Fatayer Jebneh “Cheese pastry” is one of my most viewed posts up to date. Ever since I posted that recipe, the request I received the most was one for the recipe for Fatayer sabanekh (spinach stuffed pastry triangles) and a dependable dough recipe that will work well with all forms of fatayer. I have been working on a dough recipe that will work well with all forms of fatayer and finally I have one that I am happy with. It remains soft and fluffy even after cooling and it holds its shape really well during baking. So today is finally the time to share the recipe so many of you asked for. Thank you for your patience.
What makes fatayer so special you may ask?
Well for a start, they make perfect portable food for a trip, to pack in the lunch box or to eat on the go when you are in a hurry in the morning.
They also come in a variety of fillings, you can use the same dough recipe and change the stuffing to cater to everyone’s taste. Cheese, meat or vegetables and herbs.
You can make fatayer up to a few days ahead of a party or for guests and store them in the fridge. All you have to do is heat them and they are ready. Stress free entertaining 
Fatayer can be stored in the fridge for weeks and even months. Again, you are a few minutes away from a wonderful meal, all you have to do is heat them.
This dough recipe is now my go to recipe for all forms of savory fatayer. The baked pastry is soft and fluffy and remains so even after storing in the fridge for a few days. This dough recipe also holds its shape well with baking and it is easy to handle so if you want to form your pastry into triangles, half moons or spirals, this is the dough for you.
Spinach pastry triangles (Fatayer sabanekh)
Dough
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) olive oil
pinch of salt
one sachet (2 1/2 teaspoons) dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (divided into 1/4 cup for proofing the yeast and 3/4 for kneading the dough)
Spinach filling
1 kg fresh spinach (or 500 g frozen spinach with the water squeezed out)(See notes)
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 green onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sumac (optional)
2-4 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid or (depending on how tart you like the filling to be) See notes
Instructions
- To make the dough
- Proof the yeast with 1/4 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. (proofing the yeast means mixing it with sugar and water and waiting for it to foam and bubble. Foaming means that the yeast is active and good to work with and this should take 10-15 minutes at most)
- While waiting for the yeast to proof, add the salt to the flour then add the olive oil and rub it into the flour with your finger tips.
- Add the yogurt and again rub it into the flour.
- When the yeast has bubbled, add it to the flour mixture, and mix
- Gradually add in the water, you may need a little more of less as different flours absorb water differently. You need to add water and knead the dough until it is smooth and round.
- Brush a bowl with a little oil, place the dough in it and drizzle some more oil to keep it from drying
- Let the dough rise in warm place covered with a moist towel until it doubles in size. This should take about one hour depending on how warm or cold the weather is
- Prepare the stuffing
- If using frozen spinach: Defrost and thaw out the spinach. Place it in a colander and squeeze out as much juice as possible. You want it to be very dry.
- If using fresh spinach: chop the spinach then place it in a pot and wilt for 2-5 minutes over medium low heat. Allow the spinach to cool then squeeze out as much juice as possible. You want the spinach to be very dry
- Chop the onions very fine and add them to the spinach.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sumac. Add the spices and lemon juice immediately before stuffing the pastry. If you do it too early the stuffing will be too wet. If the stuffing is too wet, it will open up the turnovers.
- Cut the dough into egg sized pieces.
- Roll out each piece into a circle
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of stuffing
- Pinch 2 ends first and then the third to form a pyramid.(If you have a little trouble with sealing the dough, dip your finger tips in flour.)
- Place the fatayer on a greased cookie sheets and make sure all the fatayer are sealed well .
- Bake them on the middle rack of a preheated oven at 270 C. for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden.
- Turn on the broiler until the tops are golden
- Cool the fatayer on a wire rack
Notes
Can I add other greens to the spinach pastry stuffing? Yes, you can replace part of the spinach with oregano, collard green or kale
Lemon juice or citric acid traditionally these spinach fatayer were made with lemon juice and consumed immediately. The problem with using lemon juice if that it makes the filling wet and this can cause the pastry triangles to open during baking or to turn slightly soggy if you store them for a couple of days. To get the tart taste without the extra fluid you can use citric acid. Citric acid is a week organic acid that is used to add a tart or sour taste to food and it is used to acidify milk in cheese making.
Tart or mild the use of sumac, citric acid or lemon juice is meant to add a tart taste to the spinach filling. You can make these spinach triangles without them and enjoy a mild fatayer. If you choose to use them, the amount is up to your taste. The amounts in the recipe are suggestions. Add them little by little and adjust the amounts according to your taste.
