Spinach Fatayer

1Preparation

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add the olive oil, then the warm water gradually, and knead for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Cover the dough and leave it somewhere warm for an hour, until doubled.
4. Chop the spinach roughly with a knife.
5. Sprinkle the salt over the spinach and rub it with your hands for 2 minutes until it wilts and releases its water.
6. Squeeze the spinach hard in handfuls until almost no water runs out.
7. Rub the chopped onion with the sumac between your fingers until it turns reddish.
8. Mix the spinach with the onion, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and pine nuts, and taste: the filling should be clearly tangy.
9. Heat the oven to 220 °C and line two baking trays with baking paper.
10. Roll the dough out 3 mm thick and cut it into 10 cm rounds.
11. Place a tablespoon of filling, drained of any liquid, in the centre of each round.
12. Lift three sides of the round to the centre and pinch the edges firmly together to make a sealed triangle.
13. Arrange the fatayer on the trays and brush the tops with a little olive oil.

2Cooking

1. Bake the first tray until the fatayer are golden on top and browned underneath.

   ♨️ oven 220°C⏱ 17 min timer
2. Bake the second tray the same way.

   ♨️ oven 220°C⏱ 17 min timer

3Serving

1. Let the fatayer rest for 5 minutes, then arrange them on a serving plate.
2. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges or plain yogurt.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: a wet filling, which makes the fatayer burst open in the oven and leak. Squeeze the spinach well and drain the filling before filling the dough.
• Keep oil and filling juices away from the dough edges, or they will not stick together.
• The fatayer stay soft for a day in an airtight box and can be frozen after baking.

🔁 Substitutions

• Swiss chard leaves can replace the spinach.
• A tablespoon of the lemon juice can be replaced with a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses.