Low Carb Manakeesh
Tired of pizza? Try this twist on a Keto Middle Eastern recipe. Manakeesh is made of a doughy flatbread that has a strong yeast flavor. This Keto version uses almond flour for the lowest carbs. To keep things simple, this recipe includes a za’atar seasoning topping with the option to add cheese. The manakeesh you see here were topped with simple shredded mozzarella. Recommendations for other toppings are made in the introduction and the recipe directions, but feel free to use your best judgment to include your favorite toppings. This shareable meal can be part of your lunch, a midday snack, or your meal prep.
How to Make It
Step 1
Choose a large mixing bowl and fill it with warm water. Stir the honey into the water before adding your dry yeast. Give one more brief stir and leave the yeast water aside for 10 minutes. Look for small air bubbles and a strong fragrance to know the yeast has been activated.
Step 2
After the yeast has been activated, add almond flour, salt, and powdered erythritol to the bowl. Gently stir the ingredients together until a very wet and slightly lumpy dough forms. Wrap the bowl in plastic and leave it aside at room temperature for 60 minutes. This gives the dry ingredients time to gelatinize and the yeast to grow and flavor the dough.
Step 3
After letting the dough ferment, turn on your oven to preheat to 425 F (218 C) and line a large metal baking sheet with parchment paper. As long as the baking sheet fits in your oven, the bigger the better. Divide the dough into HALF the number of servings you’re making, and spread each portion out into a 6-inch flatbread on the parchment paper. In this case, perfect circles are wholly unnecessary. Make the flatbread wider as needed to keep them under ½-inch thick.
Step 4
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the flatbread dough in a circular pattern, then sprinkle the za’atar seasoning all over the tops. If you’re adding cheese, do not add it just yet. Bake the manakeesh for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are dark golden brown and the centers are cooked through. Add cheese during the final 10 minutes of baking.
Step 5
Allow the manakeesh to cool fully so they naturally release from the parchment paper for serving. Cut each manakeesh in half to make 2 servings (half a manakeesh is 1 serving). You can top warm manakeesh with more za’atar seasoning or olive oil, or you can improvise your own garnishes. Store cooled manakeesh in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days for freshness.
Ingredients
- Water
1 cup
- Honey
0.5 tsp
- Yeast
1 tbsp
- Almond flour
3 cup
- Salt
1 tsp
- Powdered Erythritol (Icing Sugar)
1 tsp
- Extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp
- Seasoning Blend, Za’atar
1 tsp