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Recipes and text by Christine Flynn; produced by Sun Ngo; photography by Christie Vuong; food styling by Sage Dakota; prop styling by Rayna Schwartz.
The herby, lemony flavour of za’atar pairs perfectly with the tang of dill pickles and the char of a good flatbread crust in this recipe from cookbook author Christine Flynn. (But no one's telling if you use store-bought pizza dough!)
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup 3.25% milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
115 g shredded mozzarella, divided
1 cup sliced garlic dill pickles, divided
2 tbsp za’atar
Dough: Whisk honey with yeast and 1 cup lukewarm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 min. Whisk in 1 cup flour, then continue whisking hard for 3 min. Cover bowl with a towel and let rise until mixture puffs up and bubbles form, about 1 hr.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in 2 tbsp oil and kosher salt. Add remaining 1 cup flour, then continue stirring until dough forms. Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead dough for 3 min. Wash out bowl, then brush with oil. Transfer dough back into bowl and turn it over a few times to lightly coat in oil. Cover bowl and let rise for 20 min.
Sauce: Meanwhile, heat milk in a small saucepan set over high until it starts to simmer. Pour into a cup and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high. Melt butter in same saucepan, then whisk in flour and pinch of salt.(Reduce heat if flour starts to brown.) Continue cooking until mixture turns golden, 2 to 3 min. While whisking, slowly pour in warm milk. As sauce thickens, use a spatula to stir until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 min.
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Divide dough into four equal balls. Roll out each piece on a well-floured surface into a 1-cm thick oval. Lightly brush tops with oil. Arrange 2 portions at a time, oil-side down, directly onto grill grates. Grill until bottoms are lightly browned, but still doughy, about 2 min. Brush more oil on top, then use tongs to quickly flip dough over.
Spread one-quarter of white sauce over each portion of dough, then sprinkle with one-quarter each of cheese and pickles. Close lid. Cook until crust is browned and cheese is melted, 3 to 5 min. Remove from grill and sprinkle with za’atar. Repeat with remaining dough.