Feteer at a glance
- Origin
- Egypt
- Also called
- Fateer, fiteer, feteer meshaltet, and sometimes "Egyptian pizza"
- Made from
- Flour, water and salt, with plenty of butter or ghee (samna) between the layers
- Texture
- Thin, flaky layers: crisp outside, soft inside
- Eaten
- Savory as a meal, or sweet as a dessert or breakfast
How feteer is made
- 1.Mix a soft dough of flour, water and salt, and let it rest.
- 2.Stretch each piece by hand until it's paper-thin, thin enough to see light through.
- 3.Brush the sheet with butter or ghee and fold it over itself, again and again, to build the layers.
- 4.For a filled feteer, add the filling between the layers before the last fold.
- 5.Bake it in a very hot oven until it's golden, crisp and flaky.
The stretching and folding is what makes feteer different from bread: many thin, buttered layers that separate as it bakes.
Sweet vs. savory feteer
| Detail | Savory feteer | Sweet feteer |
|---|---|---|
| Inside | Meat (basterma, ground beef, sausage or chicken) or cheese, with olives, peppers and tomatoes | Custard, or nothing at all for plain mashaltat |
| On top or alongside | Usually eaten as is | Pistachio, strawberry or chocolate; honey, molasses or tahini with mashaltat |
| Eaten as | A meal, often shared | Dessert, breakfast, or with tea and coffee |
| At Feteer Lounge | Basterma, Ground Beef, Chicken, Sausage, Mixed, Cheese & Veggie | Mashaltat, Pistachio, Strawberry, Chocolate |
Is feteer Egyptian pizza?
Not really. Feteer gets called “Egyptian pizza” because it’s round and cut into wedges, but it’s a layered pastry, not a bread dough with toppings.
| Detail | Feteer | Pizza |
|---|---|---|
| Dough | Many thin, buttered layers | One yeasted bread dough |
| Texture | Flaky and crisp | Chewy crust |
| Filling | Baked inside the layers | Spread on top |
| Sweet versions | Common | Rare |
How to eat feteer
Feteer comes to the table cut into wedges. Eat it with your hands, pulling the layers apart as you go. A savory feteer is a full meal, and easy to share between two. Plain mashaltat is for dipping: tear off a piece and drag it through honey, molasses or tahini.
Where to try feteer in New Jersey
Feteer Lounge bakes every feteer fresh to order at 1551 Main Ave, Clifton, NJ 07011. Open Tuesday–Sunday 12 PM – 2 AM (kitchen until 10 PM); closed Monday.
“The food tasted fresh, portions were great, and the feteer was perfectly crispy.”
Karan P., Google review
“We tried the mix feteer and it was so good!”
Erika E., Google review
“…spices tasted exactly like an Egyptian béchamel not Greek or any other middle eastern culture.”
Beshoy A., Google review
Feteer questions
How do you pronounce feteer?
feh-TEER. It's also written fateer, fiteer or fetir, from the Arabic فطير.
Is feteer the same as Egyptian pizza?
People often call feteer "Egyptian pizza" because it's round and cut into wedges, but it's a different food. Pizza is one bread dough with toppings on top; feteer is many thin, buttered layers of pastry, with the filling baked inside.
What is mashaltat (feteer meshaltet)?
Mashaltat is plain feteer: just the buttery layers, with no filling. It's traditionally eaten with honey, molasses, tahini or cheese. At Feteer Lounge it's served with honey, molasses or tahini.
Is feteer sweet or savory?
Both. Savory feteer is filled with things like basterma, ground beef, sausage, chicken, or cheese and vegetables. Sweet feteer is filled with custard and topped with pistachio, strawberry or chocolate, or eaten plain with honey.
Where can I get feteer in New Jersey?
At Feteer Lounge, 1551 Main Ave, Clifton, NJ 07011. Every feteer is baked fresh to order, savory or sweet. Open Tuesday–Sunday 12 PM – 2 AM (kitchen until 10 PM); closed Monday.
Hungry now? Order pickup or call (862) 591-1141.