How to Bake Frozen Fatayer: Oven, Air Fryer and Toaster Oven Times

Bake frozen fatayer at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes on a parchment-lined sheet, straight from the freezer with no thawing. In an air fryer, use 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes. In a toaster oven, 375°F for 14 to 16 minutes. Pull them when the edges are golden and any cheese is bubbling.

That is the whole answer. The rest of this post explains why each number is what it is, what to look for, and how to bake for a table of 20 without a restaurant oven. Every time here matches our Baking & Reheating Guide, so you can trust either one.

Why you should not thaw frozen fatayer

We hand-form our fatayer from organic, non-GMO whole wheat dough and freeze them at the bakery, so the dough goes into the freezer at its best. If you thaw them on the counter, the crust absorbs moisture from the filling and turns soft and pale. Baking from frozen does the opposite: the outside sets and browns while the inside heats through, and the whole wheat crust comes out crisp at the edges and tender in the middle. Skip the thaw. It saves time and gives you a better pie.

Oven method, step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Give it a full 10 minutes so the temperature is real, not just the light turning off.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Take the fatayer out of the freezer and set them on the sheet with about an inch between pieces. Do not thaw. One box of 12 fits a standard half-sheet pan.
4. Bake on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Check at 12 minutes. Cheese fatayer are done when the cheese bubbles and the rim is golden. Spinach triangles are done when the corners are crisp and deep gold. Za'atar manakish are done when the base is golden and the za'atar smells toasty.
6. Rest 2 minutes on the sheet, then serve warm.

Air fryer method

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F if your model has a preheat setting.
2. Place frozen fatayer in the basket in a single layer with space between them. Do not stack.
3. Air fry for 6 to 8 minutes. Check at 6.
4. Rest 2 minutes and serve.

Air fryers run hotter and move more air than an oven, which is why the temperature is lower and the time shorter. The result is a crisper edge, especially on spinach triangles. If your air fryer is small, work in batches. A second batch in an already hot machine may finish a minute early.

Toaster oven method

1. Preheat to 375°F.
2. Set frozen fatayer on the toaster oven tray with parchment, leaving space between them.
3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes. Toaster ovens lose heat faster than full ovens and sit closer to the food, so give them 2 extra minutes and check the tops.
4. Rest 2 minutes and serve.

Reheating fresh or already baked fatayer

If you picked up a fresh box at the bakery or have leftovers from a frozen box you already baked, the times are shorter. Oven: 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Air fryer: 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes. Fresh fatayer are also traditionally eaten at room temperature, so a cold one from the box is fine.

What about the microwave?

We do not recommend it. A microwave heats the filling but leaves the whole wheat crust soft and chewy instead of crisp. If it is the only option, 30 to 45 seconds on high will warm one fresh fatayer. Do not microwave frozen fatayer; the outside will be hot and the center still cold.

Baking for a crowd

A box of 12 serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer. For iftar, a brunch or an office breakfast, you may be baking 36 or 48 at once. Here is how to do it in a home kitchen.

• Use two sheets. Most ovens hold two half-sheet pans on separate racks. Place them on the upper-middle and lower-middle racks and swap positions halfway through so both brown evenly. Two full sheets may need the full 15 minutes.
• Bake in waves. Fatayer hold well. Bake the first 24 and set them on a platter under a clean towel while the second batch goes in. They stay warm for about 20 minutes and are still good at room temperature after that.
• Do not crowd the sheet. Twelve with space beats twenty touching. Crowded pies steam each other and the edges stay pale.
• Keep the freezer closed. Take out only what fits in the oven. The rest keeps for up to 2 months.
• Sort the sheets by type. Put cheese and spinach together, since they take the full time, and bake za'atar on its own sheet so you can pull it a minute or two early.

Serving

Set out house pickles, labneh, olives, sliced cucumber and tomato, and mint tea. Cheese fatayer pair with pickles and mint. Spinach likes a squeeze of lemon. Za'atar wants to be folded around labneh. That is a Levantine breakfast, and it takes 15 minutes from a frozen box.

Storage before and after

Frozen fatayer keep for up to 2 months in a home freezer. Keep them sealed until you bake. If a shipped box arrives cold to the touch, freeze it right away. If it arrives warm, bake within 2 days and email deiyaabakery@gmail.com within 24 hours with a photo. Baked leftovers keep up to 12 days refrigerated.

Stock the freezer with any box in the Ships Nationwide collection. The Deiyaa Box gives you 4 cheese, 4 za'atar and 4 spinach, and all 12 bake in one pass at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to thaw frozen fatayer before baking?

No. Bake them straight from the freezer. Thawing on the counter softens the dough and leaves the bottoms pale. From frozen, the crust sets and browns while the filling heats through.

What temperature do I bake frozen fatayer at?

375°F for 12 to 15 minutes in a conventional oven, on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about an inch between pieces. Pull them when the edges are golden and any cheese is bubbling, then rest 2 minutes.

How long do frozen fatayer take in an air fryer?

6 to 8 minutes at 350°F, in a single layer with space between pieces. Check at 6 minutes. For reheating fresh or already baked fatayer, use 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes.

Can I microwave frozen fatayer?

We do not recommend it. A microwave heats the filling but leaves the whole wheat crust soft instead of crisp. If it is the only option, 30 to 45 seconds warms one fresh fatayer. Do not microwave frozen ones; the center stays cold.