Spinach Fatayer

📝 Ingredients

• 220 g plain flour (200 g for the dough, 20 g for the work surface)
• 1 sachet dried baker's yeast (5 g) + 1 tsp caster sugar
• 110 ml lukewarm water + ½ tsp salt (for the dough)
• 4 tbsp olive oil (2 for the dough, 1 for the filling, 1 for brushing)
• 400 g frozen leaf spinach
• 1 brown onion (about 100 g)
• 1 lemon (for the juice)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Mixing bowl + small bowl
• Rolling pin
• Frying pan
• Baking sheet + parchment paper
• Pastry brush
• Clean tea towel

📖 Steps

1. In the small bowl, mix the lukewarm water (about 37 °C, pleasant to the touch, never hot), the sugar and the yeast, then leave for 5 minutes, until foamy. In the mixing bowl, mix 200 g flour and the salt, then add the yeast mixture and 2 tbsp oil.
2. Knead for 8 minutes on a lightly floured work surface, until the dough is smooth and supple and no longer sticks to your fingers. Shape it back into a ball in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hour in a warm place: it should double in size.
3. While it rises, thaw the spinach for 8 to 10 minutes in the microwave, let it cool slightly, then squeeze it handful by handful over the sink to remove as much water as possible. Chop it roughly: a wet filling would make the dough soggy and burst the pastries open.
4. Peel and finely chop the onion, then fry it for 4 minutes in 1 tbsp oil over a medium heat, until soft. Off the heat, add the spinach, the lemon juice, salt and pepper, mix and leave to cool completely.
5. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Knock back the dough by pressing it with your fist, then divide it into 12 equal balls. Roll out each ball on the floured surface into a disc about 10 cm in diameter and 2 to 3 mm thick.
6. Squeeze the filling in your hand one last time to get rid of any liquid released, then place 1 heaped tbsp in the centre of each disc. Lift the edges at three points towards the centre and pinch the three seams firmly to form a well-sealed triangle.
7. Arrange the fatayer on the baking tray lined with baking paper, 2 cm apart, then brush them with the last tbsp of oil. Bake on the middle shelf for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden at the edges and underneath.
8. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving: the filling is scorching hot straight out of the oven. Serve warm or cold, as mezze with crudités or as a snack, allowing 3 fatayer per person.