Lebanese/Syrian Savory Pastries
FATAYER
LEBANON | SYRIA
In Lebanon, fatayer are made in triangles, large or small, with the pastry completely encasing the filling, while in Syria, fatayer are made small, and shaped like boats with the pastry folded over part of the filling to let some of it show in the middle. They are the quintessential street food in both countries, sold in bakeries that make them throughout the morning. They are also served in restaurants as part of a mezze spread. Home cooks also make them, although many will only prepare the filling at home, which they then take to the local baker for him to use with his own dough to make the fatayer. Lebanese fatayer are made with an unleavened dough enriched with olive oil, while the dough for Syrian fatayer is leavened, and made slightly sweet with milk. A pinch of mahlep (a bitter, fragrant nut found inside the pit of the wild cherry) is added to give the fatayer an intriguing flavor. The filling can be greens (spinach, purslane, fresh thyme—the long-leaved one used in salads or pickles—or Swiss chard), dairy (such as cheese or labneh), or eggs, to name but a few of the choices. You can use the fillings I give below with either the Lebanese or Syrian dough and shape the fatayer accordingly. You can also use the dough for Pita Bread to make fatayer, which is what Lebanese commercial bakers do.
FOR THE LEBANESE FATAYER
MAKES ABOUT 20 SMALL FATAYER OR 4 LARGE ONES
1¼ cups (160 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the oil to the well and with the tip of your fingers rub the oil into the flour. Gradually add ⅓ cup (80 ml) warm water, bringing in the flour as you go along. Mix until you have a rough dough.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 3 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, invert the bowl over the dough, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead for 3 more minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let sit on your counter while you prepare the filling.
3. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
4. To shape small triangles: Divide the dough in half and flatten each slightly. Dip one ball of dough into flour on both sides. Shake off the excess flour and roll out into a large thin round about 1/10 inch (2 mm) thick, turning the dough over regularly. Using a 3-inch (7.5 cm) round pastry cutter, cut the sheet of dough into as many rounds as you can, minimizing waste. Start from the edge and work your way around the outside before moving into the inside. If you do not have pastry cutters, use a thin-rimmed glass. Gather up the scraps, knead them together, and let rest.
5. Turn the rounds over. Place 1½ to 2 teaspoons of the filling of your choice in the center of each round. To shape the triangles, lift two sides of the round of dough, each about one-third of the round, and with your thumb and index finger pinch the edges together, halfway down, making a thin raised joint. Lift the open side of the dough and pinch it equally to both loose ends in order to form a triangle that completely encases the filling and that has a thin raised inverted “Y” in the middle. Make sure you pinch the dough tightly together so that it does not open during baking. Transfer the filled pastries to a nonstick baking sheet (or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat) and continue until you have used up all the dough and filling. You should end up with about 20 pieces.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
LARGE TRIANGLES: If you make the triangles large, they will be a lot quicker to assemble, although the presentation will not be as dainty. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball of dough into a large round and follow the same instructions for making the small triangles, using one-quarter of the filling for each triangle.
FOR THE SYRIAN FATAYER
MAKES 8 INDIVIDUAL FATAYER
1¾ cups (210 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
1 packet (7g/2¼ teaspoons) instant (fast-acting) yeast
1 teaspoon baker’s sugar or superfine sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground mahlep
1 organic egg
¼ cup (60 ml) organic whole milk, at room temperature
Filling of choice but not labneh
1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and mahlep in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg, milk, and 2 tablespoons water to the well. Mix the egg with the milk and water before slowly bringing in the flour. Knead until you have a rough ball of dough.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Shape into a ball. Invert the bowl over the dough and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead for a few more minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball. Place in a clean, lightly floured bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, until more or less doubled in size.
3. Transfer the dough to your work surface. Divide into 8 equal portions, each weighing just under 2 ounces (50 g). Shape each piece into a ball. Cover with a very damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
5. Using your fingers, flatten each ball into a thin round 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. Stretch the round into an oval. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons filling down the middle. Fold one-third of the oval over the filling. Then fold the other third to leave a narrow strip of the filling showing in the middle. Gently press the dough into the filling. Transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet (or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat). Form the remaining fatayer in the same way and transfer to the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
FILLINGS
SPINACH
1 small onion (3½ ounces/100 g), very finely chopped
Sea salt
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground sumac
7 ounces (200 g) spinach, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon pine nuts
Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1. Combine the onion, a little salt, pepper, and sumac in a bowl and mix with your fingers, rubbing the seasonings into the onion to soften it.
2. Put the sliced spinach in a large bowl and sprinkle with a little salt. Rub the salt in with your hands until the spinach is wilted. Squeeze the spinach very dry. Transfer to a clean bowl and break up the clumps to separate the leaves as much as you can. Obviously not one by one!
3. Add the seasoned onion to the spinach, together with the pine nuts, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary—the filling should be very tart to offset the rather bland dough. Place the filling in a sieve to drain off the excess juices.
LABNEH YOGURT
1 large onion (7 ounces/200 g), very finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Sea salt
1 medium tomato (3½ ounces/100 g), finely diced
1½ cups (375 g) strained yogurt
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1. Place the onion, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, pepper flakes (if using), and a little salt in a bowl. With your fingers, rub the seasonings into the onion to soften it.
2. Add the tomato, yogurt, and butter and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
CHEESE AND PARSLEY
The cheese filling for fatayer is traditionally made with qarish, a typical Lebanese/Syrian curd cheese that is not so readily available in the West, so I give akkawi or mozzarella as alternatives. You can make your own qarish by boiling yogurt with a little lemon juice and a little salt until it separates after which you drain the curds of all excess liquid and salt the cheese to taste. If you make it, use the same amount as stated in the recipe.
9 ounces (275 g) akkawi or fior di latte mozzarella cheese, chopped very small
1 organic egg, beaten
1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter
¼ cup (15 g) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Fine sea salt and finely ground black pepper
Mix together the cheese, egg, butter, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
SPICY CHEESE
9 ounces (275 g) feta cheese
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
Mix the feta cheese with the Aleppo pepper.