Cheese Manakish (Manakeesh)

Step 1

Make the dough recipe. Or, use store-bought dough (see note 1). Measure out the flour and place it in a bowl. Add dry yeast, sugar, and salt. Combine all the dry ingredients together using a spoon. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Crack the egg in the well. Add in the milk, oil, and a little bit of water (save the rest and use only if needed). Start folding in the flour sides and use your hands to combine everything. When the dough's texture is pretty soft, form it into a ball. Place the dough ball on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes. Roll the dough in any shape you want to and cover it with cling film (plastic wrap). Then wrap it up with a kitchen towel and leave it out to rest for one hour.

Step 2

After the dough has risen, knead for 5 minutes. Then, shape the dough into a large ball. Shape into smaller individual portions (around 10). Roll each portion into a proportional circle.

Step 3

Place these on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in an oven at 350 ℉ (180 ℃) for around 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and top each dough circle with a heaped tablespoon of the cheese mix. Pop back into the oven for around 5-7 minutes.

Step 4

Once the cheese has melted, remove the manakeesh from the oven. Sprinkle with the dried herbs, if using. Serve hot alongside chopped vegetables and olives.