Cookbook Club Recipe #11 | Variation #1

A blistered grilled flatbread brushed with olive oil and za’atar, served with cool, creamy labneh for tearing and dipping.

This is one of my favorite simple ways to serve a grilled flatbread. With nothing more than olive oil, za’atar, and labneh, you really get to taste what the grill is doing to the dough; the char, the crisp surface, and the soft, chewy interior, accented with the aroma of za’atar and the creamy tang of labneh.

It’s also a good reminder that this technique isn’t just about pizza. Grilled flatbread can be the whole point—something to tear, dip, and eat alongside the rest of the meal.

If you want the full explanation of preparing and shaping the dough, building a two-zone fire, and mastering the flatbread grilling technique, read the full Grilled Flatbread Blueprint and watch the video here.

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Recipe: Za’atar Grilled Flatbread With Labneh

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I love about this recipe:

The bread, with its char and chew, is front and center.

Once the dough is rested and the grill is hot, the whole thing comes together in minutes.

Hot, smoky bread against cool, tangy labneh is simple and hard to beat.

Yield: 1 flatbread, serving 2 to 4 as an appetizer or sideActive Time: 10 minutesTotal Time: 10 minutes, plus dough resting time if neededSpecial Equipment: Charcoal or gas grill; rolling pin; metal pizza peel or wide metal spatulaNotes: Za’atar brands vary in flavor and saltiness, so make sure to taste and season as you sprinkle.

Ingredients

1 pound (about 450g) store-bought or homemade pizza dough

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing and finishing

Lots of za’atar, or to taste

1 cup labneh

Kosher salt, if needed

Method

Divide the dough into two approximately 225 g (8-ounce) portions. Working with one portion at a time, pinch a small bit of dough between the thumb and forefinger of one hand to form a little “bellybutton.” With your other hand, stretch the outside of the dough over itself and tuck it into that point. Rotate the dough slightly and repeat, continuing until the outside has formed a smooth, taut skin and all of the folds meet at one point underneath. Set the ball seam-side down on an un-floured work surface and gently roll it under your palm to smooth the bottom. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Place the dough balls in a proofing container, lightly oiled individual deli containers, or lightly oiled small bowls. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 to 3 hours. The dough is ready when it has softened and spread slightly and an indentation made with your fingertip is slow to spring back.

If using a charcoal grill: Light one full chimney of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set the cooking grate in place, cover the grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

If using a gas grill: Set half the burners to medium–high, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

Dust a work surface and one dough ball lightly with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin oval, circle, rectangle, or whatever irregular shape it naturally wants to take, roughly 12 inches across at its longest dimension. Brush the upper surface lightly with olive oil if desired.

Pick up the dough from one end and drape it oiled-side down over the hot side of the grill in one smooth motion, taking care that it does not fold over itself. Cook, watching closely, until the dough begins to puff and the underside is browned and charred in spots, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Use the edge of a metal pizza peel or wide spatula to lift and check the underside as it cooks. Rotate or reposition the bread as necessary for relatively even browning. On a round kettle grill, you can also rotate the entire grill grate to move the flatbread over hotter or cooler areas.

Brush the upper surface lightly with olive oil if desired, then flip the flatbread. Cook until the second side is puffed, blistered, and charred in spots, another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a cutting board, drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle generously with za’atar.

Beat the labneh with a spoon until it’s smooth and creamy, then spread it in a wide, shallow bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and a sprinkle of za’atar. Serve immediately with the bread for ripping and dipping. Repeat the grilling process with the second dough ball.

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