Man'oushe (topped flatbreads): cheese, lahm ajeen and za'atar, with a labneh sandwich

Warm 250 g water to around 30-40C, add 8 g dried active yeast and 20 g sugar, mix to dissolve.

Cover and set aside 15 minutes until foamy; no foam means the yeast has expired.

In a stand mixer with the dough hook, combine 500 g all purpose flour and 6 g salt on low.

Add the yeasty water and mix about 3 minutes to a rough, sticky dough.

On low, slowly stream in 30 g vegetable oil; mix 3-4 minutes until it comes back to a rough dough.

Knead on medium 3-4 minutes to a smooth, homogeneous ball that leaves no dough on the fingers.

Form a ball, oil the bowl, return the dough, cover and rest 30 minutes.

Put the stone, steel or oven tray in the oven, set it to 275C and preheat at least half an hour.

Shred the cheese large; if mozzarella, mix with a pinch of salt.

Pulse 125 g onion and 175 g tomatoes in a mini food processor until very finely chopped; drain off the excess liquid in a strainer.

Mix 250 g minced lamb or beef with the vegetables, 30 g tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp sumac, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne and 2 tsp pomegranate molasses until homogeneous; rest 10 minutes to firm up.

Combine equal weights of za'atar and extra virgin olive oil into a thick paste.

Punch the risen dough down, knock out more gas on a floured worktop and portion into eight balls of about 100 g; form each into a smooth ball.

Just before cooking, roll each ball into an eight-inch (20 cm) circle on a lightly floured surface.

Place on a floured pizza peel and poke it full of dents with the fingers (docking).

Spread topping thinly with the back of a spoon, leaving a small edge; meat thin enough to cook with the dough, not too much cheese. Cook immediately.

Shimmy onto the centre of the stone and bake 2 1/2 to 3 minutes until browned at the edges; za'atar ones about 20 seconds less. Fold in half to keep warm.

variation: without a peel, dock and top the dough on baking paper and bake on the paper; the bottom browns less.

variation: in a stainless steel or cast iron pan on high heat, cook the docked dough about 60 seconds, flip, top, cover and steam 3 minutes.

variation: in a pizza oven preheated on high 20 minutes, cook about 1 minute 40 seconds, rotating every 20 seconds once set, until browned with a little char.

variation (labneh sandwich): bake the plain dough, extra docked, about 2 minutes until barely browned; cool, spread thickly with labneh or cream cheese, top with cucumber, tomato, olive pieces and mint, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season, and wrap.

They freeze and reheat well, including in the microwave.