I've heard once that Feteer meshaltet's history goes back to the ancients Egyptians when it was called Feteer Maltoot and it was given as an offering to the Egyptian Gods these days.
As time went by meshaltet became one of the main dishes in the Egyptian cuisine. It is said that during the Mamlouk era - which was known for lots of desserts- feteer spread to Europe and was shaped as a crescent which then became very popular as the well-known croissant.
What is feteer meshaltet
Feteer meshltet is layers upon layers of pastry dough with loads of ghee or butter in between. It is one of the famous Egyptian pastry recipes that everyone loves.
It represents generosity and affection. Nowadays, it is a dish that is asked by kings and presidents who visit Egypt. When I visit Egypt you can find so many restaurants making it but the best one in made in the countryside by farmers' wives. It can be enjoyed in so many ways both savory and sweet.
What you'll need
Ingredients for the feteer are very simple and almost there in every home.
- All purpose flour: you'll need 4 cups or 540grams. You cannot make feteer with whole wheat flour, this is not how things roll with feteer.
- Water: just tap water and we are going to need anywhere from 1 to 1 and a half cup.
- Salt: we'll need about ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Butter/ghee or oil: we'll need about 1 cup of melted butter and ¼ cup oil. Many people like to use ½ cup of butter and the rest is oil. Others use ghee as well.
How to make feteer meshaltet
- Mix the flour and salt then pour one cup of water and start kneading. If you feel the dough is still not coming together or too dry, gradually add the remaining water until you get a dough that is very elastic so that when you pull it and it won't be torn.
- Let the dough rest for just 10 minutes then divide the dough into 6-8 balls depending on the size you want for your feteer. Warm up the butter/ghee or oil you are using and pour into a deep bowl. Immerse the dough balls into the warm butter. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Roll the first ball with your hands to be very very thin that you can see your countertop through.
- Fold the dough over itself to form a square brushing in between folds with butter. Set aside and start rolling the next ball.
- Roll the second one thin as we have done for the first ball. Place the previous one on the middle seam side down. Fold the outer one over brushing with more butter as you fold. Set aside.
- Keep doing this for the third and fourth balls. Now we have one ready, place on your baking dish seam side down and brush the top with more butter. Repeat for the remaining 4 balls to make a second one. With your hands lightly press the folded feteer to spread it on the baking dish. Place in a 550F preheated oven for 10 minutes when the feteer starts puffing turn on the broiler to brown the top. When it is done add little butter on top and cover so it won't get dry.
We will end up with two rounded feteer each made with 3or 4 of the dough balls. Each one will be around 10 inch.
Serve feteer with
Feteer meshaltet always served with honey, molasses, cheese varieties, chocolate syrup, hummus, harissa, and many dips. Honey, molasses and a kind of mesh ( which is a very salty kind of cheese in Egypt) are the most popular traditional things to enjoy with feteer.
Or just sprinkle with powdered sugar, the choices are endless.
If you like this recipe do not forget to give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and attach a photo of your finished dish. It is always a pleasure of mine to see your photos and check your own take of the recipe. Thank you.
Feteer meshaltet
Ingredients
- 4 cups (540g) all purpose flour.
- 1- 1 ½ cups tap water.
- ¼ teaspoon salt.
- 1 cup unsalted butter.
- ¼ cup oil.
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt then pour one cup of water and start kneading.
- If you feel the dough is still not coming together or too dry, gradually add the remaining water until you get a dough that is very elastic so that when you pull it and it won't be torn.
- Let the dough rest for just 10 minutes then divide the dough into 6-8 balls depending on the size you want for your feteer.
- Warm up the butter/ghee or oil you are using and pour into a deep bowl.
- Immerse the dough balls into the warm butter. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 550F.
- Stretch the first ball with your hands on a clean countertop. Stretch it as thin as you can, the goal here is to see your countertop through the dough.
- Fold the dough over itself to form a square brushing in between folds with the butter mixture.
- Set aside and start making the next ball.
- Stretch the second one thin as we have done for the first ball.
- Place the previous one on the middle seam side down. Fold the outer one over brushing with more butter mixture as you fold. Set aside.
