Za’atar…such a sexy word right?! The name just rolls off the tongue, all exotic-like! I guess it’s only fitting it brings back such good memories from when I lived in Israel. Oh, the things I would give just to snack on the freshly baked pita with za’atar from the street market in Tel-Aviv and shop for groceries with my grandma-cart in tow. I could definitely name a few!
But don’t be fooled by the exoticness of it all. Za’atar is really a blend of very familiar spices, the most prominent of which is wild oregano. (You guys know oregano, right?!) It also usually consists of sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. (There are many variations; some even include cumin, coriander or fennel.) If you can’t find any variant in your local grocery store, just order off Amazon. (Yea, you read that right.)
Za’atar is of course best when baked into fluffy bread. Store-bought pizza dough is key to making the bread fix you need without putting in the time. I just layer on the za’atar and olive oil and shove it in the oven at a very high temperature. Then I’ll top it off with olive oil and a fried egg to take it to a whole other level. It’s pretty rad, I won’t lie.
ingredients
- 1 store bought pizza dough
- 2 tbsp zaatar (you can also use sumac or fresh sage, LOTS of olive oil and salt)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- labaneh to taste (or full-fat Greek yogurt, recipe here)
- 1 fresh tomato, sliced
- 1 egg, fried
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
- salt to taste
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees f and place a tray inside to get hot.
2. Roll out dough and dock all over with a fork. (Poking holes all over the dough allows it to bake evenly and stay flat.)
3. Mix za’atar with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and spread over the dough. Place in the oven and let bake for 5-7 minutes until lightly golden.
4. In a bowl, mix chopped olives with parsley, lemon juice and the remaining olive oil. Set aside.
5. Slice the za’atar pita into 4 pieces and spread labaneh (or Greek yogurt) on top. Then top with the fried egg, a tomato slice and the olive spread. Garnish with parsley and enjoy, my friends!