One of My Family’s Favorite Lebanese Dishes

Growing up, I always connected deeply with the Lebanese part of my heritage, especially making homemade fatayer. My maternal grandfather’s family migrated from Lebanon to Nicaragua before eventually settling in the U.S. My family changed my mom’s original Lebanese last name because Spanish-speaking locals couldn’t pronounce it—a small but meaningful piece of our history shaped by language.

On my dad’s side, we’re Cuban, and Spanish is actually my first language. I’ve always loved being Latina and holding that vibrant Hispanic identity. But when it came to the Middle Eastern side of our roots, my family made sure we embraced what we could—especially through food and culture. Even though we didn’t grow up speaking Arabic or traveling to Lebanon, we stayed connected through traditions and recipes passed down.

Behind the Dough: A Lebanese Family Favorite

One of our favorite dishes? Fatayer—or as some in our family call them, Sfihas. We make these savory hand pies with a simple, yeast-based pizza dough and fill them with seasoned meat. Some Mediterranean versions use spinach or cheese, but we’ve always been team meat. And let me tell you—they are the first thing to disappear at any family party because they are just that good.

The dough recipe comes from one of my aunts, who lovingly makes fatayer for all our big gatherings. The second they come out of the oven, we’re already circling the kitchen like vultures. This dish connects us to our culture and each other—it’s true comfort food. I created a quicker take you can make from scratch—right at home!

Here’s what they look like when done right:

Making homemade Fatayer Dough (Fridge-Ready!)

Mix your go-to bread dough (flour, yeast, sugar, water, salt, oil), then store it in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready, cook your filling—we used Italian sausage this time, but ground beef is my usual pick. Once the meat cools, fold it into the dough.

Bake at 425°F on convection for 10 minutes, then let cool for 14–15 minutes before digging in!

What ours looked like:

My husband has entered his bread era—and folks, it’s serious. He’s been on a mission to perfect the ultimate loaf, and he has been using my aunt’s legendary dough recipe (traditionally reserved for croissants, pizzas, and pastries) as his secret weapon. But here’s the twist… he’s trying to turn it into straight-up bread. Will he rise to the occasion? Or will it all fall flat? Stay tuned to find out on the next episode of “Can He Dough It?!”

Xo, Mel

P.S. I put together an exclusive recipe card you can easily print—just my way of keeping everything in one place. I still love using paper recipe cards. Call me old-fashioned, but I like my recipes well-bread!