Parmesan Za’atar Artisan Bread

August 4, 2026
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I think everyone should have a quick, simple bread recipe on hand. One that doesn’t require a bunch of kneading, long proofs or super strict measurements. This parmesan za’atar artisan bread is exactly that…

This loaf is cheesy, salty and herby with a crisp crust and beautifully tender crumb. Plus, it is filled with fine shreds of parmesan and beautiful za’atar. If you aren’t familiar with za’atar, it is an earthy Middle Eastern spice blend with herbs like oregano, thyme and marjoram, citrusy sumac, sesame seeds and sea salt and it is one of my favorite spice blends in my collection.

With the wonderful texture in this loaf, the ease of bringing everything together and the delicious flavor profile, this bread needs to be added to your future baking plans.

Let’s get started…

Begin by collecting your ingredients. You will need an envelope of active yeast, salt, sugar, all purpose or bread flour, some Parmesan and za’atar.

If you are unfamiliar with za’atar, it is an earthy middle eastern spice blend made with oregano, thyme, marjoram, sea salt and citrusy sumac. I always think of it as a middle eastern herbs de’ provence and the more I have been using it, the more I love it…

Bring the dough together…

- - Step #1 is to whisk a 7 gram envelope of active dry yeast and a teaspoon of granulated sugar into 1 1/2 cups of warm water and then set it aside until it is bubbly and foamy (5-7 minutes)
  - Once the yeast is foamy, add 375 grams of all purpose or bread flour and a teaspoon of salt and mix until you no longer see any flour left unincorporated
  - Add a cup of shredded parmesan and a tablespoon of za’atar over the dough and stir to evenly distribute (perfection is not required here, just do your best)
  - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a heavy kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for an hour

Once the dough has puffed to about double its original volume, transfer it out onto a generously floured surface and use floured hands to pull the sides in towards the middle to start forming a ball of dough.

Note: This dough is soft and a little sticky, so be sure to flour your hands to help minimize sticking. We aren’t kneading the dough at all here! Just pulling the ends in to help form it into a loose ball. Perfection is totally unnecessary here!

Transfer the ball of dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, place it back into a large bowl, cover and rest for another 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, place a dutch oven with the lid onto the middle rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Prepping the dough for baking…

After 30 minutes, very carefully pull the hot dutch oven out of the oven and close the door quickly to trap the heat. EVERYTHING is screaming hot here, so be careful!
Remove the lid of the dutch oven and use the sides of the sheet of parchment paper to lift the dough out of the bowl and place it into that hot dutch oven.
At this point, I like to sprinkle some additional shredded parmesan, a dusting of za’atar and a little pinch of flaky sea salt over the top of the dough. While this is absolutely optional, it adds so much to the overall look and the texture of the crust of this loaf.
Before you place the lid back on the dutch oven, drop an ice cube behind the parchment paper and quickly transfer it back into the oven.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes with the lid on and then carefully remove the lid and let the bread bake for another 5-7 minutes to allow the crust to get deeply golden brown and crisp.

When the dough is golden brown, crunchy and it sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom, transfer the loaf onto a cooling rack and let it cool for… at least an hour.

I feel like the cooling time is one of the hardest part of baking bread. Seeing that gorgeous loaf, having your entire house smell like fresh bread and not being able to enjoy it quite yet can be really tough, but trust me when I say that it is worth waiting.

Cutting into a super hot loaf of bread will interrupt the redistribution of moisture as the interior cools and this almost always results in a weird, gummy texture that you would have avoided if you let the loaf cool more.

This parmesan za’atar artisan bread is absolutely fabulous. The loaf has these little ribbons of salty parm and earthy herbs that you are going to adore. The crust is great, the crumb is tender and flavorful and if you wrap the leftovers tightly, this bread stays moist for days at room temperature.

If you are looking for a simple, no-knead bread that doesn’t require overnight proofs or professional level kneading skills then you should definitely give this one a try. You are going to love it so much!

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