Sourdough Fatayer with Spinach

Name: Sourdough Fatayer with Spinach
Prep time: 1 h 16 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 1 h 34 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 3⅓ cups (400 g) bread flour; ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration), bubbly and recently fed, at its peak; 0.9 cup (220 ml) water, lukewarm, about 85°F (30°C); 3½ tbsp (50 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1¼ tsp (8 g) fine sea salt; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 2 tbsp (15 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces); 21 oz (600 g) fresh spinach, washed, thick stems trimmed, coarsely chopped; ¾ tsp (4½ g) fine sea salt; 2 tbsp (16 g) ground sumac; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon (zest the lemon first); 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground allspice; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (about ¼ tsp); ¼ cup (35 g) pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet until golden, then cooled (optional); 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, tangy sourdough pastry pinched into little triangles around a lemony, sumac-scented spinach and onion filling. Naturally leavened and vegan, they are great warm or at room temperature.

Prep: 1 hr 16 min
Cook: 18 min
Wait: 4 hr 25 min
Total: 5 hr 59 min
Makes: 12 fatayer (triangle pies)

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the dough
3⅓ cups (400 g) bread flour
½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration), bubbly and recently fed, at its peak
1 cup (220 ml) water, lukewarm, about 85°F (30°C)
3½ tbsp (50 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1¼ tsp (8 g) fine sea salt
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (15 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
For the filling
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces)
21 oz (600 g) fresh spinach, washed, thick stems trimmed, coarsely chopped
¾ tsp (4.5 g) fine sea salt
2 tbsp (16 g) ground sumac
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon (zest the lemon first)
1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground allspice
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (about ¼ tsp)
¼ cup (35 g) pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet until golden, then cooled (optional)
To finish
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Equipment (9)

Large mixing bowl
Kitchen scale
Large skillet or wide pot (12-inch / 30 cm)
Colander
Rolling pin
4-inch (10 cm) round cutter or a wide glass, for checking circle size
2 rimmed baking sheets, about 18×13 inches (46×33 cm), lined with parchment
Pastry brush
Bench scraper

Steps

Before you start

Feed your starter 4 to 8 hours ahead so it is bubbly and has doubled. Use it at its peak, or the dough will rise slowly.
Plan for about 6 hours in total. Most of that is hands-off fermenting, and you make the filling while the dough rises.
A kitchen at about 75°F (24°C) is ideal for the bulk rise. In a cooler kitchen, allow extra time.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper before you shape the pastries.