Shapes: You can shape these fatayer or pastry in any shape you like. Any form that encloses the filling is fine.Here is one more suggestion on how to fold them
The size: you can make these triangles small if you plan on serving them to guests or at a party. You can also make them big if you like. It is up to your taste
pv123
/ April 27, 2013Hi Sawsan, Your info about using citric acid is helpful – it’s so easy to make mushy spinach, so any tip for reducing moisture in the recipe is welcome. Question for you: is there any place for pine nuts in your spinach fetayer?
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ April 28, 2013Hello PV13
Sure you can add some pine nuts to the filling if you like but the problem is with time, the filling will soften the pine nuts and they will lose their crunch
Summar
/ February 23, 2013Made this recipe today and it came out awesome!!! Thank you!!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ February 23, 2013Really glad it turned out so well Summer
Thank you for your kind comment
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies
/ February 3, 2013I love Fatayer! By our old place there was a wonderful bakery called Haddad where we would buy them from…Fatayer Jebneh was our favorite! Can’t wait to try your recipe!
milkandbun
/ January 30, 2013They are wonderful! And tasty!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 30, 2013Thank you
ChgoJohn
/ January 27, 2013These sound delicious, Sawsan, and your dough recipe is a keeper, especially if it stays fresh when stored in the fridge. I like the idea of using lemon flavoring but can see where lemon juice could pose a problem if stored in the fridge. I wonder if lemon zest would add enough of the necessary flavoring? I guess I’ll just have to make some and find out.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 28, 2013Hello John,
If you have some citric acid left from making cheese, I know that it is a great substitute for lemon juice but you have to be careful because a little goes a long way.
I have never tried using lemon zest as a substitute. If you try, please let me know how it turns out
Elizabeth
/ January 26, 2013Talk about delicious! Yum! These look and sound amazing.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 26, 2013Thank you Elizabeth
spree
/ January 25, 2013As we’ve come to expect from you Sawsan – beauty on a plate! These look/sound fantastic! I love that they stay practically fresh for days on end in the fridge and can be grabbed for a delicious meal in the midst of a busy day. And then there’s just the whole thing about spinach stuffed in a cloud of dough that sets my heart to skipping! Love this Sawsan! And gorgeous photos, as always!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 26, 2013Coming from you Spree that is a big compliment that I deeply appreciate.
I love stuffed pastry, spianch, oregano, cheese..you name it.There is something about the combination of a flavorful stuffing and as you put it a cloud of dough. If you ever have a chance to try these, I would love to hear what you think of them
Gourmantine
/ January 25, 2013Oh my, that looks delicious. I’d say that sumac shouldn’t be optional, but rather obligatory. I’ve only discovered it a year ago, and can no longer imagine cooking without it, such an incredible spice. Have a nice weekend
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 26, 2013I have to agree on the sumac
I love it but so many people have a hard time finding it and believe it or not, some people don’t like it (my dad and husband to name a couple) that is why it is optional
wishing you a great week
gourmetgetaway
/ January 25, 2013I love eating these so it will be so good to be able to make them myself, thank you so much for sharing
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 26, 2013Thank you for stopping by. I really hope you will enjoy the homemade ones as much as the ones you buy
A_Boleyn
/ January 24, 2013Sawsan, when I made the fatayer I didn’t find I really needed to put them under the broiler in order to get them browned enough. I just baked the pastries in the middle of the oven. I don’t have the option of using both the broiler AND the baking function so I was concerned that by the time I switched the oven from bake to broil and the broiling element fired up enough to be up to temperature, the pastries would be overbaked and dry out.
I think they looked ok colourwise.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/118771.html
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013Hello Maria,
I think this differs from oven to oven. My oven does not brown the top of anything baked in it. No matter what temperature you set it at and no matter how long you bake it. If your oven browns the tops during baking then you don’t need the broiler
A_Boleyn
/ January 24, 2013Thank you for confirming that for me. I was afraid I was doing something wrong by not putting it under the broiler.
Bernice
/ January 24, 2013These look wonderful and nice presentation!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013Thank you Bernice
mjskit
/ January 24, 2013I can see why your cheese pastry is your most viewed post! I’m sure this one will beat it.
I do love the pastry with the yogurt. It looks like a perfect pasty to wrap any filling! These are definitely a must make! Beautiful bites of food!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you so much MJ. I agree with you. Yogurt does wonders to pastry dough. I look forward to hearing what you think of them when you give them a try
Eva Taylor
/ January 24, 2013I adore the Greek version Spanakopita, so I know I would love this one too. And you make them so beautiful, Sawsan. Now I’m going to find out what sumac is.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013I look forward to hearing what you think of these when you try them Eva. You can check out a little about sumac on my middle eastern ingredients page
Eva Taylor
/ January 26, 2013Thanks for the note. I’ve checked it out. Great references.
