Happy Birthday to Me!

Last week was my bday, hooray for me, hooray for presents. My fave present so far is - big surprise here - a cookbook. My hubby got me Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, by Ana Sortun.Since then I have been cooking up a storm, or haboob, as the case may be. I found a really cool Middle Eastern market, Baiz Market in downtown Phoenix, got a ton of cool new spices, pita, and 3 different kinds of feta (who knew!).

So far, the household favorite has been Muhammara on Flatbread with Za'atar. Muhammara is a walnut, red pepper and pomegranate dip. Remember the first time you tried hummus, or tzatziki, and the flavor combos were a revelation? Muhammara is the same thing! Here is a copy of the recipe from my cookbook, and here's another variation from Paula Wolfert that I want to try, to compare.

Za'atar is a spice blend of Jordanian thyme, sumac, sesame, and some other stuff. It is addictive and amazing, especially on this flatbread. In this batch pictured, I kind of skimped on the za'atar, next time I will use a lot more!

Flatbread with Za'atar

adapted from Spice, by Ana Sortun

1/4 oz active dry yeast (1 packet)

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups bread flour

1 tsp salt

4 Tbsp olive oil

6 Tbsp za'atar

Proof yeast by mixing with warm water until it blooms. Whisk in the 1/4 cup olive oil, flour, and half of the salt. Knead with a mixer or by hand (pretty easy with this dough) until satiny and tacky, but not sticky, adding more water or flour as necessary to achieve that texture. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and put in the refrigerator overnight to rise. Two hours before baking, remove from fridge and place on a 10x12 baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let dechill for 90 minutes. Stretch out dough to corners of baking sheet, trying to keep it an even thickness. Brush with remaining olive oil, sprinkle with za'atar and remaining salt, and let proof for 30 minutes, uncovered. Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.