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Middle Eastern fatayer made with ten minute dough and s special cheese filling served with zaatar pies and a glass of tea

Middle Eastern Cheese Fatayer

Fatimah
These Middle Eastern Cheese Fatayer are soft, good, and super cheesy. You can make them with the 10-minute dough. Your go to food for any time of the day.
5 from 16 Ratings
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 12
Calories 700 kcal

Equipment

  • Stand mixer for the dough

Ingredients
  

For the dough

  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon yeast
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups warm milk or warm water

For the filling

  • 2½ cups mozzarella
  • 1 cup cream cheese *if using block cream cheese, it needs to be softened before hand.
  • 1¼ cups panela cheese akawi or nabulsi cheese (akawi or nabulsi cheeses might need soaking before hand)
  • 1 cup Bulgarian feta not too salty
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter optional
  • ⅓ cup chopped parsley

Instructions
 

To form the 10 minute dough

  • Start by mixing 2 cups of all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, sugar, baking powder, powdered milk, and salt. Then, add warm water or warm milk to a large bowl.
  • Mix them all together. Cover it, and let it sit in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, add 3 cups of all-purpose flour and the oil to the dough. Mix them well.
  • Knead it for about 5-10 minutes. It will come together really quickly. For more details, check the Ten Minute Multi-Use Dough recipe.

To form your Fatayer

  • Mix shredded mozzarella, cream cheese, panela cheese, Bulgarian feta, melted butter, and chopped parsley. Set them aside.
  • Roll out your desired amount of dough and add the cheese mixture to the middle, and spread it.
  • Fold the edges to create a boat and place the pies on a parchment-lined tray.
  • Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash and bake in a preheated oven at 450 for 10-12minutes- or until the edges get golden.

Notes

  • You can make opened or closed fatayer. They could be totally opened or wrapped in the shape of a boat or an almond. It can be completely closed like a semi-circle shape. The main difference is that the cheese would be a bit dryer in open fatayer.
  • If you spread the cheese all the way to the edge and keep it open, you don't have to brush it with egg wash. But, if you make them into boat-shaped or closed semi-circles, you can brush the top with egg and milk to get a beautiful golden color. 
  • If you choose to have different cheese fillings, you can make different shapes, one for each filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 700kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 30gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 18gSodium: 1000mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4g
Keyword cheese fatayer, cheese hand pies, fatayer with cheese, middle eastern fatayer
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