A light pastry dough with a delicate texture that lets you choose among assorted fillings to suit your taste and your table. The texture brings together the softness of a yeast dough and the lightness of a baking powder dough, so the pastries come out airy inside, toasted outside, and certain to rise.
A published Arabic kitchen recipe titled "Pastries with different fillings, light and delicious" from the Ramadan recipes category, and it is a general dough base that suits both the iftar and the suhoor table.
We chose to record it in EEINA as it stands, so it can serve as a reference for the reader looking for one dough that works with every filling without buying more than one kind.
Mix the two cups of sifted flour with the yeast and the sugar in a large bowl, then add the warm water, the yogurt, the softened butter, the warm milk and the vanilla, and stir with a spoon until the ingredients are even. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and leave it in a warm place for 10 minutes. The sign it is ready: a light foam on the surface and swirls through the mixture.
In another bowl, mix the 3 cups of flour with the powdered milk, the salt and the baking powder, and stir with a spoon until they are evenly spread, then set this dry mixture aside.
Add the extra flour mixture to the first-stage dough and begin kneading while pouring in the oil gradually. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes in a mixer) until a soft, cohesive dough forms that does not stick. The sign it is ready: it turns smooth to the touch and springy, and when you press it with a finger it comes back.
Dust the work surface with a little flour and carry on kneading by hand for two more minutes until any lumps are worked out, then shape the dough into a ball, put it in an oiled bowl and cover it with a towel. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes.
Cut the dough into small balls the size of a walnut, and flatten each ball with a rolling pin into a thin disc. Put a teaspoon of the filling you want in the middle of each disc, then close it and shape it (triangles, circles or crescents). Common fillings: white cheese with parsley, spinach with sumac, minced meat with onion, or fig jam.
Arrange the pastries on an oven tray lined with baking paper, and brush the tops with the beaten egg mixed with the vanilla and the instant coffee to give them a caramel color. Garnish the tops with sesame or nigella seeds. Put them into an oven preheated to a high 200 degrees Celsius for 12 to 15 minutes until they brown underneath, then move them to the upper shelf for two more minutes to brown the tops. Serve them with hot tea.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Light Filled Pastries with Assorted Fillings, and how to fix them:
Add a tablespoon of flour and carry on kneading, since the ideal dough is smooth, not wet. The extra flour solves the problem without upsetting the texture.
Move the oven tray to the lower shelf for the last 5 minutes, or preheat an iron tray by leaving it in the empty oven while it heats.
Keep the baked pastries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, and warm them in a 160 degree oven for 5 minutes.
Keep the raw filled pastries (once the tops are brushed and the seeds are on) on a tray lined with baking paper, then move them to airtight bags, and bake them straight from the freezer with 5 extra minutes.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| yogurt (curd) | sour cream | the same amount | It gives a different softness, with a richer texture and less tang. |
For a glossy, deep brown top, add a quarter teaspoon of instant coffee to the egg wash. The coffee does not give a coffee flavor, but a rich caramel color like bakery bread, and it shows clearly against the sesame and nigella seeds.
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