can use a combination of both or can sub any cheese you like)

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. pour in the 2 tablespoons oil and the water gradually. mix to form a dough. turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and smooth.
• 2 place in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. leave to rise in a draft-free place for 1-1/2 hours until it doubles in size.
• 3 cut the dough into 8 equal parts and shape into balls. dust with a little flour and cover with a towel. leave to rest for an additional 30 minutes.
• 4 preheat the oven to 400°f.
• 5 combine the za'atar and the 1/2 cup olive oil to make the topping. shred the cheese and set aside.
• 6 on a floured surface, flatten each ball and with a rolling pin roll into a circle of approximately 6-8". place on greased baking sheets and spread the za'atar/oil mixture on some of the circles leaving a 1/2" border. do the same for the cheese flatbreads. use your fingers to spread the fillings evenly. pinch and crimp the edges to create a decorative border.
• 7 bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden, and serve hot.