EASY FATAYER BI JIBNEH

Those cheese pies are simply scrumptious and easy to make. The pizza-like dough in this recipe is very malleable and fun to work with. This is actually the same recipe as man’oushet Abou kamel in my book, and my favourite when I bake Pizza.

I have been experimenting with spelt wheat lately, using it instead of all-purpose flour. Popular in bakeries in Germany, spelt is a cereal grain in the wheat family with a distinctive nutty and slightly sweet flavour. It is also an ideal alternative to wheat if you are allergic to the latter, more digestible, higher in protein and has fewer calories. You can substitute wheat flour with spelt almost in a 1:1 ratio; you only need to reduce the amount of liquids by a very little amount! I made these pies with white spelt flour the other day, and I was using 1 tablespoon (15 ml) less water than stated in the recipe. The dough turned out even more pliable, and the pies much tastier!

For these Fatayer bi jibneh you can also use Feta for the filling, and even mix Akkawi and Halloumi together. If you don’t like egg wash, many people don’t, just skip this step. I tried all variations, and I loved them all.

Sahtein!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Cuisine Lebanese

Servings 32 pieces

Ingredients

  

For the dough

• 2 teaspoons rapid-rise dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 250 ml lukewarm water
• 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 450 g all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt

For the filling

• 600 g akkawi cheese
• 200 g Halloumi or Feta Cheese
• 150 g spring onions trimmed, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoonsful chopped parsley
• 2 egg whites
• 30 g melted butter in 2023 without was good as well
• 1- teaspoon Nigella seeds
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried green mint crushed

For the egg wash

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1- teaspoon Nigella seeds
• 1- teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• For the dough: Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the oil and water and mix well until the dough gathers into a ball, adding a little extra flour if it is sticky or a drizzle of water if dry. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and pliable. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
• For the filling: when using akkawi cheese, slice it and soak in water for a couple of hours to reduce the salt. Pat dry the cheese slices and process in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and add the egg whites, melted butter, 1 teaspoon nigella seeds, black pepper and dried mint. Mix well.
• For the egg wash: in a small bowl whisk egg yolks, water, salt and nigella seeds.
• Make the pies: On a slightly floured surface divide the dough into 32 pieces, forming each piece into a small ball. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll each ball into an oval shape (14×8 cm). Evenly spread a heaped tablespoonful cheese filling over the dough leaving 1 cm border. Fold in the long sides without completely covering the cheese and pinch the ends tightly to seal.
• Transfer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven (200°C/ 400°F) for about 25 minutes, or until golden in colour. Serve warm or at room temperature

Notes

All Texts and Photos © Dina Bayoud Kohl