The Weekend Labneh Spread
لبنة·(lab-neh)
The Sobhiyeh: Morning Rituals & The Forn
Sunday at eight a.m. The house is asleep. The water boils. The labneh waits. This quiet pocket of time—the Sobhiyeh—demands a proper breakfast table. Making this yogurt cheese at home means lining a wire strainer, requiring nothing but whole milk yogurt, a pinch of salt, a piece of cloth, and time. Resist the temptation of low-fat compromises or Greek yogurt shortcuts; the fat in the whole milk must interact with the cloth to create the dense texture. Start this on a Friday night, and by Saturday morning, the whey will have wept away. Swirl the center with the back of a spoon, pour a puddle of olive oil, and rip the warm pita.
Ingredients
- plain whole milk yogurt32 oz
- kosher salt3/4 tsp
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- za'atar1 tbsp
- fresh mint leaves1/4 cup
- Kalamata olives1/2 cup
- pita bread2 large
Method
- 01
Prepare the straining vessel.
Place a large fine-mesh sieve or colander over a deep bowl, ensuring several inches of clearance at the bottom so the whey has room to pool without touching the yogurt. Line the sieve with three to four layers of clean cheesecloth or a flour-sack kitchen towel.
- 02
Season the yogurt.
In a mixing bowl, sprinkle the salt over the yogurt and gently but thoroughly mix it in until dissolved. The coarse salt not only seasons the cheese but chemically assists in drawing out the moisture.
- 03
Bundle the yogurt for straining.
Carefully pour the salted yogurt into the center of your lined sieve. Gather the edges of the cloth, bring them up, and twist them gently together to completely encase the yogurt in a tight bundle.
- 04
Let gravity do the work.
Place the entire setup in the refrigerator and let it strain undisturbed. For a lighter dip, leave it for 12 to 14 hours; for a richer, cream-cheese-like consistency, let it go for 18 to 24 hours.
- 05
Whip the finished labneh.
Discard the yellowish whey in the bowl and transfer the thickened labneh from the cloth into a clean bowl. Vigorously stir it with a fork or whisk for thirty seconds to break up any dense spots and transform it into a silky, airy spread.
- 06
Plate with the traditional swoosh.
Transfer the labneh to a shallow, rimmed serving plate. Using the back of a spoon, spread it outward toward the edges, carving a circular trench in the center to serve as an olive oil reservoir.
- 07
Garnish and serve.
Pool the extra virgin olive oil generously in the center well, sprinkle with za'atar, and scatter fresh mint and whole olives around the edges. Serve immediately alongside the warm pita.
Notes
Do not substitute Greek yogurt.
Using Greek yogurt results in a hard, rough consistency rather than the silken texture required for an authentic Lebanese spread. Standard full-fat plain yogurt is the undisputed requirement.
Save the whey.
In traditional, zero-waste Middle Eastern kitchens, the drained acidic liquid is often saved to bake bread or marinate meats.
From Cook Lebanese in America.