Chica Andaluza
/ January 24, 2013Absolutely fabulous and I love that you can prepare them ahead. The photos, as ever, are stunning Sawsan
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013The make ahead is my favorite part too. Thank you Tanya for the sweet comment about the pictures. You are always too kind my friend
A_Boleyn
/ January 24, 2013Just realized that my post about making the cheese version of your fatayer was tagged as Anonymous.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013I will adjust it Maria
Nina (@ninathebaker)
/ January 24, 2013This is awesome. Reminds me of Spanakopitas (made with spinach and cheese filling inside phyllo pastry)that I make. I am bookmarking this one…looks fantastic. I also like the idea that its baked and not fried. I liked the spiral one too. Love this recipe:)
Nina
http://thefoodielovers.com
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013Thank you Nina. I love the spinach feta combo in spanakopita but the filling here is a little different yet just as tasty
I hope you will enjoy them Nina
Kristy
/ January 23, 2013I read your post last night with Mr. N by my side. He was very curious about your blog – lots of questions about your “disguise.”
He really enjoyed this post and said it’s something he would like. I think he’d like to help forming the shapes too. He tends to get very creative with dough and food. I’m going to have to give these a whirl. Mr. N also wanted me to tell you that he loves your rosemary crackers. I’ve made them for his lunch a lot this year. 
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013You know Kristy, my kids love your blog, especially Jana. She loves following your kids’ adventures and she was really jealous when she saw Mr N at hogwarts (she started reading harry potter this year).
Please tell Mr N that I can’t wait to hear what he thinks of these and that it is really my pleasure that he enjoys the rosemary crackers.
Minnie@thelady8home
/ January 23, 2013Yummmmm….these look delicious!!! The recipe for the dough is so similar to the one I use to make samosas……isn’t that amazing? I love this and will give this a try.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013Most stuffed dough recipes share the same ingredients with different proportions
I hope you will enjoy these
Tonette Joyce
/ January 23, 2013Sawsan, I have jars and bottles with perhaps 70 spices,herbs and seasonings, yet I have never used sumac. When we go, as my husband says, “Journeying far in search of spices”,I will look for it .(He gets into a ‘Marco Polo’-mode because the specialty shops we need to get to to buy anything remotely exotic are in a city about 45 miles north of us! We have a very good time looking over what is available and learning [buying]new flavors.)
I do love spinach and these are lovely!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013I have a very similar experience looking for some ingredients for our daring cooks and daring bakers challenges and I have to say that I really enjoy the search. Maybe as much as I enjoy finding the ingredient and making the recipe if not more
Good luck finding sumac, I wish I could send you some
Amanda
/ January 23, 2013South west England and like yourselves recently ,we are snowed in . What better time for Addis soup and Spinach triangles Yum very cosy . I usually do flat triangles but yours look more attractive, not that they are seen for long . So I’ll have a go your way .
Recently fell into your site , looking up Nabilsi cheese , what I joy. The photography’s wonderful gets the taste buds going every time . Big Thank You . Amanda
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me this comment Amanda. I am really glad you found what you were looking for here and I do hope you will enjoy the posts and recipes to come
pnrozdrm
/ January 23, 2013Dear Susan,
Can we also fry them?
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013Hello Pnrozdrm
These triangles are only baked not fried.
pnrozdrm
/ January 23, 2013Dear Susan, thanks for this fantastic brilliant recipe
I have one question which I couldn’t be sure about cooking style..
■Bake them on the middle rack of a preheated oven at 270 C. for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden.
■Turn on the broiler until the tops are golden
Are we using just the broiler or both (oven, as well)?
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 24, 2013Hello Pnrozdrm
In the first step you only turn on the oven. In the second when you are browning the tops you only turn on the broiler.
pnrozdrm
/ January 23, 2013Hi Susan.. I immediately will try these fantastic ones. Just one question to be sure:
■Bake them on the middle rack of a preheated oven at 270 C. for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden.
■Turn on the broiler until the tops are golden
Broiler or oven? or both of them?
Thanks a lot
Kisses
Sarvani
/ January 23, 2013Oh.. dont I remember the cheese pastry!!! The spinach version remind me a little of spanakopita.. and the triangle shape reminds me of the Indian samosa.. either ways.. can you please send some home.. pretty please!!
)
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013I wish I could send you some Sarvani. Isn’t it amazing how stuffed pastry is a staple in every culture?
Saskia (1=2)
/ January 23, 2013This looks fantastic Sawsan. I’m on the hunt for lunchbox recipes at the moment, with the boys starting school next week – this fits the bill perfectly!
PS. Love your photos – the blue accents and lemon slices are beautiful.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013We start Feb 5th. I hope your kids will enjoy these.
