Za'atar Swirls
About za’atar: Discover the taste and be inspired! Za’atar has a fresh herby taste with a zing. Za’atar, is Arabic for wild thyme and is common to Middle Eastern cooking. Usually it is combined with thyme, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds. The thyme gives it an elegant perfume and the sumac a slight lemony edge, while the toasted sesame seeds provides that oh so wanted crunch. The flavors work together beautifully. Za’atar is served with bread and olive oil. Dip the bread in the oil and then the herb mix; or make a paste of the oil and za'atar, brush it over bread or pita and grill for a few minutes. You can also enjoy za’atar sprinkled on ripe tomatoes or dusted over thick labaneh (a thickened yogurt: just sprinkle yogurt with a pinch of salt and drain it in a cheese cloth overnight in the refrigerator). I often wake up earlier on weekends, so I can bake za'atar swirl for breakfast. They are such a wonderful treat for all the family after a hard and hectic work week. Sometimes I add some variations to the swirls with adding some feta cheese to za'atar or just make some ham&cheese swirls, too. YUM!!!
Total Steps
11
Ingredients
16
Tools Needed
7
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup za'atar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- olive oil(optional)
- sesame seeds or black nigella seeds(optional)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese(optional)
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese(optional)
- 9 slices smoked turkey ham(optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Directions for dough:
Step 2
First, combine all the ingredients for <a href="/HF7TLMS7">yeast </a>slurry in a cup and let the slurry rest covered with plastic warp for 5 minutes, so that the <a href="/HF7TLMS7">yeast </a>starts reacting.
Step 3
Put all <a href="/RF7SRX43">dry </a>ingredients for the dough in a large bowl. <a href="/DRM2WPZ4">Stir </a>with a wooden <a href="/NX588QBK">spoon </a>to combine. Add water and <a href="/HF7TLMS7">yeast </a>slurry. <a href="/7S3QCKWK">Mix </a>with wooden <a href="/NX588QBK">spoon </a>until the ingredients come together and then continue working the dough by hand for at least 10 minutes to develop the gluten. The dough has to be smooth and elastic. If the dough is too wet and it still sticking to the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides.
Step 4
Let the dough rise, covered, until double in size or at least for one hour in a <a href="/FVYNJCCW">warm </a>place.
Step 5
Directions for filling:
Step 6
In a small bowl, <a href="/7S3QCKWK">mix </a>together all the ingredients, cover with plastic <a href="/X75YQJ6B">wrap,</a> and set aside.
Step 7
Directions for swirls:
Step 8
Divide the <a href="/HF7TLMS7">yeasted </a>dough into two equal parts. With a <a href="/LTNN8R88">rolling </a>pin <a href="/LTNN8R88">roll </a>the dough into a nice rectangle, spread the za'atar filling over the dough, and <a href="/LTNN8R88">roll </a>it into a loaf.
Step 9
Brush with some olive oil, sprinkle sesame <a href="/FYFCQVPR">seeds </a>or black nigela <a href="/FYFCQVPR">seeds </a>over the loaf, and <a href="/RNT367Z2">bake </a>in 425*F p<a href="/H3S4YV46">reheated oven f</a>or 20-25 minutes.
Step 10
Let the loafs <a href="/GZFHJC5K">cool </a>down for 5 - 10 minutes, then<a href="/XZBDDD5G"> cut</a> them into delicious<a href="/3JDX2Q84"> slices</a> and enjoy for breakfast with a cup of tea and chat with your loved ones.
Step 11
For ham&cheese filling I used 1 cup <a href="/QMX3H88P">shredded </a>mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, and 9 <a href="/3JDX2Q84">slices </a>of <a href="/QRT27MZS">smoked </a>turkey ham.