Fatayer-style spinach and sumac triangles

Soft yeasted dough wrapped around a tangy spinach, sumac and pine nut filling, baked until golden — Lebanon’s iconic street snack.

Ingredients

• For the dough: 400 g plain flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 200 ml warm water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• For the filling: 400 g fresh spinach, washed and chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 60 g pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tbsp sumac
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• To finish: 2 tbsp olive oil for brushing

Method

1. Make the dough. Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add warm water and olive oil and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and just slightly tacky. Cover and rise for 1 hour until doubled.

2. Make the filling. Squeeze the chopped spinach really dry in a clean tea towel. Sauté the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft. Add the spinach, sumac, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the pine nuts. Cool completely.

3. Shape. Punch the dough down, divide into 12 pieces and roll each into a 12 cm disc. Place 2 tbsp filling in the centre.

4. Fold into triangles. Bring three edges of the dough up over the filling and pinch tightly at the seams to make a triangle. Pinch the seams again to seal.

5. Bake. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6 for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

Sumac is essential — it gives the filling its characteristic tang. Don’t skip it.