Lebanese Savory Zaatar Cake
A savory wheat loaf with dried thyme-sumac-sesame blend, feta, eggs and olive oil.
Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 35 min · Total: 1 hr 5 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- 150 g Plain white wheat flour
- 60 ml Olive oil TOTAL, 55 ml batter + 5 ml pan
- Large eggs, about 100 g edible contents TOTAL as guide — 2
- 50 g RTE UNSALTED DRIED zaatar blend: culinary thyme/sumac/sesame
- 50 g Pasteurized feta
- 80 ml Pasteurized whole milk
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- Salt, only if needed after considering product salt, to taste
Instructions
Preheat and select loaf tins
Preheat conventional oven to 180°C BEFORE mixing. Use a metal loaf tin around 20 × 10 cm, batter depth about 3 cm and at most two-thirds full. Half uses about half the area, fourfold FOUR base-size loaves/tins, not one deep loaf. Check actual labels/allergens.
Preheat conventional oven to 180°C BEFORE mixing. Use a metal loaf tin around 20 × 10 cm, batter depth about 3 cm and at most two-thirds full. Half uses about half the area, fourfold FOUR base-size loaves/tins, not one deep loaf. Check actual labels/allergens.
Whisk measured wet ingredients
Whisk 2 eggs with all 80 ml milk and only 55 ml of the TOTAL 60 ml olive oil; reserve 5 ml for the pan. Salt only if needed considering feta/zaatar labels, never by tasting raw batter. Keep raw-egg tools away from ready-to-eat food.
Whisk 2 eggs with all 80 ml milk and only 55 ml of the TOTAL 60 ml olive oil; reserve 5 ml for the pan. Salt only if needed considering feta/zaatar labels, never by tasting raw batter. Keep raw-egg tools away from ready-to-eat food.
Coat the pan
Coat the chosen metal pan with the reserved 5 ml oil only. Do not add an unmeasured splash; no old sweet yogurt, sugar, lemon or extra sesame formula remains.
Coat the chosen metal pan with the reserved 5 ml oil only. Do not add an unmeasured splash; no old sweet yogurt, sugar, lemon or extra sesame formula remains.
Combine dry ingredients
Mix 150 g flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 50 g UNSALTED DRIED culinary thyme/sumac/sesame blend. This is not 50 g fresh green thyme or an unidentified salty spice mix.
Mix 150 g flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 50 g UNSALTED DRIED culinary thyme/sumac/sesame blend. This is not 50 g fresh green thyme or an unidentified salty spice mix.
Fold and fill
Fold wet into dry gently, then all 50 g crumbled pasteurized feta. Fill the prepared pan within the depth limit. Never taste raw flour/egg batter; no automatic Akkawi substitution or hidden desalting process.
Fold wet into dry gently, then all 50 g crumbled pasteurized feta. Fill the prepared pan within the depth limit. Never taste raw flour/egg batter; no automatic Akkawi substitution or hidden desalting process.
Bake a fully set centre
Bake at 180°C from a 35-minute first check. Centre must be fully baked with no wet batter on a clean skewer AND at least the 71°C egg-dish baseline. That temperature alone does not validate flour cooking; continue as needed. A few cooked crumbs are not raw batter.
Bake at 180°C from a 35-minute first check. Centre must be fully baked with no wet batter on a clean skewer AND at least the 71°C egg-dish baseline. That temperature alone does not validate flour cooking; continue as needed. A few cooked crumbs are not raw batter.
Bake a fully set centre: 2100 seconds
Rest and verify FOURFOLD scale
Remove from 180°C oven with mitts; rest from a 10-minute safe-handling first check. Fourfold is 600 g flour, 200 g zaatar, 200 g feta, 8 eggs, 240 ml TOTAL oil (220 batter + 20 pans), 320 ml milk and 4 tsp baking powder, not the source 3× table. Temperatures/time/depth do not multiply.
Remove from 180°C oven with mitts; rest from a 10-minute safe-handling first check. Fourfold is 600 g flour, 200 g zaatar, 200 g feta, 8 eggs, 240 ml TOTAL oil (220 batter + 20 pans), 320 ml milk and 4 tsp baking powder, not the source 3× table. Temperatures/time/depth do not multiply.
Rest and verify FOURFOLD scale: 600 seconds
Slice and refrigerate
Cut the base loaf into 6 slices for 2 catalogue shares; half gives 3 slices, fourfold 24 from four loaves. Refrigerate shallow portions promptly at 4°C or colder up to 2 days or earlier product limit. These are not validated room-temperature shelf-life or nutrition claims.
Cut the base loaf into 6 slices for 2 catalogue shares; half gives 3 slices, fourfold 24 from four loaves. Refrigerate shallow portions promptly at 4°C or colder up to 2 days or earlier product limit. These are not validated room-temperature shelf-life or nutrition claims.
Tips
- Step quantities describe 2 catalogue shares, not guaranteed dietary portions. Scale EVERY numeric input, process-water allowance and garnish by 0.5 for 1 share or 4 for 8 shares. Times, temperatures, thickness, oil depth and pan sizes do not multiply: use suitable comparable-depth vessels or successive base-size batches. Cup 240 ml, tbsp 15 ml, tsp 5 ml; product directions and actual allergens control.
Common mistakes
- Keep perishables at 4°C or colder. Separate raw meat, eggs and flour tools from ready-to-eat food. Refrigerate shallow portions promptly within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C; do not wait for full counter cooling. These are refrigerator-entry deadlines, not a guaranteed cooling curve.
Substitutions
- Keep the specified raw/cooked/prepared states and amounts. Check actual labels and allergens; reconcile incompatible components rather than adding unmeasured ingredients. Never taste raw flour, dough, batter or sealing paste.
Storage
Keep covered at 4°C or colder for at most 2 days or earlier component-label deadline. This selected household cap is not validated shelf life; assembly does not reset an older ingredient clock. Keep perishables at 4°C or colder. Separate raw meat, eggs and flour tools from ready-to-eat food. Refrigerate shallow portions promptly within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C; do not wait for full counter cooling. These are refrigerator-entry deadlines, not a guaranteed cooling curve.
Reheating
Reheat cooked leftovers only once to 74°C throughout, checking representative centres. A timer or browned surface is not enough; respect earlier component deadlines.
About this recipe
A savory wheat loaf with dried thyme-sumac-sesame blend, feta, eggs and olive oil.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.