To honor my Coptic heritage and our Egyptian family rituals, I personally bake Feteer Al Malak at the beginning of the school year and during St. Mary fasting, seeking Archangel Michael’s blessings and protection over my kids. This bread brings so much joy and relief to the bread maker and those who enjoy eating it.
What is Feteer AL Malak
When she was still with us, my grandma would bake this pastry a few times a year, especially when a family member was unwell, applying for a new job, or facing one of life’s significant tests. One of my most vivid memories is how she shared the buns with both her Muslim and Christian neighbors, knowing that Archangel Michael is equally revered in the Islamic faith.
Tradition holds that the Coptic (Egyptian Christian) matriarch of each family bakes these vegan sweet buns to honor Archangel Michael, the most revered angel in Christian scripture. In doing so, she asks the Archangel to protect her children and carry her prayers to the Almighty God.
Legend has it that when the buns are left to rise overnight, Archangel Michael visits the matriarch’s kitchen, marking the buns with his sword as a sign of his approval and commitment to being her messenger.
Feteer Al Malak Ingredients
Dry Active Yeast
All-purpose White Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Honey or Sugar
Warm Water
Canola Oil
Feteer Al Malak is a vegan humble bread that uses basic pantry staples that you may already have them in your pantry.
- Oil: Use unflavored and good quality of oil such as canola. Please note that the secret to a fluffy Feteer Al Malak or Archangel Michael Buns is mixing thoroughly the oil first into the flour, until the flour resembles wet sand. For this step, either use your hands or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, both will work well.
- Yeast: Use dry yeast to create soft, and fluffy flatbread dough, Proof yeast by mixing it well with warm water and sugar and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 3-5 minutes.
- Warm Water: The perfect temperature for warm water to proof yeast is typically between 100°F to 110°F (38°C to 43°C). Using water that is too hot (above 120°F or 49°C) can kill the yeast, while water that is too cool (below 95°F or 35°C) might not activate the yeast effectively. Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure the water is within the ideal temperature range.
- Sugar or honey: You either use white granulated sugar or honey to mix it with the warm water to activate the yeast.
- All Purpose Flour: Use a good quality of all-purpose flour for the best results. You can also mix whole wheat flour with all purpose flower to achieve a subtle earthy taste and fortifies the bread with fiber.
- Salt: To bring up the flavors in the bread, the addition of salt is necessary.
- Cinnamon: A dash of cinnamon mixed into this bread dough will make your kitchen smell heavenly when you bake feteer al malak. Additionally, mixing the cinnamon with some oil to brush the surface of the bun will give it a nice tan and glossy finish.
Variations & Substitutions of Feteer Al Malak
- Feteer Al malak can be plain, savory or sweet. For a savory variation, don’t add the 1/2 cup sugar to the dough and instead, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of Egyptian Duqqah or zaatar blend.
- For a vegetarian version, try to stuff this bread with feta cheese, spinach and/or mozzarella.
- Traditionally, Feteer Al Malak is made with raisins or sultanas but feel free to swap in dry apricots, cranberries or dates.
Egyptian Duqqah
Zaatar Blend
Black & Green Olives
Feta Cheese
Dry Apricots
Majdoul Dates
Nermine’s Tips to Make the Best Feteer Al Malak
- Coating flour with oil: Use your hands or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment to incorporate the oil into the flour before pouring in the wet ingredients. This step is so important as it leads to a fairly fluffy bread.
- Slow Dough Rise: Don’t rush the fermentation of the dough. Let it rise in a warm dark place covered with a plastic film and a clear teal towel for at least two hours, until it doubles in size.
- Cold Fermentation: If you are opting for some depth of yeast flavor, then after the dough rises, let the dough sit in the fridge overnight, and proceed with sharing the bread and baking it the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Can I freeze Feteer Al Malak?
Of Course you can freeze Feteer Al Malak in ziplocks in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
-
With what to serve Feteer Al Malak?
Serve it with a cup of coffee or tea with fresh mint.
More Vegan Recipes
Bissara (Egyptian Dip of Split Fava Beans)
Ful Medames (Egyptian stew of fava beans)
Ta’amia (Egyptian vegan fritters)
Koshari Iskandarani
- Bissara (Egyptian Vegan Dip of Split Fava Beans)
- Foul Madames (Egyptian Stew of Fava Beans
- Egyptian Ta’amia (Egyptian Beans Fritters)
- Koushari Iskandarani (Egyptian rice-Lentil dish)
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Feteer Al Malak (Archangel Michael Bread) Recipe : فطير الملاك
Deeply rooted in Coptic tradition, Egyptian Christian bake Feteer Al Malak during fasting periods, asking Archangel Michael for his blessings and protection.
