Feteer meshaltet — Egypt's flaky, buttery layered pastry, stretched paper-thin, folded with ghee and baked until golden and shatteringly crisp. Heavenly sweet or savoury.
Feteer meshaltet is Egypt's famous layered pastry — paper-thin sheets of dough folded with butter and baked until impossibly flaky and golden. Known as 'the pastry of a thousand layers', it shatters into buttery shards with every bite. It takes a little practice to stretch the dough, but the result is a showpiece worth every minute.
Prep 40 min
Cook 15 min
Total 55 min
Hard
Video
Preparation
- Mix the flour and salt, then pour in one cup of water and start kneading. If the dough is too dry, gradually add the remaining water until very elastic — when pulled, it shouldn't tear.
- Let the dough rest for just 10 minutes, then divide into 6–8 balls depending on the size you want.
- Warm the butter, ghee or oil and pour into a deep bowl. Immerse the dough balls in it and leave to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 550°F.
- Stretch the first ball with your hands on a clean countertop, as thin as you can — the goal is to see the surface through the dough. Fold it over itself into a square, brushing between folds with the butter mixture, then set aside.
- Stretch the second ball thin, place the first folded one in the middle seam-side down, and fold the outer one over it, brushing with more butter. Set aside, and repeat for the third and fourth balls.
- Place one stacked pastry on a 10-inch baking dish seam-side down and brush the top with butter. Repeat with the remaining 4 balls to make a second pastry, then lightly press each folded feteer to spread it across the dish.
- Bake for 10 minutes; once it starts puffing, turn on the broiler to brown the top. When done, brush with a little butter and cover so it doesn't dry out.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Knead the dough until it's so elastic it stretches thin without tearing — that elasticity is everything.
- Resting the dough balls submerged in warm butter relaxes them so they stretch effortlessly.
- Stretch each sheet until you can see the surface through it; the thinner the dough, the flakier the result.
- Bake in a very hot oven and finish under the broiler for that signature crisp, blistered top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both — plain feteer is wonderful with honey, syrup or cheese, and you can fold in fillings like cheese or minced meat for a savoury version.
It either needs more kneading to develop gluten, or more resting time in the butter to relax. Both make the dough supple and stretchable.
A mix of butter and oil works well. Traditional recipes use ghee or clarified butter for the richest flavour and flakiest layers.
Brush with butter as soon as it comes out of the oven and cover it so the steam keeps it soft inside while the outside stays crisp.
