Ajin (Lebanese pastry dough)

Instructions

1. Sift the flours into a large bowl and add the yeast, salt and sugar. Combine with a hand whisk and make a well in the centre.
2. In a mixing jug, add 1 litre (4 cups) of the lukewarm water with the oil and stir to combine. Gradually add the water mixture to the dough, using a wooden spoon to combine gently, ensuring most has come together into a shaggy mixture. If you need to, add the remaining water to ensure no flour is left in the bowl. Ideally the mixture should be moist yet manageable; don’t be afraid to add more water or flour, if required.
3. Scrape the sticky dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Continue to knead and incorporate the dough until all the water and flour have been combined.
4. To prove the dough, you must first make smaller balls that will be rolled out to make the pastries. Wet a few J-cloths (Chux) and use them to cover the base of the tray or container you intend to let the balls of dough prove in, keeping one wet cloth to lay on top.
5. For fatayer or lahem bi ajin I like to use 40 g (1½ oz) of dough and for za’atar manoushe, 75 g (3oz). I keep a scale handy for checking. Before you begin rolling out the smaller balls, put the cornmeal in a small bowl and keep it handy. Roll each ball of dough around in the palm of your hand or on the table, neatly tucking it under itself. Once you have rolled the dough into balls, roll the balls in the fine cornmeal, place on the prepared tray and cover with the wet cloth. It is important the dough feels moist so the cornmeal will stick to it, as it protects the dough from sticking together when proving, as well as giving the baked pastries a crispy texture.
6. Place the covered tray in a warm place to rest for 2 hours.
7. After 2 hours, the dough is ready to use. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge – lined with wet J-cloths – for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

• I prepare this with my hands – the aim is to keep it as hydrated and sticky as possible, while ensuring it is still easy to handle. The whole wheat and oil make this dough light and thin, giving the pastries a crunchy exterior when baked.
• The recipe accounts for the fact that you might want to make a lot of pastries; however, you can halve this recipe and it works out just fine (for example, a half recipe will make a batch of l
  ahem bi ajin
  (meat pastries).