Sfiha

Name: Sfiha
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 500g All-purpose Flour; 300ml Milk, warmed; 60ml Water, warm; 7g Instant Dry Yeast; 1 tbsp Sugar; 1 tsp Fine Salt; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 600g Ground Lamb; 1 large Onions, finely chopped; 2 medium Tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped; 15g Parsley, fresh, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice; 2 cloves of Garlic, minced; 1 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper; 1 tsp Ground Sumac; 1 tsp Fine Salt; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 2 tbsp Olive Oil, for brushing; 1 Lemons, cut into wedges; 1 cups Plain Yogurt

Sfiha are tender, open-faced Middle Eastern meat pies: soft, slightly chewy dough cradles a fragrant, spiced lamb topping brightened with tomatoes, parsley and pomegranate molasses. These hand-sized pies bake until golden at the edges and are irresistible warm, with a cooling lemony yogurt on the side for balance.

Sfiha are tender, open-faced Middle Eastern meat pies: soft, slightly chewy dough cradles a fragrant, spiced lamb topping brighten... Show more

Traditional Middle Eastern Recipe

Health Grade

C+ · Balanced

Rating

4.1

Time

1 hr50 min

Price

1,14 €

Calories

826 kcal

high protein

kid friendly

comfort food

potluck

Method

Mix the dough

Warm the milk and water until just lukewarm. In a large bowl, stir in the instant dry yeast and sugar, then add the all-purpose flour, fine salt, and olive oil. Mix until you have a shaggy, very soft dough and there are no dry pockets of flour left.

Knead until smooth

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8-10 minutes, until it feels smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky. The dough should be soft and supple rather than stiff.

Let it rise

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size and puffy.

Wash the produce

Rinse the tomatoes, parsley, and lemon. Peel the onion and set everything aside to dry well so you do not add extra water to the topping.

Chop the topping

Finely chop the onion. Halve the tomatoes, scoop out the seeds, and finely chop the flesh. Finely chop the parsley, peel and mince the garlic, and cut the lemon into wedges for serving.

Mix the lamb

In a bowl, combine the ground lamb, chopped onion, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground black pepper, ground sumac, the remaining salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix gently until everything is evenly combined and the topping looks moist but not runny.

Heat the oven

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper if you have it, or lightly oil them so the dough releases easily.

Shape the dough

Punch down the risen dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces, roll each piece into a ball, then flatten or roll them into rounds about 4 inches across. Keep the edges just a little thicker than the centers, then arrange the rounds on the baking sheets with a bit of space between them.

Add the topping

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the lamb mixture onto each dough round and spread it in an even layer almost to the edges. Press the topping on lightly so it adheres well, but do not mound it too thickly or the centers can stay wet.

Bake the sfiha

Brush the exposed dough edges with olive oil and bake for 12 minutes. Check the trays, rotate them if needed, and continue baking for 2-3 minutes more, until the edges are golden brown and the lamb is fully cooked with no pink remaining.