CHEESE FATAYER (LEVANTINE SAVORY HAND PIES)

Ingredients:

For the dough
▢ 3 cups All purpose flour - 360 grams
▢ 2 ¼ teaspoon Instant yeast - 7 grams
▢ 1 tablespoon Sugar - 12.5 grams
▢ 1 teaspoon Kosher salt - 5 grams
▢ ½ cup Water, warmed - 120 grams
▢ ½ cup Milk, warmed - 120 grams
▢ ¼ cup Olive oil - 53 grams
Cheese Mixture
▢ 1 ½ cups Mozzarella - Shredded, 340 grams
▢ 1 ½ cups Feta - Crumbled, 340 grams
▢ ¼ cup Parsley, fresh - Finely chopped - use more or less to your taste
▢ 2 tablespoon Mint, fresh - Finely chopped- use more or less to your taste
Garnish
▢ 1 Egg - Beaten
▢ 1-2 tablespoon Sesame seeds - Black and/or white (untoasted)

Preparation:

- Mix. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and mix well to combine. Add the warm water, warm milk and olive oil. Run the stand mixer with the dough hook until a ball of dough forms, about 5-7 minutes. If you find the dough is sticking to the sides, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
- Rise. Rub the dough ball lightly with oil on all sides and let it rise, covered with a tea towel, in the bowl of the stand mixer for 1 hour in a warm place.
Cheese filling. While the dough rises, prepare the cheese mixture by combining the cheese and herbs in a bowl.
- Divide and Shape. After the bread dough has risen to about double its original size, divide it into 12 pieces (for standard size) or 18 pieces (for minis). Use a kitchen scale here if you want your fatayer to be evenly sized. Shape each piece of dough into a tight ball and rest them on your kitchen counter for 10 minutes, covered, so that the gluten can relax.
Flatten. Preheat your oven to 400F (205C). Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough balls into a ¼ inch (0.6cm) thick. Place the dough circles in one layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You may need to do this in steps or using multiple baking sheets. NOTE: You'll find that after rolling out the disk, the bottom of it will be sticky whereas the top will be smooth. By flipping it upside down (sticky side up), it will be a lot easier for you to seal the seams in the next step!
- Fill and Shape. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cheese mixture to the center of the dough circle. Pich the dough disk (on opposite ends) in a way to form a diamond or boat shape and create a pocket to hold the cheese mixture in place. You will need to really pinch the sides well to ensure they remain closed when baked. (Take a look at the photos above).
Egg wash. Brush the edge of the dough with a beaten egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Keep an eye on your oven, you may need to adjust the time and or temperature to avoid burning. Serve warm.

NOTES

Refer to the blog post above for more information and step-by-step photos on how to prepare the fatayer.
- Cheese: This recipe calls for both mozzarella cheese and feta cheese. You can also use grated halloumi or akkawi cheese but keeping it simple is best. Some people also use a bit of cream cheese to give it a creamier texture, but I find that unnecessary.
- Parsley and Mint: fresh chopped parsley is traditional, but I like to add chopped mint to the mixture. The mint balances really well with the salty cheese.
- Sesame Seeds: I love to add sesame seeds to the side of the hand pies, after applying the egg wash. You can use white or black sesame seeds (or both!). Make sure to use untoasted sesame seeds. You can also use some nigella seeds in place of the black sesame seeds.

If you are struggling with the boat shape, try making half-moon (empanada style) pockets instead and seal the edge with the tines of a fork.

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Nutrition Values:

Calories: 265kcal
Carbohydrates: 27g
Protein: 10g
Fat: 13g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 5g
Trans Fat: 0.002g
Cholesterol: 43mg
Sodium: 506mg
Potassium: 82mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 2g
Vitamin A: 210IU
Vitamin C: 0.001mg
Calcium: 189mg
Iron: 2mg