Do you like this recipe? Please click here to rate it 🙏
Ingredients
The Dough
- 500 grams all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, You can mix 250 whole wheat with 250 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup white sugar or brown sugar + 1 tablespoon for the surface of the buns, For a savory version, don't add the sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- ½ cup raisins or dry cranberry, optional
- ½ cup warm water , to need the dough
Proof Yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 cup warm water
The Glaze
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Makes: 4inch round, 1.5inch height
Instructions
- Proof yeast: Add 1 tablespoon instant yeast and 1 tablespoon of honey to the warm water. Mix well until the yeast and honey are well incorporated. Proof yeast in a warm place for 5 minutes, or until it gets frothy and foamy.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Add the 500 grams flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt then mix well using a metal spoon. Toss 1/2 cup of canola oil into the mixture of dry ingredients and use your hands to mix well until the flour mixture is thoroughly coated by the oil. It should resemble wet sand. Add the sugar and mix well.
- Make the dough: Make a well in the center of the flour and oil mixture, add the 1/2 cup sugar and run the mixer at a low speed and add gradually the yeast mixture, and the vinegar. Increase the speed. Turn off the mixer when a sticky, soft dough comes together.
- Let the dough rise: Transfer the dough to a deep bowl coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and a clean teal towel, and let the dough rest in a dark place. When the dough doubles in size, you can either let it rest in the fridge overnight to develop a deep yeast flavor or proceed immediately with the following steps (see notes).
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 360°F.
- Shape the bread: Divide the dough into equal portion of 100 grams each. Shape the individual pastries by pinching the ends to form a ball. roll each dough on the counter with the palm of your hands to smoothen their surface. To shape the crosses, twist thin threads of dough into a cross shape and glue it with oil in the middle of each pastry. Brush the buns surface with a glaze of cinnamon mixed with sugar and oil. Arrange the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Glaze the buns: Mix the 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon well and brush the surface of the bun with the glaze, using a pastry brush.
- Cover the buns and let them rise again for 20 minutes.
- Bake: Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven, and bake for 25 minutes. Get them out of the oven when they are puffed and have a golden crust. Serve hot or at room temperature with jam, cheese or zaatar.
Nermine's Notes
NERMINE'S NOTES
- The vinegar makes those vegan buns fluffy and pillowy.
- Letting the dough rest overnight in the fridge, helps the yeast to develop a pleasant flavor and aroma when baked.
- This dough is so forgiving and versatile. Get creative with trying different savory and sweet fillings.
- For forming the dough, be flexible with the water quantity as each type and brand f flour might need different quality of water. Start with one warm cup of water mixed with the yeast and sugar and then add water gradually as you knead the dough until a soft, homogeneous dough comes together.
- You definitely don't need a stand mixer to make it, your hands will do a fantastic job, invite the kids to partake in the recipe making, and learn about this deep-rooted Coptic Egyptian tradition.
- For precision, you might need a kitchen scale to weigh each bun dough so you have equal sized buns.
Add Your Private Notes
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kull sana wa inti tayyiba!
vinegar?
Likewise. Thank you. For some reason it adds softness to the dough! You wont regret the addition.
Where do you say when to add the vinegar?
Hi Rasha, just mix it in when you add the oil to the flour.
I added this sentence to the directions to make it clear.
Thanks! Also – you said 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of sugar. We use 1 tablespoon with the yeast mixture the 3/4 cup is dissolved in water – but what of the second tablespoon of sugar?
Hi Rasha, The other sugar spoon is mixed in with the flour. In a different note. Are you the spouse Shady Farah? If yes, I am Nermine, Nesrine Mitry’s sister, Shady’s classmate. Thank you for checking my blog.
Yes I am! What a small world. Loving your blog. Hope you are well. I can’t see where the extra tablespoon of flour is mentioned? Which step is it in?
Also when I tried to bake the discs at 270C they came out quite burned from the outside. I lowered to 240C which worked better
It is a small indeed! Thank you for your feedback, it is very helpful. It seems that I was having too much wine while writing this recipe🙂. I am working on a new batch of plant-based recipe, so this week a bit packed. However, I will redo this recipe next week and let you know of all the changes. Are you still having you food blog and channel?! Would love to follow you. You are the queen of vegan recipes!
And many thanks for your kind words about my blog.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
I had a wonderful spiritual experience while preparing such recipe & was much more grateful after seeing people’s reactions toward it
Somia, I am so so happy you liked the recipe and it came out so well. Please share the photo with me on Instagram @cheznermine, if you still have it. Thank you again.