Spinach Fatayer
Soft yeast dough around a bright spinach and onion filling, with sumac, lemon juice and a little pomegranate molasses. Serve them warm with sesame seeds scattered on top.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 400 g
- 7 g
- 1 tsp
- 2 tsp
- 60 ml
- 220 ml
- 700 g
- 2 tsp
- 2 tbsp
- ½ tsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
Process
Timers built in · swap anything · ask as you cook
In a large bowl whisk the 400 g all-purpose flour, 7 g instant dry yeast, 1 tsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp fine salt for the dough.
Pour in 60 ml olive oil and 220 ml warm water, then mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled.
Meanwhile chop the 700 g spinach finely and put it in a colander. Sprinkle with 1 tsp fine salt for the filling, toss, and leave for 15 minutes to draw out water.
Squeeze the spinach hard in handfuls to remove as much liquid as possible, then put it in a bowl. Discard the liquid.
Add the diced yellow onion, 2 tsp sumac, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 0.5 tsp ground black pepper and the optional 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses to the spinach and mix well. Taste and adjust salt.
Heat the oven to 200°C and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 16 equal balls. Cover with a cloth so they do not dry out.
Roll one ball into a 12 cm circle on a floured surface. Place about 2 tbsp spinach filling in the centre, leaving a 2 cm border.
Fold the dough over the filling to form a triangle: bring two opposite edges together and pinch firmly, then bring the third edge up and pinch all seams closed. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Arrange the triangles on the trays, brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with the optional 1 tbsp sesame seeds.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The single biggest mistake is under-draining the spinach. If the filling is wet, the seams open and the fatayer turn soggy; squeeze the salted spinach until it feels almost dry.
- Pinch the seams firmly and fold the corners over twice. A loose seam is the main reason fatayer burst open in the oven.
- Do not overfill. About 2 tbsp per 12 cm circle is the limit; too much filling steams the dough and prevents browning.
- For a shinier, softer crust, brush with olive oil both before and immediately after baking.
Substitutions
- fresh spinach→frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
- sumac→1 tsp lemon zest plus a pinch of salt
- pomegranate molasses→1 tsp honey mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice
- instant dry yeast→active dry yeast, activated in the warm water with the sugar for 10 minutes first
Storage & reheating
Store cooled fatayer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze baked and cooled pastries in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 180°C oven for 8 to 10 minutes to crisp the crust; avoid the microwave, which makes the dough rubbery. Frozen fatayer can be reheated straight from frozen at 180°C for 15 minutes.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my spinach fatayer open up in the oven?
The filling was too wet or the seams were not pinched tightly enough. Salt the spinach, let it sit 15 minutes, then squeeze it in handfuls until no more liquid drips out. Pinch each seam firmly and fold the corners over twice before baking.
Can I use frozen spinach for the filling?
Yes. Thaw 700 g frozen chopped spinach, then squeeze it very dry in a clean kitchen towel. Frozen spinach holds more water than fresh, so squeeze longer than you think necessary, otherwise the pastries will be soggy.
Can I make spinach fatayer ahead of time?
You can assemble them up to 8 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge on the baking tray. Brush with oil and bake straight from cold, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time. You can also freeze unbaked triangles on a tray, then bag them and bake from frozen at 200°C for 28 to 30 minutes.
How do I know when the fatayer are fully baked?
The tops should be evenly golden brown and the bottoms should sound hollow when tapped. If the tops brown before the dough cooks through, lower the oven to 180°C and bake 5 minutes more. Pale, soft sides mean they need more time.
Why is my filling bitter or too sour?
Too much sumac or lemon juice makes the filling sharp, and old spinach can taste bitter. Use the measured 2 tsp sumac and 2 tbsp lemon juice, and taste the filling before shaping. A pinch of sugar balances it if the spinach is very tart.
Can I fry spinach fatayer instead of baking them?
Yes, they can be shallow-fried in about 2 cm of neutral oil over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden. Fried fatayer puff slightly and stay soft, but they absorb more oil. Baked versions keep better and reheat more cleanly.
What can I serve with spinach fatayer?
Serve them warm or at room temperature with plain yogurt, labneh, or a simple cucumber and tomato salad. They are also good alongside soup or as part of a mezze spread with hummus and olives.
Ask KitchenMind about this recipe
Tell it what’s different tonight — it works within the actual recipe.