- Keep doing this for the third and fourth balls. Now we have one ready, place on a 10 inch baking/pie dish seam side down and brush the top with more butter.
- Repeat for the remaining 4 balls to make a second one. With your hands lightly press the folded feteer to spread it on the baking dish.
- Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes when the feteer starts puffing turn on the broiler to brown the top.
- When it is done add little butter on top and cover so it won't get dry.
Notes
Serve with:
Feteer meshaltet always served with honey, molasses, cheese varieties, chocolate syrup, hummus, harissa, and many dips. Honey, molasses, and a kind of mesh ( which is a very salty kind of cheese in Egypt) are the most popular traditional things to enjoy with feteer. Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy. Vitamins are in percentage value. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.Nutrition
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Lori
Hi, Amira!
My daughter is married and lives in Cairo. We've been to visit them a few times and LOVE Feteer! I have tried making it at home here in the US a few times and I always have an issue with the middle layers being undercooked. Should I drop my temp and cook it longer? I'm stumped.
Amira
Lori, this is strange. You could do that and if you notice the surface is browning too soon you can loosely cover it with a piece of aluminum foil. I hope this helps.
Miska Knezevic
love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
George
Nice recipes could tell me the weight off each ball thank you I looking forward to the others recipes
Mona
thank you, amira (btw that was my mom's name!). i LOVE fiteer I wish I could find some in Los Angeles. The last time I had it was from a cart in Alexandria and it was heavenly. I can't believe you mentioned MISH!!! my favorite. do you have any idea where to get it or how to make it? my parents have passed and I have no connection to the Egyptian dishes I grew up on -- except for your site. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Amira
Mona, I am so glad you find recipes here helpful. I haven't tried making mish even in my life 🙂 I eat it only in Egypt. If you search facebook you'll find groups that brings stuff from Egypt to USA and I believe I have seen them sell mish before.
Debra Mostafa
My husband is Egyptian. He loves fateera. He was sooo surprised that I made it. I definitely gave you a five stars.
karin rasmus
thank you so much for posting this recipe. my friend's mom always made these when i was growing up and they were so delicious and now i can make them at home for my kiddos!
Gayla Loyd
Yummy
Aviva R.
I really really like this recipe; its delicious Egyptian bread with crispy outsides, and chewy insides. I got a little confused though about the part where you need to fold the dough to make the layers. I had to watch a video to understand it. 🙂 My oven also does not go to 550 F so I had to use 475 F and 12 minutes. I had to make some sort of Egyptian dish for my school history thing and this was an awesome dish for it. THANK YOU!
Amira
Thanks Aviva, glad you liked it. I'm working on an easier version of this too.
Kira
So, once you separate the balls and let them soak in the butter, if you make a mistake when flattening and tear it or get an end that is too thick, it's almost impossible to get the dough back together. I had to throw the scraps away. Any suggestions?
Amira
Kira, I promise I will post an easier recipe as this is the traditional one but anyways if it tore while rolling it is ok it will not make a huge difference.
Amber
Salam Amira, I use your recipes quite frequently and this recipe is so difficult for me. It is hit or miss. I want to finally ask if a particular brand of flour is necessary for this recipe to be successful?
Amira
Amber, I agree with you. This is a very old recipe on my blog that sure needs some updated and tips but until then I will answer your question. For the flour there is no particular brand that will not work in this recipe. I promise I will update. Thank you so much.
Garrett
I recently visited Abu Dhabi and my favorite food I had was meshaltet, one the I got was called Kraft & Honey. It was such a treat. I can't stop trying to figure out what cheese they used. I'm assuming it was some type of white kraft cheese but definitely did not taste anything like the craft singles in America.
Amira
Garrett, I think the Kraft cheese you are talking about is the spread. I haven't seen these in stores like Walmart and Target but I have seen similar products in the International market. I hope this helps.
Kirsty
Hi Amira, will this recipe keep at all? Am I able to make up the dough a couple of days before I cook it? Could I keep it immersed in oil for a couple of days or would that ruin the dough?
Amira
Kirsty, my guess is yes. I haven't tried it before but, there is a recipe for tamriyeh which is very close and you can keep it in the fridge covered in oil for up to 24 hours. Let me know what do you think.
