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This fatayer recipe is traditionally produced for special occasions, but these healthful, freezable bite-sized treats are ideal year-round!
Mama Dina—my amazing mother-in-law—provided this fatayer recipe! She prepares thousands of pastry triangles to freeze for her five adult “kids” to visit. The appealing, Middle Eastern-flavored pies resemble Greek tiropitakia.
Mama Dina gave me a bag of 40 frozen fatayer as we headed home during a break from writing my cookbook. A few frozen pies went into my oven when we returned to Atlanta. As the scent of onions, sumac, allspice, and fresh dough permeated my kitchen, I knew I had to share this nutritious dish!
Fill a simple yeasted dough with seasoned spinach and onions and fold into rustic triangles. You can prepare a huge batch of these savory pies for holiday parties or meal prep since they store nicely. They’re elegant yet simple to make—you can even use store-bought pizza dough!
Fatayer Recipe Ingredients
These savory hand pies have a vivid Middle Eastern taste yet use primarily cupboard goods and simple fruit. You need:
- For Basic Savory Dough (or store-bought pizza dough)
- Use active dried yeast that’s not expired. If it doesn’t bubble after activation, your dough will likely remain flat.
- Seasoning: Salt and sugar provide taste.
- Milk enriches.
- All-purpose flour: Strong, elastic, and fluffy. I wouldn’t use different flours.
- Neutral oil: Pick a good neutral oil like grapeseed. Try Arbequina, a smooth, light-to-medium-bodied extra virgin olive oil.
For Filling
Baby spinach: I prepare fresh baby spinach, but you may use thawed freezer. To avoid soggy fatayer, wring it out carefully whether fresh or frozen.
To sauté veggies, use olive oil. For maximum taste, use high-quality extra virgin.
Onion: Red, white, or shallot work, but I like yellow onion for its sweetness.
Seasonings: The warming and bright scent of ground allspice and sumac separates these hand pies from tiropitakia, their Greek relative. Ground black pepper and Kosher salt add taste.
Acidity from lemon balances.
Egg: Brushed on dough for a golden crust. If you avoid eggs, use full milk or heavy cream.
Close shot of 23 Fatayer Spinach and Onion Hand Pies on a platter in front of tea, a linen napkin, and another plate with more.
Making Fatayer Dough
This fatayer recipe starts with dough, which rises for 1 1/2 hours (or you may use store-bought pizza dough). Knead the dough by hand without a stand mixer (see below).
Activate yeast. Mix 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 cup warm milk in a small bowl. Stir briefly. Wait 10 minutes to activate (the mixture should boil and smell yeasty).Activating fatayer dough yeast in a small white basin.
Mix dry ingredients. In the dough hook-equipped mixer, mix 3 1/2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt on low speed.
Add wet components. The yeast mixture, 1/3 cup oil, and 1/2 cup hot milk should be added slowly. Knead until dough forms at medium-low pace. If there are dry parts in the bowl, add a spoonful of milk or water at a time while you mix. Mix until the dough forms a smooth, somewhat sticky ball, 3–5 minutes.food processor bowl with fatayer dough ball.
Reserve for increase. Use 1 tablespoon of oil to lightly lubricate a large mixing bowl. Ball the dough and put it in the basin. To double the dough, cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap and put in a warm area for 1 1/2 hours.bowl of fatayer dough rising.
By Hand
Hand-making this fatayer dough is straightforward, but it takes care to get it smooth. To make:
Activate yeast. Mix 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 cup warm milk in a small bowl. Stir briefly. Wait 10 minutes to activate (the mixture should boil and smell yeasty).
Make dough. Mix 3 1/2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl. Create a well and add 1/3 cup neutral oil, the yeast mixture, and 1/2 cup hot milk. Knead the ingredients in the bowl for a few minutes to produce a shaggy dough using your hands.
Knead. Knead the dough for 10–12 minutes on a clean, floured surface, adding just a tablespoon of milk or water if it seems dry. You want a nice, somewhat sticky dough ball.
Reserve for increase. Use 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to lightly lubricate a large mixing bowl. Ball the dough and put it in the basin. To double the dough, cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap and put in a warm area for 1 1/2 hours.
An aerial shot of Fatayer Spinach and Onion Hand Pies on a platter with a blue napkin.
Making Vegetarian Fatayer Filling
Prepare the fatayer filling while the dough rests. It has time to cool before filling and folding.
Salt spinach. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over 1 pound of coarsely chopped baby spinach in a large colander. Wait 5 minutes after tossing to remove moisture.
Sauté onion. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high in a large nonstick pan until shimmering. Cook 1 finely chopped yellow onion for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and starting to color. Drain skillet liquid into a medium basin.Frying chopped onions.
Wilt spinach. Transfer the skillet to the burner and heat another tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high. If needed, add the spinach in batches and toss often until it wilts, approximately 1 minute.
Dry spinach. Return wilted spinach to colander to cool. After cooling, wrap the spinach in a clean tea towel and press it over the sink to remove extra liquid (this is crucial).Wilted spinach on a hand towel over a bowl after squeezing out extra moisture.
Make filling. Add spinach to the onion dish. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons sumac, 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1 lemon juice. Blend well. Taste and season to your preference.Fatayer filling combined in a bowl.
How to Shape Fatayer
After your dough doubles and your filling is done, create your fatayer!
Roll dough. Knead the dough slightly to deflate after punching it down. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a clean, lightly floured surface.Fatayer dough on a countertop.
Cut dough. Cut dough circles with a glass or 4-inch cookie cutter. Save scraps and reroll to cut additional circles. Cover the circles with a clean cloth and relax for 5–10 minutes.Cutting fatayer dough into rings.
Prepare to bake. Heat the oven to 400°F. Apply a thin coating of neutral oil to two 13×9-inch sheet pans.
Fill. Each dough circle should have 2 flat teaspoons of spinach mixture in the center.Middle of a tiny dough circle with fatayer filling.
Fold. Place a small dish of water next the pans to moisten your fingers while working with the dough. Triangular package: raise edges at three places toward the center to produce a peak. Seal the dough edges by lightly wetting your fingers and pressing them together on the sides and top.The fatayer dough circle was squeezed into a triangle around the filling.
Bake and enjoy. Place pies in a single layer on prepared sheet pans. Brush beaten egg on topping. Baking 12–15 minutes till gently golden brown.An aerial shot showing several Fatayer Spinach and Onion Hand Pies on a serving dish with a blue linen napkin, three glasses of tea, and three more hand pies.
Reheat and store
Fatayer freeze nicely, making them a nice farewell gift or pre-dinner snack. To store:
Cool the pies thoroughly.
Transfer to a bag.
Keep refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 6 months.
Reheat frozen and chilled fatayer in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes.
Near a blue linen napkin, several Fatayer Spinach and Onion Hand Pies are served on a platter. The top fatayer is split in half to reveal the contents.
Fatayer Serving Ideas
Savory hand pies make simple finger food for a holiday party, afternoon snack with black tea, or breakfast spread. You need nothing more!
They also hold dips well. Their delicate nature makes creamy dips and sauces like tahini, tzatziki, and toum ideal.
