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Spinach fatayer are Levantine savory hand pies with a soft, flaky yeast dough encasing a seasoned spinach and onion filling. They're portable, versatile, and authentically made from scratch with basic pantry ingredients.
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Mix. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and mix well to combine. Add the warm water, warm milk and olive oil. Run the stand mixer with the dough hook until a ball of dough forms, about 5-7 minutes. If you find the dough is sticking to the sides, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
Rise. Rub the dough ball lightly with oil on all sides and let it rise, covered with a tea towel, in the bowl of the stand mixer for 1 hour in a warm place.
Spinach filling. While the dough rises, prepare the spinach mixture. To a pan set on medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and the diced onions. Sautee for 2 minutes until translucent. Add the cleaned spinach in batches and wilt it down. Continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated, 5-8 minutes. Add the spices and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It should be slightly sour. Set aside to cool.
Divide and Shape. After the bread dough has risen to about double its original size, divide it into 12 pieces (for standard size) or 18 pieces (for minis). Use a kitchen scale here if you want your fatayer to be evenly sized. Shape each piece of dough into a tight ball and rest them on your kitchen counter for 10 minutes, covered, so that the gluten can relax.
Flatten. Preheat your oven to 400F (205C). Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough balls into a ¼ inch (0.6cm) thick. Place the dough circles in one layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You may need to do this in steps or using multiple baking sheets. NOTE: You'll find that after rolling out the disk, the bottom of it will be sticky whereas the top will be smooth. By flipping it upside down (sticky side up), it will be a lot easier for you to seal the seams in the next step!
Fill and Shape. Add 1-2 tablespoons of spinach mixture to the center of the dough circle. Pich the dough disk to seal it to the middle and then bring the other side of the disk to the center to form a pyramid or triangular shape. Pinch the seams well so that they don’t open while baking (Take a look at the photos above).
Egg wash. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg.
Bake. Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Keep an eye on your oven, you may need to adjust the time and or temperature to avoid burning. Serve warm.
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Store baked fatayer in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerated up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes until warmed through.
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Yes. Prepare the filled fatayer, cover, and refrigerate up to 8 hours before baking. Bake from cold, adding 2–3 minutes to bake time.
The dough should roughly double in size and feel puffy. It should spring back slowly when poked—not immediately and not stay indented.
Fatayer uses a soft yeast dough and are usually triangular or boat-shaped; sambusak typically use crispy phyllo or pastry dough and are fried.
Yes. Freeze unbaked fatayer on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen, adding 5–7 minutes.
Squeeze excess moisture from the spinach after cooking and before filling. Seal the edges firmly and ensure the dough fully encloses the filling.
