Desserts
ChefLoubna Fawaz
Authentic Kunafa Fark Dough
An authentic, tried-and-true recipe for kunafa 'fark' dough. Easy to make at home — follow the tips below and you won’t need to buy ready-made fark anymore.
Traditional kunafa "fark" dough — a tested, guaranteed recipe so you’ll never need to buy ready-made fark again!
Ingredients
Start here, then move straight into the method.
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup powdered milk
- 1/2 cup 'farikha' flour or fine semolina
- 1/2 cup ghee — do not use butter to prevent the fark from falling apart
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- For more cheese-based desserts: How to make qatayef with cheese
- For the classic Gaza-style kunafa without cheese or cream, here is the link: How to make traditional Gazan kunafa
- Note: Click the images to view a photo of the kunafa 'fark' before baking in the oven
Method
Follow the cooking sequence without leaving the page.
- Place all the dry ingredients in a deep bowl and mix well until fully combined (do not add the water yet).
- Add the water and mix thoroughly until a dough forms. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.Timers: 10 min
- Roll or spread the fark dough onto parchment paper to a thickness of about 1 cm.
- Always use parchment paper — do not dust the surface with extra flour when spreading the dough.
- Preheat the oven on its highest setting for at least 30 minutes.Timers: 30 min
- Place the dough in the preheated oven, then reduce the oven temperature to 75 (as written in the original recipe).
- Leave the fark dough in the oven for about 15–30 minutes until it dries out well and becomes crisp enough to break.Timers: 30 min
- Allow the baked dough to cool completely. Break it into irregular pieces, then grind it in a food processor or blender until finely crumbled.
- If needed, sift the ground fark through a sieve to remove any large pieces.
- Sift the fark at least three times to achieve a successful, fine texture.
- Store the finished fark in the freezer for several months. If left in the refrigerator it may turn sour.
- Use this fark for kunafa with cheese, with cream (ashta), the traditional fillings, or for crumbled toppings.
Recipe tags
DessertsInternationalVegetarianNut freeEgg free
Notes and serving ideas
- How to make authentic kunafa with cheese
- How to make kunafa cakes at home
- How to make cheese donuts
- How to make qatayef with cheese
- How to make classic Gaza-style kunafa
