Lebanese Cheese Fatayer Recipe Card
Lebanese cheese fatayers are savory pastries found throughout the Middle East. Fatayers can also be filled with meat (lamb is traditional.) Fatayers are found throughout the Arab world in pastry shops and market stalls. They can be triangular in shape or cigar-shaped (like the recipe below.) Lebanese cheese fatayers are similar to the Turkish pogacas or the Latin American empanada, or the Eastern European Burek.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon yeast rapid rise
- ¾ cup water warm (100-110°F)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Filling
- 1 cup feta crumbled
- 5 oz yogurt plain
- ¼ cup mozzarella shredded
- 2 Tbs parsley fresh, chopped fine
- 1 dash nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
- 1 teaspoon zatar sprinkled on finished fatayer
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- In a large bowl place flour and salt and mix well.
- In a small bowl or pyrex place the warm water (the water should be between 100-110'F)). Add the yeast and sugar, stir lightly and let it sit until frothy ( this will take about 5-10 minutes).
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour and blend well until a soft dough forms.
- Rub a deep bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside the oven. Cover and let it sit until double in size (between 1-2 hours).
- Turn dough onto a floured surface. Punch down and knead for about 5 minutes.
- Roll dough into the shape of a ball, and cut into 4 equal parts.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the filling and fill
- In a bowl combine the feta, yogurt, mozzarella, parsley and nutmeg. Crush with a spoon to break down the chunks of feta. You almost want the mixture to look like a very thick lumpy paste.
- On a floured surface knead the dough until it is elastic. Roll into a log and cut into ten pieces. Roll each ball and set aside covered.
- Roll out each ball into an oval shape and place about 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the dough. You can evenly distribute all the filling once they are shaped.
- Fold over the top left of the dough over the filling and press down. Fold over the opposite side over the folded sided and pinch. Repeat the process at the bottom of the pastry. The formed fatayer will look like a canoe. Add the remaining filling to each if you have some left.
- Brush with egg wash and place on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with nigella seeds. Repeat process until all fatayers have been made.
- Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
Optional: 16oz frozen pizza dough thawed: This works great if you are in a hurry and don't have time to make the dough from scratch.
Nutrition
Calories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 9gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 832mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 239IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 2mg
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