These za’atar buns are so fluffy, bursting with flavor, and stuffed with cheese. What’s better than fresh bread and cheese? Not much. But adding fragrant za’atar to it just takes it to another level of deliciousness. It doesn’t hurt that the dough recipe is easy to make, either!

What is za’atar?

As a Palestinian, za’atar is always in my pantry. Traditionally, we grab a piece of pita, dip it into za’atar, and then into olive oil, enjoying it that way. But it can be so much more than that like these stuffed za’atar buns or zaatar bread rolls.

Za’atar is a tangy yet earthy aromatic seasoning blend that comprises dried thyme and or oregano, sesame seeds, and sumac. Za’atar itself is an herb, just like mint, for example, that grows resiliently in the hills of the Levant. It’s said to depict the spirit of the Palestinians with their resilience. You take some down, but it keeps coming back stronger in more abundance.

To make the za’atar used in this recipe or in mainstream stores, you first start with the plant itself. The herb is plucked from the earth and dried on a towel in the sun. After it is dried, the leaves are picked off the stem and stored. If you’d like this seasoning blend, the dried za’atar is blended and tossed with sumac and sesame seeds.

As a staple food for Palestinians, za’atar has made its way into lots of dishes in our cuisine. It can be used fresh in salads. It can be used dried in breads and cakes, such as my za’atar cake recipe or farayek flatbread. In this case, the seasoning blend is used to flavor buns, but it’s also fabulous in a chicken marinade like my roasted za’atar chicken.

30-minute Dough for Za’atar Buns

The dough for these buns comes together quickly, often referred to as 30-minute dough. It’s a yeast-based dough that requires minimal effort and ingredients. I consider it an all-purpose dough. You can use this to make traditional meat, cheese, and spinach pies. You can use this dough for the za’atar buns to make bread rolls or honeycomb bread. You can even use it for pizza night! It is definitely a recipe you want in your rotations.

What you will need:

• Flour– I typically used unbleached all-purpose flour. However, whole wheat flour would work, and so would bread flour. You can even do equal ratios of wheat to all-purpose.
• Yeast– Fast-rising or active dry yeast both work great in this recipe. The most important thing is to ensure it is not expired, as it will not rise otherwise.
• Warm water– Essential to focus on the warm factor. If the water is too hot, then it will kill the yeast. If the water is too cold, then it will not activate the yeast when mixed. It must be lukewarm, so warm to the touch.
• Sugar– White granulated sugar is used to help activate the yeast when it is mixed with the water.
• Milk powder – I often use this in my dough as it offers a softer, fluffier texture. However, if you are vegan, feel free to omit. If you do not have milk powder, you can use warm milk in place of the warm water in the recipe instead.
• Vinegar– The touch of white distilled vinegar gives the dough a light and airy effect.
• Olive oil– This liquid gold helps bring everything together while offering a beautiful flavor.
• Za’atar– This is used to flavor the dough, or else these wouldn’t be za’atar buns! I would use a good quality one. If you wanted these plain, just omit the za’atar.

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I’m excited for you to try my za’atar buns recipe! If you try my recipes, please leave a star rating and/ or review in the comment section below. I love hearing from you. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below as well. You can share your remakes with me on Instagram!