268. Zaatar Pinwheel Bites

The zaatar fest continues!
After Zaatar Manaeesh, Zaatar Swirl Buns, and Zaatar Toasties, I found Zaatar Pinwheel Bites!
These nuggets of zaatar are a creation of Taste of Beirut, who enjoys them for breakfast and at all hours of the day. Highly recommended to follow suite ;)
This zaatar recipe, although very similar in concept to the other zaatar rec
ipes (dough and zaatar paste), is very different in texture. First, they incorporate whole-wheat flour in the mix, giving them a denser, wholesome feeling. Second, they are sliced somewhat thinly (abit less than a centimeter thick), so that after baking they are initially crispy, then become delightfully chewy.

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups mixture of white and whole-wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp of dry yeast
2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup of warm water
1/2 cup zaatar mix
1/3 cup olive oil

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk half a cup of warm water with the yeast and sugar.
Set aside in a warm place, covered, for about 10 minutes, until the yeast starts bubbling up.

Meanwhile, place the flours in a mixing bowl and add the salt.
Mix to combine all.
Form a well in the center and drop the yeast mixture, quarter cup of olive oil and the rest of the water (about 1/2 cup) and start mixing until the dough lumps together and forms a ball, adding more water if necessary.
Form the ball with your hands with a few strokes and place back in the bowl, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the bowl, knead for 3 minutes and place back in the bowl with a little oil, covering the entire surface of the dough.
Cover and let the dough rise for two  hours.
This should give you enough dough for two batches of snails (90 snails) or one batch and one ball of dough to make pizza with or pita bread or flatbread.
You can sprinkle some flour on the extra ball and freeze it in a freezer bag.

After the dough has risen, roll it out on a greased work surface as thin as possible, into a rectangular shape.
Make the zaatar paste by stirring together the half cup zaatar spice mix with the third cup olive oil.
Grab the zaatar paste and spread it on the entire surface of the dough with a spoon or a spatula.
With your fingers, roll the dough from the wide side, like a jelly roll, until you end up with a thin sausage.
Cut the sausage every 1/4 inch or so, and place the snails in a greased cookie sheet (the cookie sheet can be lined with foil and greased).

Bake for 20 minutes, reversing the sheet from front to back and top to bottom, to make sure it bakes evenly.
You may also want to flip the snails halfway through.
When the snails look golden and crisp, they are done!
Remove and serve warm or at room temperature.
Store leftovers in the freezer.
These snails taste best fresh out of the oven.

 صحة و عافية