Syrian Cheese Fatayer and Mankousheh with Kashkaval

Ingredients

• 6 cups Flour
• 2 cups Water
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Yeast
• 2 tbsp Yogurt
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 200 grams Baladi cheese
• 200 grams Czech Akkawi cheese
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 Egg
• a pinch White pepper
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds
• 1 tsp Nigella seeds
• no quantity specified Parsley
• 1/2 kilogram Tomatoes
• 1 Small onion
• 5 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Coriander
• 1 tbsp Pepper paste
• 1/2 tsp Sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp Nigella seeds
• no quantity specified Fresh za'atar
• no quantity specified Olive oil
• 2 cups Warm water
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• no quantity specified Dried za'atar
• mentioned as a mixture with olive oil in shops Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Paprika
• no quantity specified Kashkaval cheese

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix the warm water with the sugar and yeast, and leave for 5 minutes until the yeast activates.
2. In another bowl, mix the flour with the salt.
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, brush its surface with oil, then cover and leave it to rest for half an hour.
4. In a colander, rinse the baladi cheese and Czech Akkawi cheese with warm water two or three times, then squeeze them well to reduce the saltiness and remove the water.
5. In a bowl, mix the cheeses with the ghee, egg, a pinch of white pepper, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, and parsley to prepare the cheese filling.
6. In a bowl, mix the fresh za'atar with olive oil to prepare the manakish topping.
7. Divide the dough into small balls for the cheese and larger balls for the muhammara and za'atar.
8. Cover the dough balls and leave them to rest for about 5 minutes before rolling them out.
9. Roll out the dough balls on a floured surface; you can use your hands first, then a rolling pin.
10. Place the cheese filling on the dough pieces designated for cheese, then shape them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
11. Place the za'atar mixture on the dough pieces designated for za'atar, then shape them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
12. Roll out the dough pieces designated for muhammara, then place the muhammara on them and shape them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
13. Preheat the oven at its highest temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.
14. Bake the pastries in the oven until the dough is about 90% cooked and browned.
15. Remove the fatayer and manakish from the oven and serve hot.