Feteer Meshaltet

Ingredients

• 500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 300ml warm water
• 200g ghee
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 6 tbsp honey, black treacle or clotted cream, to serve

Before you cook

• Heat the oven to its highest setting, at least 250C
• Melt the ghee with the sunflower oil in a small pan and pour it into a wide bowl to cool to hand-warm
• Grease a 26cm round baking tin or ovenproof frying pan with a little of the ghee mixture
• Clear and wipe down a large stretch of worktop

Steps

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Pour in 250ml of the warm water and bring the mixture together with your hand.
3. Add the remaining water a splash at a time until you have a soft, slack dough that stretches without tearing.
4. Knead the dough on the worktop for 6 minutes until it is smooth and very elastic.
5. Cover the dough and rest it for 15 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls.
7. Roll each ball through the warm ghee mixture until it is completely coated, then set them in the bowl.
8. Leave the coated balls to rest in the ghee for 20 minutes.
9. Lift one ball onto the bare worktop and press it out flat with your palms.
10. Stretch the dough outwards from the centre with the backs of your hands until it is a huge, near-transparent sheet.
11. Fold the left and right sides into the middle, brushing ghee between the folds.
12. Fold the top and bottom in the same way to make a rough square, then set it aside.
13. Stretch a second ball out to the same transparency.
14. Place the folded square seam side down in the centre of the new sheet.
15. Fold the new sheet over the parcel on all four sides, brushing with ghee as you go.
16. Repeat with a third and fourth ball so you have one thick parcel of many layers.
17. Press the parcel gently into the greased tin so it reaches the edges.
18. Build a second parcel from the remaining four balls in exactly the same way.
19. Stack the second parcel on top of the first and press the whole thing down flat.
20. Brush the top generously with the remaining ghee.
21. Bake for 12 minutes until the pastry puffs and blisters.
22. Switch the oven to grill and brown the top for 3 minutes.
23. Brush the hot feteer with a last spoonful of ghee and cover it with a cloth for 5 minutes so it stays supple.
24. Cut into wedges and serve with honey, treacle or clotted cream.