Fatayer Spinach and Cheese (Modified and Swapped Ingredients)

Traditional Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 table spoon Sugar
• 1 table spoon Instant Yeast
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Water
• 300 gram Frozen Spinach
• 2 small Onions sliced
• 2 tea spoons Sumac
• 1 squeeze Lemon
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Pepper
• 100 grams Feta Cheese
• 100 grams Mozzarella Cheese
• ¼ cup Parsley
• 1 teaspoons Nigella Seeds

Modified Ingredients (Lighter option with swaps):

• 2.5 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tablespoon Stevia
• 1 tablespoon Instant Yeast
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt.
• 300 gram Frozen Spinach
• 2 small Onions sliced
• 2 teaspoons Sumac
• 1 squeeze Lemon
• 100 grams Reduced-fat or light versions Feta and Mozzarella
• ¼ cup Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Nigella Seeds

Preparation Instructions:

To make the dough:

1. Start by preheating your oven to 375F
2. Mix together the warm water and yeast in a bowl and set aside for 2 minutes to proof
3. In a bowl, add 1 cup of the wheat flour (not all of it), the stevia, and the water and yeast mixture. Mix together well, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes (you can move on to the filling at this point)
4. After 10 minutes, the mixture will look a bit bubbly. Add to it the rest of the wheat flour (1.5 cups), the olive oil, and the salt and mix well using your spoon to bring the dough together
5. Then use your hands to knead the dough for 5-7 minutes and bring it together. It will be a soft dough and slightly sticky (which will give us that fluffy texture) so you can add the extra 2 tablespoons of wheat flour as you knead it. Feel free to do this step in a stand mixer and a dough hook as well.
6. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow it to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Punch down the dough and shape into equal sized balls. Weigh out roughly 40g per dough ball using a kitchen scale, but you can eye this if you like. Cover the balls and allow them to proof for another 10-15 minutes before shaping

To make the spinach fatayer:

1. Thaw out the frozen spinach in advance. If you're working last minute, feel free to use the microwave; place in a microwave safe bowl and thaw in 1 minute intervals. See notes if you're using fresh spinach.
2. Meanwhile, cook the diced onions on a skillet using the olive oil on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until they're soft and translucent
3. Place the thawed spinach in a sieve over a bowl and squeeze out as much water as possible using a spoon or your hands. This step is really important to avoid a soggy fatayer that will open up in the oven!
4. Place the squeezed spinach in the skillet with the onions and add the sumac, salt and pepper. Continue to cook the mixture for another 5 minutes to further dry it up from any moisture. Taste and adjust; if you like it more tart, add a squeeze of lemon
5. Roll out the dough balls into a very thin circle. Place 1.5 tablespoons of the filling in the middle and fold together two sides, then bring up the third to form a triangle. Be sure to reference the photos in the post. Pinch the sides together really tightly and make sure the filling doesn't touch the edges to ensure a secure seal

To make the cheese fatayer:

1. Mix together the grated low-fat mozzarella, crumbled low-fat feta, chopped parsley and nigella seeds well
2. Roll out the dough balls into a long and thin oval. Place 1.5 tablespoons of the filling in the middle and fold over the top and bottom tips of the oval to form a "boat" shape. Be sure to reference the photos in the post. Baking the fatayer
3. Place the fatayer gently on a floured baking sheet. You may choose to brush them with eggwash, but this is optional if you want a shinier surface. I personally skip this step
4. Place the sheet pan in the oven on the bottom rack for 10-15 minutes, until you check the bottom and it is golden brown
5. Move the pan to the middle rack and switch the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes but stay right beside it! The tops will brown to a light golden very quickly and that's when you can remove them
6. Place them on a platter or a tray and immediately cover them with a towel to ensure they don't dry out and stay soft. Serve warm and enjoy!