Eggplant Shakshuka with homemade labneh and homemade pita bread

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade pita bread ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Add the lukewarm water and olive oil and Knead about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, pliable and doesn't stick to your hands.

   BowlStand mixer

   💡For yeast dough, use the windowpane test: a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing, and that's the sign the kneading is done. Add flour only by the tablespoon, and only if the dough is still sticky after a few minutes: too much flour makes a tough dough.
3. 3
   Cover and Let rise about an hour in a warm place, until the dough doubles in size.

   Plastic wraporKitchen towel

   💡Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot. The dough is ready when it has doubled, and a gentle finger press leaves a dent that fills back slowly; if it springs right back, wait longer.
4. 4
   Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F), with an upside-down baking sheet inside, for at least half an hour.

   Oven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
5. 5
   Divide the dough into 10 balls and roll each ball into a circle about ½ cm thick.

   Rolling pin

   💡Don't roll too thin: in a round half a centimeter thick or more, the steam in the dough puffs it into a pocket; a round that's too thin dries into a cracker.

   💡Dough that springs back needs rest: cover the balls for 10 minutes and the gluten relaxes.
6. 6
   Cover the rounds with a towel and let rest 15 minutes.

   Kitchen towel
7. 7
   Bake on the hot baking sheet, 3–4 pitas at a time, 3–5 minutes, until the pitas puff into a pocket and take on a little color.

   OvenBaking sheet

   💡Full heat and a scorching-hot baking sheet are what make the pocket: in an oven that isn't hot enough, the pita bakes flat.

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
8. 8
   Wrap immediately in a towel, so the pitas stay soft.

   Kitchen towel

For the homemade labneh ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 9
   Mix the yogurt with the salt.
2. 10
   Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth set over a bowl, pour in the yogurt and tie up the ends of the cloth.

   ColanderCheeseclothBowl
3. 11
   Refrigerate 24 hours, until the labneh is thick.

   Refrigerator

   💡The longer the yogurt strains, the thicker the labneh: a day for a spread, and another day or two for balls.
4. 12
   Spread on a plate, make a well and drizzle the olive oil over it and sprinkle with the za'atar.

   Plate

For the Fried onion

1. 13
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.

   StoveFrying pan
2. 14
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 15
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   Stove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.

To assemble

1. 16
   Fry the eggplant in a little oil 5–7 minutes, until golden, and remove to a plate.

   Stove
2. 17
   Add the paprika, chili and cumin and stir for a minute, until fragrant.
3. 18
   Add the tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

   Stove

   💡The sauce is ready for the eggs when a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan leaves a trail. A sauce that's too thin cooks the eggs in water, not in sauce.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
4. 19
   Return the eggplant to the sauce and stir.
5. 20
   Make wells in the Dressing and crack an egg into each one. Cover and cook 5–8 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

   StoveLid

   💡Crack each egg into a small cup first and slide it into the well: that way the yolk doesn't break, and a stray bit of shell is easy to remove.
6. 21
   Sprinkle the labneh and parsley on top and serve immediately.
7. 22
   Serve with the pitas and bread.