Alright, so I finally got around to trying my hand at making Fatira. Been thinking about it for a while, ever since I had some really good ones a while back. Seemed simple enough, but you know how these things go.
Getting Started
First thing, I had to gather the stuff. Just basic things, really. Flour, water, a pinch of salt, and some oil for the dough. And butter, lots of softened butter for later. Or ghee, I guess. I used butter ’cause that’s what I had handy.
I didn’t follow a strict recipe, more like pieced together what I remembered seeing and reading online ages ago. Sort of went by feel.
Making the Dough
Mixing was easy. Dumped the flour in a bowl, added salt, then slowly poured in water while mixing with my hand until it came together. Added a splash of oil too. Then came the kneading. On the counter it went. Kneaded it for a good 10, maybe 15 minutes. Wanted it smooth and kinda stretchy. It’s a bit of a workout, honestly. Got it to a point where it felt right, you know? Soft, pliable. Then I divided it into a few small balls, rubbed them with oil so they wouldn’t dry out, covered them up, and let them sit. Patience is key here, gotta let that gluten relax. Went and had a cup of coffee while waiting.
The Stretching and Folding – The Fun Part
Okay, this is where it gets interesting. Took one dough ball. Oiled up my hands and the countertop really well. Started flattening it out. Then stretching. The goal is to get it super thin, almost see-through, without tearing holes. Easier said than done. My first one? Yeah, it tore a bit. But I patched it up. You gotta be gentle but firm. Stretch it from the center outwards. It’s a messy process with all the oil and butter.
Once it was stretched thin like a giant, floppy sheet, I slathered it with softened butter. Generously. Then folded it up. Kind of like folding a letter, or maybe more like a square package. Tucked in the edges. Did this with all the dough balls. Some recipes say to layer them, putting one folded packet inside another stretched sheet, but I kept it simple this time. Just folded each one individually.
Cooking Time
Heated up a large flat pan, medium heat. Didn’t add much extra fat since the dough already had butter folded in. Placed one folded Fatira packet onto the hot pan. Let it cook for a few minutes on one side until it started puffing up and getting golden brown spots. The smell was fantastic, that buttery, toasty smell.
Flipped it over carefully. Cooked the other side until it was also golden and cooked through. Pressed it down gently with a spatula sometimes to make sure it cooked evenly. It puffed up nicely in layers, which was satisfying to see.
- Cooked one side till golden.
- Flipped it.
- Cooked the other side.
- Made sure it wasn’t doughy inside.
Took it off the pan and put it on a plate. Repeated with the other dough packets.
The Result
So, how did they turn out? Pretty darn good, actually! Crispy on the outside, flaky, and soft layers inside. Maybe not as perfectly thin and layered as the professional ones, but the taste was there. Had it plain, hot off the pan. Could dip it in honey or cheese, I guess. But honestly, just eating it fresh like that was great.
It was a bit of work, especially the stretching part, and my kitchen counter needed a good wipe-down afterwards. But it felt good making something like this from scratch. Definitely gonna try it again, maybe get that stretching technique down a bit better next time. Practice makes perfect, right?
