Lebanese Cheese Fatayer Recipe

Lebanese cheese fatayers are savory pastries found throughout the Middle East. Fatayers can also be filled with meat (lamb is traditional.) Fatayers are found throughout the Arab world in pastry shops and market stalls. They can be triangular in shape or cigar-shaped (like the recipe below.) Lebanese cheese fatayers are similar to the Turkish pogacas or the Latin American empanada, or the Eastern European Burek.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword baking, bread, calzone, cheese, dough, feta, filling, Lebanon, mezze
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories 220 kcal

Ingredients

16 oz pizza dough frozen, then thawed
1 cup feta crumbled
5 oz yogurt plain
1/4 cup mozzarella shredded
2 Tbs parsley fresh, chopped fine
1 dash nutmeg
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water for egg wash
1 tsp zatar sprinkled on finished fatayer

Instructions

1. Defrost the pizza dough.
2. Preheat your oven to 375'F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl combine the feta, yogurt, mozzarella, parsley and nutmeg. Crush with a spoon to break down the chunks of feta. You almost want the mixture to look like a very thick lumpy paste.
4. On a floured surface knead the dough until it is elastic. Roll into a log and cut into ten pieces. Roll each ball and set aside covered.
5. Roll out each ball into an oval shape and place about 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the dough.
6. Fold over the top left of the dough over the filling and press down. Fold over the opposite side over the folded sided and pinch. Repeat the process at the bottom of the pastry. Brush with egg wash and place on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with nigella seeds. Repeat process until all fatayers have been made.
7. Bake at 350'F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition Facts
Lebanese Cheese Fatayer Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 220 ...... Calories from Fat 63
-------- % Daily Value* --------
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 42mg 14%
Sodium 657mg 27%
Potassium 51mg 1%
Total Carbohydrates 28g 9%
Sugars 5g
Protein 9g 18%
Vitamin A 4.6%
Vitamin C 1.5%
Calcium 13.8%
Iron 10.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.