How Frozen Fatayer Shipping Works: Dry Ice, Arrival Day and Refreezing

Frozen fatayer ship overnight from our bakery to any address in the contiguous US for a flat $20 per order. Boxes go out Monday through Wednesday in insulated packaging and ice, arrive the next business day frozen or cold to the touch, and are safe to refreeze as long as they are still cold when you open them.

That is the short version. Shipping frozen food is the part of our business that gets the most questions, so here is the long version.

How we pack a frozen box

Every frozen order starts the same way as a fresh one. We hand-form the fatayer from organic, non-GMO whole wheat dough and freeze them at the bakery, sealed in their 12-count boxes. On ship day, those boxes go into an insulated shipper: a corrugated outer box with a thick liner, sized so there is little empty air inside. Empty air is what warms a package, so the tighter the fit, the colder it stays.

Around the boxes we pack ice. Depending on the season, the destination and the route, that means dry ice, frozen gel packs or both. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, far colder than a home freezer, and it turns straight into gas as it warms, so there is nothing to leak. Gel packs hold steady at moderate temperatures and add insulation. We pack more ice in July than in January, and more for a box headed to Arizona than one headed to Wisconsin. A note inside tells you how to handle whatever is in there. If you find dry ice, do not touch it with bare hands, do not seal it in an airtight container, and let it evaporate in a well-ventilated spot.

Why we ship only Monday through Wednesday

Overnight shipping means the box travels one night and arrives the next business day. If we shipped on Thursday and a carrier ran a day late, the box would sit in a warehouse through Friday and possibly the weekend, and no amount of ice survives that. So we ship Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only. Orders placed Thursday through Sunday go out the following Monday. This rule costs a few days of speed and saves a lot of melted boxes.

You get an email with a tracking number the day your box leaves the bakery. Orders placed early on a ship day may go out the same day; otherwise they ship on the next available ship day.

What transit looks like

The box is picked up in the afternoon, travels overnight through the carrier's network and is delivered the next business day, often by early afternoon. For most of the country that is a trip of 18 to 24 hours from our door to yours. The insulated shipper is packed to hold well beyond that, so a delay of several hours does not matter. A delay of a full day usually still arrives cold. A box stuck for two days is a problem, and that is what the Monday through Wednesday rule is designed to avoid.

We cannot ship to PO boxes, because the carrier needs a physical address where someone can bring the box inside. We also do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or outside the US, since those routes take more than one night.

What arrival looks like

Open the shipper as soon as it arrives. Inside you will find your fatayer boxes, the remaining ice and a card with baking instructions. The pies should be frozen solid or, at minimum, cold to the touch like something from the refrigerator. Move the boxes straight into your freezer. Dispose of the ice as the note describes: gel packs go in the trash or into your freezer for reuse, and dry ice is left to evaporate.

The outer box may look a little worn, and some condensation on the liner is normal. What matters is the temperature of the pies.

When refreezing is safe

This is the question we hear most. The USDA's food safety guidance, in plain words, is this: food that has partly thawed but is still at refrigerator temperature, 40°F or below, and still has ice crystals or feels refrigerator-cold, can be safely refrozen. Food that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours should not be refrozen. Refreezing may slightly change texture, but it does not make safe food unsafe.

Applied to your box:

• Frozen solid: into the freezer. Bake any time in the next 2 months.
• Soft but cold to the touch: also into the freezer. This is safe, and the pies will bake normally.
• Warm, or at room temperature: do not refreeze. Email deiyaabakery@gmail.com within 24 hours with your order number and a photo of the box and the pies, and we will replace or refund the order. If you choose to keep the pies, bake them within 2 days.

Gifting a frozen box

A frozen box is the easiest way to send fatayer to family in another state. Order any box of 12 in the Frozen format, enter the recipient's address at checkout, and add a message in the order notes. Because the flat $20 rate covers the whole order, 2 or 3 boxes ship for the same price as 1. Tell the recipient which day to expect it so someone is home to move it to the freezer, and send them a link to our Baking & Reheating Guide. The Deiyaa Box, with 4 cheese, 4 za'atar and 4 spinach, is the most-sent gift. The Pyramid Gift Tower and House Pickles are fresh only and do not ship.

What ships and what does not

Every product with a Frozen option is in the Ships Nationwide collection: the Deiyaa Box, Cheese Fatayer in all 8 flavors, Za'atar Manakish in both flavors and Spinach Fatayer in both. Fresh boxes, the Gift Tower, the Catering Tray and pickles are for local delivery and pickup near the bakery only.

Once it is in your freezer

Frozen fatayer keep for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or air fry at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes. No thawing. Your kitchen will smell like ours, one overnight trip later.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to ship frozen fatayer?

A flat $20 per order for overnight shipping to any address in the contiguous US, no matter how many frozen boxes are in the order. The rate covers the insulated packaging and ice as well as the overnight carrier.

What days do frozen fatayer ship?

Monday through Wednesday only, so no box sits in a carrier warehouse over a weekend. Orders placed Thursday through Sunday ship the following Monday. You receive a tracking number by email the day the box leaves the bakery.

Is it safe to refreeze fatayer that thawed in shipping?

Yes, if they are still cold to the touch when you open the box. USDA guidance allows refreezing food that has stayed at 40°F or below. If the pies arrive warm, do not refreeze; email deiyaabakery@gmail.com within 24 hours with a photo and we will replace or refund the order.

Can I send a frozen box of fatayer as a gift?

Yes. Order any box of 12 in the Frozen format, enter the recipient's address at checkout and add a message in the order notes. It ships overnight anywhere in the contiguous US for a flat $20 in insulated packaging and ice.