Spinach Fatayer
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Prep Time2.75 hrs
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Cook Time15 mins
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Serving8
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Ready In3 hrs
Spinach Fatayer are a staple of Levantine cuisine. Homemade dough stuffed with fresh spinach, onions, and other delicious ingredients, these are truly irresistible. A delicious mezze, these fatayer are found alongside the classic appetizers of hummus, lahm bi ajeen and kibbe.ย
Fatayer are Middle-Eastern savory pies that can be stuffed with a variety of stuffings, most popular being spinach or meat. Triangular in shape, these pies are the perfect appetizer, mezze and finger food! In Lebanon, these spinach pies are known as Fatayer bi sabanekh.ย
Homemade Dough
I want to mention that while homemade dough may seem very intimidating, I swear to you that it is A LOT easier than you might think. However, if you do not have the time to prepare homemade dough, you can easily substitute pre-made dough. Pizza dough from the supermarket works wonderfully, as well as frozen rolls, or even the biscuit dough found in the refrigerated section at the supermarket.
I begin the homemade dough by warming up a half a cup of milk until it is warm to the touch but not too hot. If the milk is too hot, the yeast will not proof. In a large bowl mix the warm milk with sugar and yeast. I use whatever milk I have on hand which tends to be 1 or 2% but whole milk works even better. Wait about 10 minutes for the yeast to double in size. Once the yeast has doubled, add half the bread flour and start mixing. You definitely can substitute bread flour with all purpose flour.ย
I use my stand mixer using the dough hook attachment and start with a speed setting of 2. If you do not have a stand mixer, this can be done in a food processor (how my mother does it) or by hand. Slowly add the other half of cup of milk, vegetable oil, salt and the rest of the flour. Higher the speed and knead the dough until it all comes together. There should be nothing sticking to the bowl. If there is, and you feel like the dough is sticky, then it needs more flour. Add one tablespoon at a time until it comes together. If you feel like the dough is too dry and not coming together, then add a tablespoon of water at time until it comes together. The dough will rise twice in about an hour and a half timeframe.
The Spinach filling
I love to use fresh spinach when available, but, do use frozen spinach as well if I do not have any fresh spinach on hand. Since spinach retains SO much water, the frozen spinach needs to thaw fully and drained from all its liquid before using. For the fresh spinach, I roughly chop the spinach and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle some salt and let sit for at least 10 minutes to help draw out all the liquid. Then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This step is very important to prevent watery pies.ย
You can shape the pies as small or as large as you like. The filling is also quite versatile. The chopped onions are a must, but tomatoes are optional. The fatayer come together pretty quickly and in only 12 minutes in the oven, you have yourself your first batch!
Fatayer can be served warm or at room temperature. To freeze for the near future, just wait until they are room temperature and place in a freezer safe bag. When you are ready to eat, thaw out to room temperature or you can warm them in a 200F oven.
STEP 1 - Preparing the Dough
Mix half a cup of warm milk with sugar and yeast. Wait 10 min. for yeast to double in size.
Once the yeast has foamed and doubled in size, add salt, and half of the flour. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the vegetable oil, rest of the milk and flour. Higher the speed and let knead until the dough comes together.
Remove the dough from the mixer and form a ball using excess flour. Place the dough back in the ball and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area for about 1 hour to rise.
STEP 2
Once the dough has doubled in size, form into 2 inch balls using excess flour. You should get about 18-24 dough balls.
Cover with kitchen towel for another 30 min to rise again.
STEP 3
While the dough is rising, prepare the spinach filling. If using fresh spinach, roughly chop and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt.
Set aside for 10 minutes, then squeeze the spinach dry. If using frozen spinach, thaw out then squeeze out as much water as you can. Set aside.
STEP 4
Chop the onion and tomato finely. Add to the spinach along with the olive oil, black pepper, 7 spices and sumac.
Juice a lemon and add it to the filling right before stuffing so filling does not get too wet. Taste for seasoning.
STEP 5
Preheat the oven to 425F and place oven rack in the middle. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
STEP 6 - Spinach Filling
Roll out the dough to a 5-inch circle.
Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle. Bring 2 sides together and pinch to close. Bring the third side up so it looks like a triangle and pinch to close well.
Place on baking sheet.
STEP 7
Whisk 1 egg well.Using a pastry brush, brush all the fatayer on the sheet right before putting in the oven.
*If you want this recipe to be vegetarian/vegan, skip this step.
STEP 8
Bake for 12 minutes. Depending on how hot your oven runs, give or take a couple minutes so start checking on them at the 10-minute mark.
They should be a beautiful golden brown.
Spinach Fatayer
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 3 cups Bread Flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp. Active Yeast
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tb. Sugar
- 1 cup Milk
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
Spinach Filling
- 2 10 oz. Spinach Bags or Frozen
- 1 med. Onion
- 1 sm. Tomato (Optional)
- 2 tb. Olive Oil
- 1 Lemon (Juiced)
- 2 tb. Sumac
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Seven Spices
Instructions
- Mix half a cup of warm milk with sugar and yeast. Wait 5 minutes for yeast to double in size.
- Once the yeast has foamed and doubled in size, add salt, and half of the flour. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the vegetable oil, rest of the milk and flour. Higher the speed and let knead until the dough comes together.
- Remove the dough from the mixer and form a ball using excess flour. Place the dough back in the ball and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area for about 1 hour to rise.ย
- Once the dough has doubled in size, form into 2 inch balls using excess flour. You should get about 18-24 dough balls. Cover with kitchen towel for another 30 min to rise again.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the spinach filling. If using fresh spinach, roughly chop and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt. Set aside for 10 minutes, then squeeze the spinach dry. If using frozen spinach, thaw out then squeeze out as much water as you can. Set aside.ย
- Chop the onion and tomato (optional) finely. Add to the spinach along with the olive oil, black pepper, 7 spices and sumac.
- Juice a lemon and add it to the filling right before stuffing so filling does not get too wet. Taste for seasoning.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and place oven rack in the middle.ย Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- Roll out the dough to a 5-inch circle. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle. Bring 2 sides together and pinch to close. Bring the third side up so it looks like a triangle and pinch to close well. Place on baking sheet.
- Whisk 1 egg well. Using a pastry brush, brush all the fatayer on the sheet right before putting in the oven.ย
- Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown. ย
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Reviews