Pareve
20 pastries
Intermediate
1 hour
3–4 hours
Mezonot
Fatayer are the elegant triangular pastries of Levantine cuisine — soft bread dough pinched into a three-cornered hat and filled with seasoned spinach, onions, lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts. For Syrian, Lebanese, and Iraqi Jews, fatayer were the celebration food: present at every brit milah, every engagement party, every Shabbat kiddush where the community gathered.
The triangle shape is achieved by folding three sides of a round dough up over the filling and pinching them together at the center, leaving a small opening that reveals the green filling inside. The dough is soft and bread-like — not flaky like bourekas, but tender and slightly sweet, a perfect frame for the tangy, herbaceous filling.
The spinach filling is bright with lemon and enriched with sautéed onions and toasted pine nuts. Some families add sumac for an extra layer of tanginess. These are best served warm but are also excellent at room temperature, making them ideal for kiddush platters and buffet tables.
What Makes This Special
- Iconic triangle shape — Pinched dough creates a distinctive three-cornered pastry.
- Lemony spinach filling — Bright, tangy, and earthy with toasted pine nuts.
- Levantine Jewish tradition — The celebration pastry of Syrian and Lebanese Jewish communities.
- Pareve — Suitable for any meal, perfect for kiddush.
Halachic Notes
- Kosher Classification: Pareve
- Hafrashat Challah: Uses ~500g flour. Separate challah without a bracha at this quantity.
- Checking Eggs: Each egg must be checked individually for blood spots before adding.
- Pas Yisroel: Homemade baked goods fulfill Pas Yisroel when a Jewish person is involved in baking.
- Brachot: Before eating: Mezonot (if snack) or HaMotzi (if meal). After: Al HaMichya or Birkat HaMazon.
Ingredients
Dough
| Ingredient | Grams | Volume | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 400 g | 3¼ cups | 100% |
| Granulated sugar | 20 g | 1½ tbsp | 5% |
| Fine sea salt | 6 g | 1 tsp | 1.5% |
| Instant yeast | 5 g | 1½ tsp | 1.25% |
| Vegetable oil | 40 g | 3 tbsp | 10% |
| Warm water | 200 g | ¾ cup + 2 tbsp | 50% |
Filling
| Ingredient | Grams | Volume | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh spinach (chopped) | 400 g | 8 cups | — |
| Onion (finely diced) | 150 g | 1 large | — |
| Olive oil | 30 g | 2 tbsp | — |
| Pine nuts (toasted) | 40 g | 3 tbsp | — |
| Lemon juice | 30 g | 2 tbsp | — |
| Sumac (optional) | 3 g | 1 tsp | — |
| Salt and pepper | to taste | — | — |
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Dough
Mix flour, sugar, salt, yeast. Add oil and water. Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth. Cover, rise 1 hour until doubled.
Step 2: Make the Filling
Sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Add chopped spinach, cook until wilted and liquid has evaporated (5 minutes). Off heat, add pine nuts, lemon juice, sumac, salt, and pepper. Cool completely. Squeeze out any excess liquid.
Step 3: Shape
Divide dough into 20 pieces. Roll each into a 10 cm (4 in) circle. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Fold three sides up to form a triangle, pinching the three seams firmly to seal, leaving a small opening at the center top.
Step 4: Bake
Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Place fatayer on parchment-lined sheets. Brush with egg wash. Bake 18–22 minutes until golden.
Storage & Make-Ahead
- Room temperature: Keeps well for hours — ideal for platters and buffets.
- Freezing: Freeze baked fatayer up to 2 months. Reheat in 180°C oven 8 minutes.
- Make ahead: Assemble, freeze unbaked on trays, then bag. Bake from frozen adding 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Filling leaking | Too much liquid in spinach | Squeeze spinach thoroughly after cooking; cool filling completely |
| Triangle opening up | Not pinched firmly enough | Pinch seams very firmly; a dab of water helps seal |
| Pastry tough | Dough overworked | Knead only until smooth; do not roll too thin |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes. Thaw and squeeze out all liquid before using. You need about 200 g frozen spinach (thawed) to replace 400 g fresh.
Can I make meat fatayer?
Traditional meat fatayer use seasoned ground lamb or beef with onions and pine nuts. Use the same dough and shaping technique.
What is sumac?
Sumac is a burgundy-colored spice with a tart, lemony flavor, widely used in Levantine cooking. It adds a distinctive tanginess to the filling. Available at Middle Eastern markets or online.
How are fatayer different from sambusak?
Fatayer use a soft bread dough and are baked. Sambusak use a firmer, semolina-based dough and can be baked or fried. Fatayer are triangles; sambusak are half-moons.
Levantine Pastries
Discover more Sephardi and Mizrachi baking on the Kosher Bread Path.