What is pastry seasoning?
Pastry seasoning is a specialised blend of aromatic seeds, herbs and warm spices designed to flavour savoury doughs and their fillings: meat, spinach and cheese fatayer, sambousek, lahm bi ajeen (sfiha), manakish, Arab-style pizza, savoury ka'ak, and the Egyptian feteer and brioche-style pastries with fillings. It develops the European and Turkish tradition of caraway, fennel and sesame on bread, but the Arab version carries the signature of the Levant and Egypt, where nigella and sesame top the pastries and fillings are seasoned with allspice and sumac.
Savoury pastries hold a special place in our kitchens: cheese and sausage fatayer across Egypt, Eid sambousek in Baghdad and Basra, Aleppo-style lahm bi ajeen and thyme manakish in Damascus and Homs, and cheese pastries on Gulf breakfast tables. In each, a well-judged sprinkle of seasoning separates an ordinary pastry from one whose aroma drifts from the oven into the street.
Composition
A good pastry seasoning combines three groups of ingredients according to where they are used. The first is the seeds for dough and topping: nigella (black seed) and sesame in generous proportion, scattered on top or kneaded into the flour for crunch and aroma, sometimes with a little caraway or fennel. The second is the spices for fillings: allspice and black pepper as the base, coriander and cumin in moderation, a little cinnamon and nutmeg for meat, sumac for the tang of lahm bi ajeen and spinach, and paprika for colour. The third is the herbs: dried wild thyme, marjoram and mint in small proportions for cheese and spinach fillings. Salt is kept light, since dough and cheese carry their own.
There is a dough-and-topping version dominated by seeds, a filling version dominated by warm spices and sumac, and a sweet version for ka'ak, biscuits and sweetened feteer based on mahlab, aniseed, fennel and mastic, with no pepper or cumin.
| Variant | Character | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Dough and topping (nigella, sesame, caraway) | Crunchy, aromatic, lightly salted | Fatayer, savoury ka'ak, bread, manakish |
| Fillings (allspice, sumac, coriander, cumin) | Warm, gently tangy, suits meat and spinach | Lahm bi ajeen, sambousek, spinach fatayer |
| Sweet (mahlab, aniseed, fennel, mastic) | Fragrant, sweet-scented, no pepper | Eid ka'ak, biscuits, feteer with honey |
What makes a good blend
The quality of pastry seasoning is judged on three things: the soundness of the seeds, the freshness of the spices, and balance. Nigella should be whole, glossy black and peppery-scented; sesame creamy white and not rancid, since old sesame smells of oxidised oil and spoils the pastry. The ground spices should be freshly milled, and the sumac a natural deep red, neither dyed nor cut with excess salt, a common adulteration. The blend should contain no flour, starch, surplus salt or artificial colourants. Whole seeds and powders separate in storage, so mix well before use or buy dedicated topping and filling versions. Low moisture (usually under 8 percent) is essential because the seed oils turn rancid in humidity.
In Egypt the blend is governed by the Egyptian Standard for mixed spices and the requirements of the National Food Safety Authority. It follows the Codex standard for dried herbs and spices (CXS 352) and the Codex standard for sesame seeds, with accepted limits for aflatoxins and Salmonella. Sesame is a recognised allergen and is declared on the label.
How to use it
The signature dish is Levantine lahm bi ajeen (sfiha), and this is our recommended method:
- Prepare a simple dough from 500 grams of flour, a teaspoon of yeast, a pinch of sugar and salt, three tablespoons of oil and warm water; knead until smooth and leave to rise for an hour.
- Mix 500 grams of minced meat with one finely chopped onion and two finely chopped tomatoes, one tablespoon of pastry seasoning (10 to 12 grams per kilogram of filling), a spoon of pepper or tomato paste and a little salt.
- Let the filling rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, then drain the excess liquid so it does not soak the dough.
- Roll the dough into thin discs about 12 centimetres across and spread a thin layer of filling right to the edges.
- Bake in a very hot oven at 250 degrees Celsius for 8 to 10 minutes on a preheated stone or tray, and serve with lemon and mint.
For dough: knead one teaspoon of the blend into every 500 grams of flour for cheese fatayer and savoury ka'ak, and sprinkle a little over the top after brushing with egg. Other uses: a teaspoon in spinach filling with onion and sumac, mixed into crumbled white cheese for sambousek, or stirred into mashed potato or scrambled egg for quick fillings.
Storage and shelf life
Because of the oil-rich sesame and nigella, keep the blend in a sealed container in a cool, dark place, and preferably in the refrigerator during the hot summers of Egypt and Iraq to prevent rancidity. Use a dry spoon and shake the container before use to remix seeds and powders. Typical shelf life is 12 months, best within six; any smell of stale oil means it is finished.
Sheikh Al-Attareen range
- Pastry Seasoning
We prepare our pastry seasoning at our factory in Mansoura from Egyptian nigella and sesame together with selected imported sesame, checked for cleanliness, oil content and moisture before acceptance, natural Levantine sumac inspected for colour and freedom from added salt, and whole spices that are freshly ground. Every batch is tested for moisture, extraneous matter and microbial load, then packed in household and bakery sizes. The product is available at our branches in Egypt, Baghdad, Erbil and Homs, and through our online store.
Frequently asked questions
Can the blend be used for sweet pastries?
The core blend is savoury and contains pepper and cumin, so it does not suit sweet ka'ak and biscuits; for those, use a ka'ak blend based on mahlab, aniseed and fennel.
Do I add it to the dough or the filling?
Both: a teaspoon in the dough per 500 grams of flour gives aroma, a tablespoon per kilogram of filling gives flavour, and a sprinkle on top gives crunch.
Does it contain allergens?
Yes, it contains sesame, a recognised allergen, and this is stated on the label; customers with a sesame allergy can request a sesame-free version for bulk orders.
How does it differ from Levantine za'atar?
Za'atar is a thyme, sumac and sesame blend eaten with oil as it is, whereas pastry seasoning also contains nigella, allspice and cumin and is designed to be baked into fillings and dough.