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Aqras Za’atar w Labneh

أَقرَاصْ زَعْتَر ولَبنة

Oregano Buns with Labneh

Oregano buns are a staple in our kitchen, and we almost never run out! Being of Palestinian and Jordanian descent, I take great pride in this recipe as I feel it represents our family origins well. Using both dried and fresh za’atar (oregano) adds another dimension of flavour. I love to serve the buns with 3 different toppings that you can mix and match: spicy labneh, Za’atar topping (Zeit u Za’atar), and an oregano tapenade. This not only makes an amazing breakfast, but also a snack any time of the day with cup of tea with mint.

 

Servings: Makes 15 to 20 mini buns

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 2½ tsp yeast
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1½ cups warm milk
  • 6 cups bread flour (high gluten flour)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1½ cups dried za’atar leaves (oregano)
  • 2 cups firmly packed fresh Za’atar leaves (oregano), roughly chopped
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup yogurt
  • 1 cup warm water

Za’atar Topping:

  • ¾ cup Za’atar mix
  • ½ cup olive oil

Spicy Labneh:

  • 1 cup labneh
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 springs fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Oregano Tapenade:

  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 Serrano pepper, roughly chopped
  • 7 to 10 sprigs fresh oregano 
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, add the yeast, sugar and warm milk, whisk well and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes until yeast is activated and mixture is frothy.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour into the bowl, add the salt, dried and fresh Za’atar (oregano) and mix well until combined.
  3. Add the olive oil and using your hands mix and knead until the flour mixture is grainy and resembles wet sand, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the yogurt and water and mix with a spatula to start, then add some olive oil to your hands and knead until the dough is on the smooth side. 
  5. Flour a surface, and knead the dough with your hands until smooth, about 8 minutes.
  6. Add olive oil onto the dough and into the bowl, place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, cover with a towel and allow to rest in a warm dry place for at 1 to 2 hours, perhaps even 3 hours, depending on location and temperature. The dough will at least double in size.
  7. Punch down the dough and knead again for a couple of minutes, allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat your oven to 375F.
  9. Grease your hands, shape into golf sized balls, add to a baking tray covered with parchment paper and space them an inch apart. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes before baking. 
  10. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes until golden. Remove from heat and allow to rest.
  11. To make the Za’atar topping, mix Za’atar with olive oil until well combined.
  12. To make spicy labneh, mix labneh with some chilli peppers (to taste), crushed garlic and fresh mint leaves. Mix well and garnish with olive oil.
  13. To make oregano tapenade, add garlic, serrano and fresh oregano leaves to a mortar with a pinch of salt. Using a pestle, crush into a paste. Add lemon juice and olive oil and mix well.
  14. Serve the buns immediately out of the oven, with the 3 different dips and enjoy.