I tried the dough of man’oushe bi kishk from my book today with spelt and rye flour. It was not my intention. Being away from my kitchen for a few weeks, and still day dreaming from my last USA trip, I have missed refilling my pantry with few essentials.
No all-purpose flour, no whole-wheat flour as the recipe requires! As I planned to knead the dough early in the morning in order to make the small pizzas in the afternoon, I grabbed whatever I had available hoping to have rapid-rise yeast as well. I did, thank God! I substituted the wheat flour with 350 g spelt flour and the whole-wheat flour with 100 g rye flour. I didn’t change the other ingredients. I loved the taste of the dough; there was a mixture of sweetness and nuttiness from the spelt part and a stronger flavour from the rye part. The dough was also crispier than the original ones in the recipe, all in all, not a disappointing experiment, rather a scrumptious deli experience.
For the topping I used Kishk I buy from Marjeyoun in south Lebanon. For the ones who have never heard of kishk, it is a mixture of burgul fermented with goat milk and yoghurt. The end product is a white milk powder you store in the fridge. Kishk is sour and its taste could be a bit strong depending on the pasture and quality. If you like a milder taste, I recommend tasting the powder before buying.
Recipe adapted to the original in my cookbook The Taste of Marjeyoun.
Sahtein!

Man'oushe bi-kishk - Pizza with Kishk
Ingredients
- For the dough
- 350 g spelt flour
- 100 g rye flour
- 2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 275 ml lukewarm water
- for the topping
- 130 g Kishik
- 200 ml plain yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon hot red pepper paste
- 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 200 g tomatoes rinsed and finely chopped
- 1 medium onion 125 g, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame
Instructions
- For the dough: Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the oil and water and mix well until the dough gathers into a ball, adding a little extra flour if it is sticky or a drizzle of water if dry. Knead for about 5 minutes until it becomes smooth and pliable. Lightly oil the bowl and turn the round dough over to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
- For the topping: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.
- To make man’oushe: Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface to 2 mm thickness. Cut out the dough into rounds using a 10-cm round-shaped pastry cutter. Place the rounds on the lined baking sheet; press your fingers lightly onto the dough and spread with 1-heaped tablespoonful filling.
- Preheat oven (220°C, 425°F). Bake on middle rack for about 12 minutes. Serve hot or lukewarm.
How would you cook this kishk pizza if done on an already cooked tortilla rather than a dough? Trying to reduce carbs and eating ready made low carb tortillas. Thks
Hi, I would heat a skillet, spread kishk filling on the tortilla and cook until the filling feels warm. You can also try spreading filling on Tortilla, roll it, brush with a bit of oil and bake in oven. I haven’t tried either options, but I guess it would work. You will have to adjust the filling if making one or two tortillas only as you won’t need all that amount.
Could you use it on pitas or on na’an type bread that they carry in US grocery stores?
Hi Barbara,
The topping needs to be baked. As the Naan or pita are already baked, they might become too crispy and dry. I would suggest warming the naan or Pita on a Skillet, and spreading a thin layer of stuffing and continue cooking few seconds. Then Bake in the oven in the upper half of the oven. I haven’t tried it myself, but it should work. Try the dough recipe when you have time on your hands, you will love it.
How long does dried Kishk last in the fridge? Thank you.
I get mine from a good source in Lebanon. The kishk I have is from 2019 as I haven’t been to Lebanon since. The amount I kept in the fridge in a glass jar with a lid is still very good. The rest of kishk, as I bought a lot, I keep in bags in the freezer. It keeps long. I do the same with zaatar, I keep in the freezer. The amount I need for daily use I keep in a jar at room temperature.