Fatayers are bite-sized Lebanese mini Pies made with an easy homemade dough, stuffed with a savory filling consisting of either spinach, meat, or cheese.
Full recipe @https://cookingorgeous.com/blog/fatayer-homemade-lebanese-pies/
Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel for more delicious food recipes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGCWr-bZy_3iR6dcd9alG5A
My name is Ayla Clulee, a passionate and professional Cordon Bleu-trained chef, recipe developer, and food content creator with decades of experience. With a career spanning 15 years in the culinary industry coupled with 30 years of home cooking, my YouTube channel is a wonderful collection of culinary wisdom. I take pride in offering delightful recipes that range from hearty entrees to luxurious desserts, all crafted to spark creativity in your kitchen and bring joy to the table.
These crowd-pleaser Middle Eastern pastries are incredibly easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients.
They’re great as a quick breakfast on the go, a tasty snack when you feel peckish, or a great addition to your kids’ lunch box as well as special occasions.
Ingredients:
For the Dough
▢ 230 ml water
▢ 7 g sugar
▢ 9 g salt
▢ 7 g yeast
▢ 50 ml olive oil
▢ 400 g plain white flour / all-purpose flour
▢ 1 egg yolk (for egg wash)
For the Cheese Filling
▢ 50 g feta cheese
▢ 50 g labneh
▢ 100 g kasar cheese, mozzarella or cheddar cheese
▢ ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
▢ ½ cup chopped parsley and dill
For the Spinach Filling
▢ 150 g ground beef
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1 medium onion (diced)
▢ 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon paprika
▢ 200 g baby spinach
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, olive oil, and dried yeast together.
Add the water and stir until a dough forms.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Return the dough to the bowl and cover it with a clean towel.
Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Prepare the filling(s) while the dough is rising.
Preparing the Cheese Filling
Crumble the feat cheese into small pieces and grate the kasar cheese.
Wash, dry, and finely chop the parsley and dill.
In a bowl, mix crumbled feta cheese, labneh, grated kasar cheese (or mozzarella/cheddar), Aleppo pepper, and chopped parsley and dill. Set aside.
Preparing the Spinach Filling
Heat a large pan or wok on medium heat to make the spinach filling.
Brown the mince until it releases its fat.
Break the mince down into small pieces with a wooden spoon while cooking.
Add olive oil if needed and stir in the onions and garlic.
Cook until translucent then add salt, pepper, and paprika.
Sauté for another minute, add the spinach, and cook for a few minutes or until the water from the spinach evaporates.
Shaping Fatayer
When the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 12 equal pieces and shape them into balls. They should roughly weigh 55 grams each.
Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for another 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
If you want to make boat shaped fatayer, take one dough ball and thinly roll it into a small oval shape.
Place 1 ½ tablespoons of the cheese or spinach filling in the center of the dough.
Fold the sides of the dough over the filling, leaving the center exposed. Pinch the ends to create a boat shape.
Place the shaped fatayer on a prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
If you want to make triangle-shaped fatayers, take one dough ball and roll it out into a thin circle with a diameter of 6″ (15 cm).
Place 1 ½ tablespoons of the cheese or spinach filling onto one half of the dough circle.
Lift two sides of the dough and bring them together at the top, a bit to the side. This creates a point like a triangle.
Pinch the top part to seal the filling inside.
Fold up the remaining side to finish the triangle shape.
Pinch all sides of the triangle to make sure it’s closed tight.
Put the shaped triangle fatayer on the baking sheet, and repeat until you run out of dough balls.
Baking Fatayer
Brush the tops of the shaped fatayer with egg wash (egg yolk mixed with a little water).
Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the heat and let it cool down before using.