Thank you kindly for your comment about the picturess. Coming from you it means a lot
Bam's Kitchen
/ January 23, 2013I love making little portable snacks and these would be great for lunches, make ahead appetizers and many other events. I think they are so good maybe we can get our kids to eat spinach! Going to pin this one!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you for pinning Bam. I really hope your teenagers will enjoy them
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
/ January 23, 2013I love spinach pastries, these look wonderful!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you Laura
john@kitchenriffs
/ January 23, 2013Terrific recipe! I love the triangular shape of these, and the dough recipe looks excellent. And the filling looks so tasty! Really good stuff – thanks.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you John. I love the triangular shape too
Jessica Maher (@kbelleicious)
/ January 23, 2013this would be a wonderful lunch or dinner with a nice salad. looks incredible
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you Jessica. They are indeed great with a salad
sahar
/ January 23, 2013how many fatayer did this recipe yield? these look so tempting n my whole family is a fan of all kinds of fatayer…keep up ur good work n thnx for the detailed recipe..
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you Sahar. The number depends on the size you make them
The size in the pictures will give you 15-20
Suzanne Perazzini
/ January 23, 2013I love the fact that only your imagination if your limit for how you can shape these. What fun, and such a healthy filling.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you Suzanne, I too love recipes that give room to creativity
yummychunklet
/ January 23, 2013These spinach triangles look delicious!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you
Basman
/ January 23, 2013Love em! Especially with the right balance of filling and bread. Send us some
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013I totally agree. The right balance of filling to bread is essencial
nazneen4
/ January 23, 2013I LOVE fatayer! Never tried making them but buy them when I can. I guess I should just make them. I have made the meat ones though. Delicious!
Nazneen
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013I think when you make them Nazneen you can play around with the filling and you can make sure you use quality ingredients
Lavonne Dinerman
/ January 23, 2013It is so nice to be able to follow your instructions because of the excellent photography that accompanies it. My beloved husband is a much happier man because of your recipes! Thank you!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013Thank you Lavonne for your comment. You made my day
flavorsofthesun
/ January 23, 2013I haven’t made these in a long time, but have been hungry for them and for sfiha as well. Yo have inspired me. Thanks for posting such a nice recipe!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 25, 2013You have inspired me on so many occasions Victoria. It is my pleasure to return the favor
With A Spin
/ January 23, 2013Divine! I’ve had different versions of these with different fillings in Egypt. Yours looks delicious.
sallybr
/ January 23, 2013Sawsan, what a wonderful concoction! I have a question, would this dough be similar to the one used for “sfihas”? Not sure of the spelling, but in Sao Paulo these are tremendously popular and my mouth waters just remembering the texture and taste. From the pictures, the dough seems very similar. I would love to try and make some of your Fatayer sabanekh….
(side note: my blog post on your pumpkin seeds will be up on Friday…. hope you have a chance to see it…
Geni - Sweet and Crumby
/ January 23, 2013How is it that i just had lunch and now I feel ravenous for those spinach pastries? It’s two fold—you make them look devastatingly delicious with your mad photography skills Sawsan and you make them sound DIVINE with your great writing. I am desperate to get to be a guest at your table someday. What a coup that would be.
Rasha
/ January 23, 2013I have really been waiting for this one
I have all the ingredients and I only need the enthusiasm to make them 
Choc Chip Uru
/ January 23, 2013These look utterly perfect my friend, my favourite pastries
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
hotlyspiced
/ January 22, 2013How yummy. These look divine. And yes, these would be great to take to something like a picnic. I make a Greek version (not exactly similar) but they’re made with ready-rolled filo pastry! xx
kate
/ January 22, 2013When I loved in New York City I worked near a street that was filled with Middle Eastern shops and bakeries. I used to buy these spinach pastries from one of the bakeries for lunch all the time! I miss all that wonderful food so much! I’m excited to try making these. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
A_Boleyn
/ January 22, 2013I really enjoyed the fatayer I made based on your previous post, with cheese, and think the combination of the two (cheese and spinach) would be even better. As to the pastry recipe, I was amazed that, even after freezing, and then warming briefly in the microwave, the fatayer was still soft and tender.
One day, I hope to make the ground meat (pizza) version, called sfeeha in Syria, with some pine nuts sprinkled on top.
Bluejellybeans
/ January 22, 2013Fantastic recipe! I’m planning on making these real soon. Thanks another magnificent dish
Nakia
/ March 21, 2013Hi there If I am making half he quantity that do I halve all the ingredients or just the flour and yoghurt
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ March 21, 2013Hello Nakia,
you use half the amount of everything. I hope you will enjoy these