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Spinach Pies, or Fatayer bi Sabanekh, or, Sabakhiat are my favorite of the savory baked (fatayer) varieties from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. With a super versatile, flaky, and rich dough, the star is in the filling, which is made with frozen spinach, lightly caramelized onions, sumac, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, and salt. Puckeringly tart and mildly sweet, I’m sure it will become your favorite too.
The best part of this dough recipe is that it’s super easy to make. Since it doesn’t use much yeast, you won’t wonder if it’s risen enough or not. It’s super soft and easy to work with. For a shortcut, you can definitely use store-bought pizza dough. I won’t tell anyone! But honestly, this dough is so easy, and I break it down step by step.
Ingredients
Flour — Regular, all purpose flour
Water — I give you the exact water to flour ratio that will yield a wonderfully soft dough that is easy to work with. No guesswork here!
Olive oil — A high olive oil content give this dough a lovely richness and flavor.
Instant yeast — You’ll only need about 1/2 tsp, meaning this recipe isn’t super doughy. I love it for fatayer bi sabanekh because you get to taste more of the decadent filling.
Mahlab — Mahlab, or the pit of a specific type of cherry, is often used in savory pastries in the Middle East. It adds a certain complexity to the dough which is a delightful, but if you don’t have it, just leave it out.
Frozen spinach — I MUCH prefer to use frozen spinach over fresh. You can keep it in the freezer, and fresh cooks down so much. It’s a lot of greens washing for such a small amount.
Onions — 1 large onion, sautéed until golden, is always how I like to start my recipes.
Walnuts — Chopped walnuts add a wonderful textural element in these spinach pies.
Sumac — This puckeringly tart seasoning comes from a purple berry of a shrub that grows throughout the world, but it’s most common in Western Asia/Levant region of the Middle East. It’s used on other recipes like musakhan rolls, to season salad like in fattoush, and to garnish hummus. Pick some up from your local Middle Eastern store, or you can buy some on Amazon here.
Pomegranate Molasses — Another sour element that also balances with sweetness, this is one of my favorite ingredients to use in salad dressing. Made by reducing fresh pomegranate juice into a syrupy molasses, it adds wonderful complexity to sauces and marinades. Cortas is a good brand, and you can find it on Amazon.
Lemon Juice — I like to add some lemon juice for a bit more punchiness.
Salt — With all of those acidic elements, salt is imperative for balance of flavors. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt because its small granules dissolve and distribute quickly.
Pomegranate Arils — I didn’t add them in becauseI didn’t have any, but my mom usually does, and they add wonderful texture and flavor.
Method
First, warm the water on the stove until it’s about 105°-110° F. Then mix it with your hand in a large bowl with. the flour until no dry parts remain. Cover and set it aside for about 20 minutes to hydrate the dough.
Then, add in the olive oil and sprinkle the yeast, salt, and mahlab (if you’re using it) on top. Fully combine using both hands. It may take about 5 minutes. You know when all of your ingredients are incorporated when it’s no longer greasy. Cover and set aside for another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling. If your spinach isn’t thawed yet, thaw it. in the microwave. Set a large skillet over medium heat and adding about 2 tbsp olive oil. Sauté the onion with a pinch of salt, stirring frequently, until golden, about 8-10 minutes.
Squeeze all of the moisture out of the spinach, using a glove if it’s too cold or hot, over a colander, and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the spinach to the skillet and stir it around, cooking for about 5 minutes. Add the sumac, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, and salt to taste.
Once the dough is ready, roll it out onto a silpat or lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/8” thick. With a 2” cookie cutter, cut rounds. and set them aside. Roll out the dough and cut again.
Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.
Roll out one of the circles until it’s thinner. The thinner it is, the more you taste the filling, which I prefer, but it’s also harder to work with, so test it out and see what works for you. Place a spoonful of filling in the center, shaping it into a triangle. Bring 2 ends of one side of the circle and form one corner of the triangle, and repeat on the other sides (watch. the reel linked below for a more detailed view).
Then bake until golden!
Special Equipment
Honestly, you don’t need much! You will need:
A large mixing bowl for your dough and filling.
I like to work on a silpat, but the counter will do just fine.
2 baking sheets. My favorites are by Nordic Ware.
Tips on Freezing
I like to make a double batch and freeze what we won’t eat. They honestly stay just as good as the same day.
To do so, fill a zip top bag and lay flat. They should freeze individually, so they’ll be easy to take out and reheat as needed. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for about an hour before reheating for 5-10 mins in a 350° F/180° C oven.
What to do with Leftover Dough
It’s really hard to get the exact ratio of dough to filling, especially since everyone fills different quantities. If you have leftover dough, you can fill it with meat, onions, and pine nuts for Sambousek (Meat Pockets). If you have leftover filling, you can freeze it for another day of spinach pies, or toss it into omelets throughout the week.
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayahcooks on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.
Recipes like this often make it onto my monthly meal prep guides. I map out the month with a calendar, recipes, and weekly grocery lists to make cooking super streamlined for you. Be sure to sign up to get the next one to your inbox.
*This was post was originally published on March 12, 2019 and was updated with photos, information, and recipe.
Spinach Fatayer
Ingredients
- 500 g all purpose flour
- 325 g water at 105° - 110° F
- 1/2 c/125 mL olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mahlab powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 800 g/28 oz frozen spinach, thawed
- 1 large onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 c lemon juice
- 1/4 c pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4-1/2 c walnuts, finely chopped
- Optional add-in: pomegranate arils
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and water with your hand until no dry parts remain. Cover and allow the flour to hydrate for about 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the instant yeast, salt, and mahlab if you're using it. Add in the olive oil and mix using your hands. You can cut across the dough using your pointer finger and thumb and then fold it into each other to make this faster. Keep folding and mixing until fully incorporated and no longer greasy, about 5 minutes.
- Cover again and rest the dough for another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Squeeze the spinach dry and set it aside in a large bowl.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes until it's fully dry, being careful not to burn.
- Remove from the heat and place back in the large bowl. Add half the sumac, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and salt. Add in 1/4 c chopped walnuts. Taste and add in the rest of the flavoring elements and walnuts if you'd like.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.
- Roll out the ball of dough until it's about 1/8" thick. With a 2" round cookie cutter, cut circles and set aside under a clean towel or a piece of plastic wrap.
- Roll out the ball of dough and cut again until you feel like you can't get anymore circles.
- Take a circle and roll it out even thinner. The thickness will depend on you. Thinnest is best tasting, but it's also hardest to handle. Do what feels most comfortable.
- Place a 1-2 spoonfuls of filling in the center of your circle. It depends on how thin/big your circle is. Experiment and see what works.
- Pack the filling together in the center with your fingers and shape it into a triangle. This will help guide your fatayer shape. Take 2 edges of dough around one corner and bring them together. Continue on the other 2 corners.
- Place the fatayer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining circles.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, starting on the bottom rack and switching to the top midway through, until golden.
- Allow to cool and enjoy.