Feteer bil Gibna — Print Recipe

A savory version of the famous Egyptian feteer meshaltet, with layers of flaky, buttery pastry filled with a blend of creamy white cheese, fresh herbs, and a touch of nigella seeds.

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1.5 cups warm water
200g ghee, melted
300g Egyptian white cheese (gibna beyda), crumbled
100g feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp nigella seeds
1 egg, beaten for wash

Instructions

1 Make the dough by combining flour, salt, sugar, and warm water, kneading for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then let it rest covered for 30 minutes.
2 Divide the dough into balls and stretch each one paper-thin on an oiled surface, brushing generously with melted ghee between each layer.
3 Mix the crumbled white cheese and feta with chopped dill, parsley, and nigella seeds to create the savory filling.
4 Layer the stretched dough sheets in a round pan, adding the cheese filling in the middle layers, folding edges inward, and brushing the top with beaten egg.
5 Bake at 200C for about 30 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden, flaky, and the cheese is melted and bubbling inside.

Did You Know?

Feteer has been called the ancestor of modern puff pastry and has been baked in Egypt for over 4,000 years, with ancient versions found depicted in pharaonic tomb paintings.