Cheese fatayer is also known as cheese pies
Let’s talk about this delicious savoury treat that I can’t seem to get enough of. Cheese fatayer is a Lebanese dish and honestly, it is a gem! I love bread and cheese and this combination has me drooling for more! Lebanese food, to me, is very flavourful and bursts with so many different tastes in one bite. I find this to be the best way to eat any food, flavour over anything! In this post I am going to show you how to make this delicious savoury bread.
The bread itself can seem like a tough thing to make. Most bread recipes do appear to be very complicated. I found this to be very easy and non-complicated at all. There is no proofing time needed, after 10 minutes the dough has risen to the desired height. What I love about this recipe is that you can use almost any type of cheese you like as the filling. I used what I had at home and it turned out beautifully. Baking and cooking should be easy and not put you out, and this was exactly that. I hope you enjoy the recipe and if you have any questions please do comment below and I will try to reply as soon as I can.
Bon Apetit,
Zorah
How to perfect the bread:
Bread can be such a tricky component in a recipe and one that is vital in this particular one. For this recipe I would suggest that you definitely use an instant yeast. This makes the whole process much easier and removes all the fuss. The yeast needs to be activated with lukewarm water and sugar and you will know it is activated once it froths. In order for the yeast to be active, it needs to bubble and froth. This frothing is what gives you a bouncy and soft bread. While the yeast is being mixed with the water and sugar, keep it in a warm place. If it is colder day the yeast might not activate, so make sure you put it in a warm place.
The filling:
The filling is the fun part! I used cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese as the main base for the filling. You can also use Mozzarella cheese instead of Parmesan if you prefer it. Try not to add too much salt, if any to the filling as the cheese has a lot of salt in it already. You don’t need to add any oil or butter to the filling, it will melt beautifully in the oven as is.
How To Make Cheese Fatayer
Course: AppetizersCuisine: LebaneseDifficulty: Medium9
servings15
minutes10
minutesLet’s make cheese fatayer! These are also known as cheese pies and it is a Lebanese delicacy. This bread is absolutely soft and bouncy it is filled with cheese and coriander inside. It is perfect for any table and can be enjoyed as a starter or snack!
Ingredients
- Dough Recipe
10g instant dry yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup warm water
315g plain cake flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
- Cheese filling
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup crumbled feta
1 handful of chopped coriander
- Garlic butter
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. garlic salt
- Egg wash
1 egg
2 tbsp. water
Directions
- Dough Method
- Place the yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl.
- Whisk well to combine, cover with a cloth and place in a warm place for 5 minutes.
- Once the yeast has frothed it is ready to be used. If it hasn’t frothed or bubbled up, the water may too cold or the yeast is old so be sure to check.
- Place the yeast mixture into a stand mixer bowl with a dough hook attachment.
- Add in the flour, salt and olive oil and mix on a low to medium speed for 10-12 minutes.
- The dough will seem very wet but let it mix and it will come together
- When the dough is ready, divide it into 9 equal parts (62-64g) and place on a clean surface and cover with a towel to rest for 10 minutes.
- Cheese filling
- Add all ingredients to a bowl, mix well. If the cheese pieces seem too long, just use a scissors to cut everything into more fine pieces.
- Set aside for now
- Garlic butter
- Melt everything together and set aside for now.
- Assembly
- Preheat your oven to 218C.
- On a lightly poured surface place one dough ball at a time.
- Stretch the dough out using your hands and create an oval shape.
- Turn the edges in to create a border, place the cheese filling inside.
- Don’t be afraid to add a lot, these filling should be done when the last dough ball is finished.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
- Each oven performs differently so yours could take longer but mine once the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted, it is ready to be eaten!
