Fatayer bi Sabanekh or Spinach Fatayer are triangular Lebanese spinach pies. Thin and crispy dough wraps around a lemony spinach filling with a hint of sweetness from chopped onions.
3cups plus 3 tablespoons(400 grams) all-purpose or bread flour
2 ¼teaspoons(7 grams) instant yeast (1 envelope)
1teaspoon(3 grams) kosher salt
1teaspoon(4 grams) granulated sugar
1 ¼cupswarm water(105-115˚F / 40-46˚C)
2tablespoonsolive oil
Filling:
1pound(450 grams) fresh spinach,rinsed, dried and roughly chopped
1teaspoonkosher salt
1medium onion,finely chopped
2tablespoons(12 grams) ground sumac
2tablespoonslemon juice
1tablespoonolive oil
¼teaspoonground black pepper
Assembly:
Olive oil,for brushing
Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the hook attachment combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and give it a quick stir to combine. Add the water and olive oil and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic and comes together into a ball.
Shape it into a ball by hand, transfer to a large lightly greased bowl, gently turn the dough over a couple times to coat with oil from the bowl, then cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Set it in a warm, draft-free area to proof until it has doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
(Alternatively you can follow the above steps but mix by hand instead of using the stand mixer; it will just require a bit more elbow grease to knead).
Place the chopped spinach in a large bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the spinach and gently massage it in. The spinach will begin to naturally wilt and release some liquid. Set aside while you roll out the dough.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface (depending on the size of your space you may want to do half the dough at a time so you have room). You may need to do a combination of rolling with a rolling pin and stretching by hand (it’s stretchy like pizza dough). Roll it to about ⅛-inch thickness. Use a round cookie or biscuit cutter to cut 4-inch circles out of the dough (the circles may shrink a bit after you cut them but you can gently press/stretch them again later).
Gather the scraps and then continue rolling out the remaining dough, cutting out circles until you have as many circles as you can get from the dough. For the last re-roll of dough scraps you can just separate the dough into balls and roll/stretch them out individually into circles roughly the same size as the others to make it easier. You’ll have about 24 to 28 circles. Set them on a lightly floured surface in a single layer and put parchment paper in between layers as needed so they don’t stick to each other. Cover with a clean cloth so they don’t dry out.
Finish making the filling. Squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as you can and return it to a clean, dry mixing bowl. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. It will be fairly lemony.
Arrange as many of the dough circles as you can fit on your work surface and carefully give them a little stretch/press with your palm because they may have shrunk in diameter but also puffed up a bit (as they contain yeast). Place 1 ½ tablespoons onto the center of each dough circle. I suggest using a medium cookie scoop and packing the filling into it.
Fold each filled dough circle into a triangular shape by pinching the dough from about 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock (if the dough circle was a clock) together in the center over the filling, pressing the resulting seam closed, and then lifting up from the 6 o’clock spot to pinch it closed in the center and then seal the remaining 2 seams.
Repeat with the remaining dough circles. Arrange the assembled fatayer on the prepared baking sheets, and brush olive oil over the tops. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pans about halfway through (you may only need 18 to 20 minutes or so if you’re baking one pan at a time instead of two). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) toaster oven or oven until warmed through or eat leftovers cold from the fridge.
Freeze baked pies by placing them on a small tray or baking sheet in a single layer and freezing until hard. Then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) toaster oven or oven until heated through.
Alternatively use 16 ounces of thawed frozen chopped spinach squeezed very well to remove all the liquid.