مُطبق الزعتر البلدي

Mix 2 cups of flour with ½ teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.

Gradually add ¼ cup of olive oil and ¾ cup of warm water while kneading until you get a soft, non-sticky dough.

Knead the dough well for 7 to 10 minutes.

Cover the dough and let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour until it rises and doubles in size.

Meanwhile, finely chop 2 cups of fresh green zaatar (thyme), making sure to remove any tough stems.

Finely chop 1 small onion.

Mix the chopped zaatar with the chopped onion, 2 to 3 tablespoons of sumac, then add ¼ cup of olive oil, salt to taste, and optionally a pinch of chili flakes for heat.

Ensure the filling is not overly wet so that it doesn’t soften the dough during baking.

Once the dough has risen, divide it into small balls and let them rest for 15 minutes.

Roll each dough ball out on a surface lightly greased with oil until it's very thin.

Place a suitable amount of the filling in the center of each dough round, then fold it into a square or rectangular “mtabbak” shape.

Bake the mtabbak in a preheated oven at high heat (about 220°C / 428°F) until the bottom is golden brown, then broil the top until nicely browned.

Serve hot or warm with plain yogurt, olive oil, or a cup of tea.