Samy
Hi Amira, how long does feeter last? Can I freeze them?
Amira
Samy, feteer stays better in the freezer actually. Freeze it and when ready to consume let it thaw covered and reheat in the microwave, stove top or the oven but be careful so it will not dry out.
Sara
Dear Amira!
What do you mean by turn midway? I have ti turn upside down? Or just turn the dish with 180 °?
Thank you soo much for your help!
Amira
Sara, I meant turn the dish midway through baking. Just rotate the baking dish. I do this because my oven is hotter near the end wall so things usually do not bake evenly. Actually many people complained about this and i think it is a common fault in old ovens?, I am not sure :).
Anyways, thanks for your question and I hope you'll like this recipe.
Sony
If I dont have an oven, could I do it in a pan on stove to ??????
Amira
Sony, although I truly haven't tried this before but I do not think why not. The only problem I could think of is the inner layers do not get well cooked and stay doughy.Hence, I recommend making two layers only and see from there. You can also make it only one ball, stretch it then fold it on itself then roll it again to the size of your pan and cook over stove top. This will be more like the Yemini bread "malawah" or the Indian Paratha. I hope this answers your question, if you need anymore help please ask and let me know how it went with you.
Alrette V.R.
Hey! I just want to know, what is the size of the cup you're using?
Amira
Alrette, it is the usual US measuring cup. Let me know if you need any more help. Thanks for being interested in the recipe , I hope you'll like it.
Soha
Assalamu alaikum Arabian mama!!
I can't tell you how excited I am about your blogi LOVE YOUR RECIPES. My father is Egyptian but sadly I never learnt how to make any Egyptian cuisine as much as a I love the food.
Ah and how I adooore feteer! 😀
I have a question do you use all purpose flour or strong white flour(bread flour) for this recipe. Would greatly appreciate your answer
Lots of love all the way from London 🙂 Soha xx
Amira
And who does not love feteer my dear :), it is addictive if I may say in all kinds, shapes, stuffing, topping....etc.
I'm so glad that you are here and hope to answer all your questions as far as I know. For this recipe I use ordinary all purpose flour... I hardly use cake or bread flour.. just trying to make it simple for everyone. Thank you so much for your kind words.
Soha
Thank youuuu! You're such a star. I'm going to be attempting this today Inshaa'Allah 🙂
Amira
Hello, name twin! My dad is Egyptian but never really immersed me in Egyptian culture so I'm just starting to get my feet wet. I LOVE feteer, and I can't wait to give this a try.
Amira
Oh Amira, feeling like I am talking to myself here :))), I am really happy that you are here. Let me know if there is anything I can assist you with.
Imane
it looks great, thanks for sharing the recipe.
can I use same recipe to make cheese or sausage feteer?? If so, do I simply add cheese or sausage between the layers or what?
Thanks
Amira
Hi imane,
Yes , sure you can if you would like to... Just add whatever you like in the inner layer only then fold it and complete the recipe as is.. It is very tasty with pizza like filling and it is sold like this too in many different parts in Egypt.
Tracey
I had this while on vacation in Alexandria and loved it. Thank you for the recipe, I can't wait to try it!
Amira
You are welcome, I hope you will like it.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
Although I was not familiar with this dish, I can see how delicious it is from your cooking steps and pictures! I love dish like this (I love carbs!) and it's fun to make it from scratch. 🙂
Amira
And who does not :), I hope you will try this sometime. Thanks for stopping by.
Charles
Wow Amira - that is some seriously thin dough you rolled out there! I guess it's important to have a big, clean counter-top for that. Mine is quite small and always covered in stuff, lol! 🙂
These look very nice - so simple but beautifully well made and delicious looking!
Amira
I had a limited space before so I used to roll it on the dinner table 🙂
Raymund
I love this, looks simple but really delicious
Amira
It is very delicious but it requires a lot of kneading to get the appropriate elasticity of the dough, but this is a breeze with the electric mixers.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You
Amira: I love how golden brown and buttery this Egyptian dish is...I wish my hands could reach several slices of it. Mmmm!!!!
Amira
You will even love the taste it is divine 🙂