Lebanese Spinach Fatayer (Sumac and Lemon Triangle Pies)
Soft, olive-oil-enriched yeast dough folded around a tangy filling of spinach, onion, sumac and lemon juice, pinched into little triangles and baked until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Prep
- 1 hr 8 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 25 min
- Total
- 2 hr 51 min
- Makes
- 16 triangle pies (2 per serving)
Steps
Before you start
- Plan on about 3 hours from start to finish; most of it is hands-off rising and resting time.
- Make the filling while the dough rises, so the spinach is ready when you shape.
- Wash the spinach well and dry it, since wet grit or water will make the filling soggy.
- Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, instant yeast, sugar and dough salt.
- Add the warm water, yogurt and 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
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Ready when: No dry flour is visible and the dough is shaggy.
Tip: Water hotter than about 115°F (46°C) can kill the yeast, so test it on your wrist: it should feel pleasantly warm, not hot.
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8 minutes, adding flour only a teaspoon at a time if it sticks badly.
- Shape into a ball.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, soft and slightly tacky, and springs back slowly when poked.
Tip: A soft dough makes tender fatayer. Resist adding too much flour.
Let the dough rise
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it once to coat, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.
- Leave it in a warm spot for about 1 hour.
- Make the filling during this time.
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Ready when: Dough has doubled and a finger pressed in leaves a dent that fills back slowly.
Chop and salt spinach
- Finely chop the spinach into pieces about ¼ inch (6 mm) wide.
- Put in a large bowl, add 1 tsp salt and toss, rubbing the leaves with your hands for 1 minute until they begin to wilt and release liquid.
- Dice the onion while the spinach sits for at least 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Spinach is visibly wilted and wet at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Chop fine so the filling holds together and doesn't poke through the dough.
Squeeze and season filling
- Scoop the spinach into a clean kitchen towel and twist hard over the sink to squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Return it to the bowl and fluff apart.
- Add the onion, sumac, lemon juice, 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, pepper, and the nuts and pomegranate molasses if using.
- Mix well.
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Ready when: Filling is moist but not dripping, and clumps when pressed in your hand. It should taste distinctly lemony and salty.
Tip: Wet filling is the top cause of leaking, soggy fatayer. Squeeze until almost no liquid drips out.
Divide and roll out
- Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 16 pieces of about 53 g each.
- Roll each into a ball.
- Working in batches and keeping the rest covered, roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a round about 4½ inches (11 cm) wide and ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.
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Ready when: Rounds are thin and even, with slightly thicker edges for pinching.
Tip: If the dough springs back, cover it and rest 5 minutes, then roll again.
Fill and pinch
- Place a heaping 1½ tbsp (about 25 g) filling in the center of each round.
- Lift the edge on three sides toward the center to form a triangle, leaving a small opening at the top.
- Pinch each of the three seams firmly from the corner to the center, then press the seams flat to seal tightly.
- Place on the lined baking sheets 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, 8 per sheet.
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Ready when: Each triangle is sealed on all three seams, with no gaps.
Tip: Do not overfill. Dampen your fingertips with water if the dough edges will not stick.
Rest and preheatOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
- Cover the shaped pies loosely with a towel and let them rest while the oven heats.
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Ready when: Pies look slightly puffy.
Brush and bakeOven 400°F / 205°C
- Brush the tops and sides of each pie lightly with the 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 16 to 18 minutes, swapping the trays top to bottom and turning them front to back after 9 minutes.
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Ready when: Tops and edges are deep golden brown and the bottoms are golden when you lift one gently.
Tip: Pale fatayer taste doughy, so let them get properly golden.
Cool briefly and serve
- Move the pies to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
- The filling will be very hot at first.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Pies are warm, not steaming, and the crust is slightly firm.
Good to know
Tips
- Squeeze the spinach thoroughly. Dry filling is the key to crisp bottoms and sealed pies.
- Pinch the seams firmly and press them flat; weak seams pop open in the oven.
- Taste the filling before shaping and adjust lemon juice or sumac, since spinach varies in flavor.
- Bake on the upper and lower racks and swap the trays halfway for even browning.
Make ahead
"Make the filling up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate it covered; drain any liquid before using. The dough can rise slowly in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours; let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling. Shaped, unbaked pies can be frozen on a tray, then bagged for up to 2 months and baked from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for 22 to 25 minutes."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 8 hours, covered. Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: baked pies up to 3 months. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes (15 minutes from frozen) to re-crisp the crust."
Substitutions
- mature or baby spinach → One 1-lb (450 g) bag frozen chopped spinach. Thaw fully and squeeze very dry; skip the salting step in the filling but use only ½ tsp salt.
- ground sumac → Extra 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice plus 1 tsp lemon zest. Gives a similar tang, though sumac's fruity flavor will be missing.
- plain whole-milk yogurt → Additional 60 ml warm water. Dough will be slightly less tender but still works.
- pine nuts or chopped walnuts → Chopped walnuts. Adds crunch and richness; toast them lightly first.