Za'atar Flatbreads with Olive Oil, Cucumber, Tomato and Mint

Mix the dough. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl, then add the 3 tbsp oil, the yeast and the 320ml water and work everything together with your hand until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Add 1-2 tbsp more water if it feels dry. A soft dough gives tender, chewy flatbreads.

Knead and rise. Rest the dough for 5 minutes, then knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Rub with a little oil, cover and leave for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled. The short rest before kneading lets the flour hydrate, so the dough smooths out faster.

Mix the topping. Stir the za'atar into the 120ml oil to make a loose paste. The oil carries the flavour of the thyme, sumac and sesame and keeps the topping from drying out in the hot oven.

Divide and rest. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces of about 140g, roll them into balls and set them on an oiled tray. Cover and leave for 30 minutes, until nearly doubled. Resting relaxes the gluten so the balls press out thinly without springing back.

Heat the trays. Heat the oven to 250°C (fan 230°C), or its maximum, with both lightly oiled trays inside, for 15 minutes. Hot trays crisp the bases from the moment the dough lands on them.

Shape and top. On a floured sheet of baking paper, press a ball out with your fingertips into a thin 20cm round. Spread one-sixth of the za'atar oil over it, leaving a narrow border, and press the topping in with the back of a spoon. Pressing it in keeps the bread flat rather than puffing up like a pitta.

Bake in batches. Slide the paper with 2-3 rounds onto a hot tray and bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden at the edges and the topping is bubbling. Shape the next batch while each one bakes. Serve warm, folded around cucumber, tomato and mint.