1
Mix and rest dough
- In a large bowl, stir the lukewarm water (220 ml), starter (100 g), olive oil (50 ml) and sugar until the starter mostly dissolves.
- Add the bread flour (400 g) and fine sea salt (8 g).
- Mix with a wet hand or a spatula until no dry flour remains and the dough is shaggy.
- Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes so the flour hydrates.
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Ready when: No dry flour remains; the dough is sticky and shaggy
Tip: Weigh the ingredients. Sourdough dough is sensitive to hydration, and cup measures vary.
2
Stretch and fold
- With a wet hand, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center.
- Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 4 times, so you do 4 folds in total.
- Cover.
- Repeat this set of folds 2 more times, 30 minutes apart (3 sets total).
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Ready when: After the third set the dough feels smooth, elastic and slightly puffy
3
Bulk ferment
- Cover the bowl and leave the dough at room temperature (about 75°F / 24°C) until it has grown by about 50 to 75% and the surface is domed with a few bubbles.
- This usually takes 2½ hours after the last fold.
- Make the filling (next step) while you wait.
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Ready when: Dough is puffy, jiggles when the bowl is shaken, and has bubbles on the surface and sides
Tip: Go by how the dough looks, not the clock. A cool kitchen can add an hour or more.
4
Cook the filling
- Heat the olive oil (30 ml) in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or wide pot over medium heat.
- Cook the diced onion with the salt (4.5 g) for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but not browned.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the spinach in 3 or 4 handfuls, stirring each batch until it wilts before adding more, about 4 minutes total.
- Tip into a colander and let it cool for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze small handfuls hard (or press in a clean kitchen towel) until almost no liquid drips out.
- You should have about 1½ cups of packed filling.
- Return it to a bowl and stir in the sumac, lemon juice, lemon zest, allspice, black pepper and pine nuts, if using.
- Taste and adjust the salt and lemon.
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Ready when: Spinach is fully wilted and the squeezed filling is moist but not dripping; onion is soft and translucent
Tip: Squeezing out the water is the most important step. Wet filling makes soggy dough and seams that burst open.
5
Divide and rest
- Dust the work surface lightly with some of the all-purpose flour.
- Turn the dough out and cut it into 12 equal pieces, about 65 g each.
- Round each piece into a smooth ball by cupping it and rolling it against the counter.
- Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes so the dough relaxes and is easy to roll.
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Ready when: Balls are smooth and soft and spread slightly when left alone
Tip: Use a scale to weigh the pieces so the fatayer bake evenly.
6
Roll and fill
- Roll one ball into a thin circle about 4½ inches (11 cm) across and about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, dusting lightly with flour as needed.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the filling into the center.
- Lift the edges on three sides toward the center to form a triangle, leaving a small opening at the top.
- Pinch each of the three corners firmly, then press along each seam so it is fully sealed, with only a tiny hole at the very center.
- Place the fatayer on a lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with the rest, spacing them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
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Ready when: All three seams are pinched tightly and the triangle holds its shape when lifted
Tip: Keep the filling off the edges. Oily or wet edges won't seal, and the pastry will open while baking.
7
Preheat and brushOven 425°F / 220°C
- Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
- While it heats, brush the tops and sides of each fatayer lightly with the olive oil (30 ml).
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Ready when: Every pastry is evenly glossy with oil
8
BakeOven 425°F / 220°C
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 to 18 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks and rotating them front to back halfway through, until the pastries are deep golden brown on top and browned at the bottom edges.
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Ready when: Tops and corners are deep golden brown, and the bottoms are browned and sound firm when tapped
Tip: If the bottoms brown faster than the tops, move the tray up a rack for the last 3 minutes.
9
Cool and serve
- Let the fatayer cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.
- The filling is very hot straight from the oven and the crust firms as it cools.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, with extra lemon wedges if you like.
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Ready when: Pastries are firm enough to lift without bending and are warm, not scalding

Good to know

Tips

Squeeze the cooked spinach until it is nearly dry. Moisture is the main cause of soggy bottoms and split seams.
If the dough springs back while you roll it, cover it and rest it for 5 minutes, then try again.
Pinch all three seams firmly. Sourdough dough is stretchy, so press and slightly twist each corner to seal it.
Add the lemon juice to the filling just before shaping. If it sits too long, the acid dulls the spinach's color.

Make ahead

"Make the filling up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container. Bring it to room temperature before shaping. You can also shape the fatayer, cover the trays and refrigerate them for up to 12 hours, then bake straight from the fridge, adding 2 to 3 minutes."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 8 hours, loosely covered. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months, baked and fully cooled, in a freezer bag. Reheat from the fridge or freezer on a baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes (12 to 15 minutes from frozen) until hot in the center and the crust is crisp."

Substitutions

fresh spinach → Frozen chopped spinach, 450 g (16 oz). Thaw completely and squeeze very dry. Skip the wilting step and cook only the onion.
ground sumac → Extra lemon zest (1 tsp more) and 1 extra tablespoon lemon juice. This gives a similar tang, but sumac's fruity flavor and color will be missing.
pine nuts → Chopped toasted walnuts. Walnuts are common in Lebanese spinach pies. Use the same amount.
bread flour → All-purpose flour. The dough will be slightly softer. Reduce the water by 1 to 2 tablespoons if it feels too sticky.