Fatayer Jibneh — Cheese Pies

Middle Eastern Non Fasting Published April 21, 2026

Non-Fasting Recipe: This dish contains meat, dairy, or eggs and is intended for feast days and non-fasting periods.

Small triangular pies filled with a bright, minted cheese mixture — Lebanese fatayer come in spinach
(fasting-friendly), cheese, and meat versions. The cheese fatayer is the Antiochian breakfast of choice,
eaten with olives, tomatoes, and strong tea. Breakfast, picnic food, or appetiser.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (three cheeses, eggs)

SERVINGS: 6 (about 24 fatayer)
TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
For the dough:
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 250 ml warm milk
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 7 g instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
- 300 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 300 g Akkawi or low-moisture mozzarella, grated
- 150 g ricotta
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (dried can substitute, use 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional but lovely)

For finishing:
- 1 egg, beaten (egg wash)
- Sesame seeds or nigella seeds

METHOD:
1. Make dough: warm milk, add yeast and sugar, let foam 10 minutes. Add flour, oil, yogurt, salt. Knead 10 minutes until silky. Rise 90 minutes until doubled.
2. Make filling: if using Akkawi, desalt by soaking in water 2 hours, changing water twice. Drain.
3. Combine all cheeses with egg, herbs, sumac, pepper, and nigella seeds.
4. Punch down the dough. Divide into 24 pieces (about 35 g each). Roll each into a 12 cm disc.
5. Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the centre of each disc.
6. Fold into a triangle: bring three edges up to meet in the middle, pinching each seam firmly together from the filling all the way to the point. The result is a neat pyramid/triangle.
7. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Rest 20 minutes.
8. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds.
9. Bake at 200C (400F) for 15-18 minutes until deeply golden.
10. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with black tea.

NOTES:
- Sealing the seams firmly is critical. A poorly sealed fatayer leaks cheese and falls apart. Pinch like you mean it.
- Spinach filling (sabanikh) is the fasting-friendly version: wilted spinach, onion, sumac, pomegranate molasses, olive oil. Use the same dough and folding method.
- Fatayer freeze beautifully baked. Reheat in a 180C oven for 10 minutes — no microwave.
- For Antiochian Orthodox weddings and Paschal feasts, triple this recipe. They disappear.

NUTRITION (per 4 fatayer, approximate):
Calories: 420 | Protein: 22 g | Carbohydrates: 42 g | Fat: 20 g | Fibre: 2 g