Fatayer is a popular Middle Eastern savory pastry that brings together a soft, fluffy dough with delicious fillings. Originating from the Levant, these savory pies come in various shapes and sizes, with popular fillings like tangy spinach and rich cheese.
Ingredients:
For The Dough
▢3¾ cups all-purpose flour
▢1½ teaspoons instant yeast
▢½ teaspoon Kosher salt
▢½ teaspoon granulated sugar
▢4 tablespoons olive oil
▢1 cup warm water
For The Spinach Filling
▢1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
▢1 medium onion, finely diced
▢2 tablespoons olive oil
▢2 tablespoons sumac
▢1 teaspoon Kosher salt
▢¼ teaspoon black pepper
▢1 tablespoon lemon juice
For The Cheese Filling
▢1 cup shredded mozzarella
▢1 cup feta crumbled
▢½ cup chopped parsley
Instructions:
Dough Preparation
In a bowl add the all purpose flour, instant yeast. salt, sugar, olive oil and water. Mix until the dough comes together. Transfer to a floured surface
Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and doesn’t stick to your hands. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time. alternatively, you can use a stand mixer to make the dough.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.
Let it rise in a warm, draft-free area until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. This first rise is crucial for a light and airy texture.
Fillings Preparation
Spinach Filling: Thoroughly squeeze out any excess water from the thawed spinach to prevent a soggy filling. Mix with finely diced onions, olive oil, sumac, kosher salt, black pepper, and lemon juice until well combined.
Cheese Filling: In a bowl, combine shredded mozzarella, crumbled feta, and chopped parsley. Ensure the cheeses are well mixed for even distribution in each pastry.
Shaping the Fatayer
After the first rise, deflate the dough, transfer it onto a floured surface, and sprinkle some flour on top as well.
Divide it into equal portions, usually about 20 pieces, and shape each into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough balls rise for another 30 minutes.
To make the spinach fatayer: Roll out a piece of dough into a 4-inch circle. Place 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon spinach filling in the middle. Bring the two sides together and pinch then bring the final side up and pinch to form a triangle.
To make cheese fatayer: Roll out the dough to an oval shape and top with 1 tablespoon cheese filling. Then, bring the sides together for the pastry to look like a boat.
Baking
Before you start shaping the fatayer, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the shaped fatayer on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inch space between them.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown on top and fully baked.
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the best way to describe fatire for someone who’s not from the Middle East would be savory hand pies these are popular in many Middle Eastern countries including Lebanon and they are so easy to make and two of my favorite fillings are spinach and cheese the dough is pretty standard flour yeast a little bit of sugar salt olive oil and water make sure the dough does not stick to your hands before you let it rest and rise until it’s doubled you can cut the dough into 20 pieces or less if you would like to have larger fat tire for the spinach filling I always recommend using frozen spinach that’s been thought because the moisture and the liquid is much easier to remove this filling is quite sour and tart because of sumac and lemon juice and that’s what makes it super special for the cheese filling I use some feta and mozzarella with some parsley that makes such a nice mixture spinach fetire is usually shaped into a triangle whereas the cheese feta is usually shaped into a boat you can bake these together and if desired you can also brush them with some egg wash and that’s about it so easy and simple these make great breakfast or snack give it a try and enjoy
1 Comment
Are u Persian?