Sfiha — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Small open-faced pastries topped with a zesty mixture of spiced lamb, tomatoes, and pine nuts, baked until golden. These bite-sized Lebanese meat pies are perfect party food with an irresistible savory topping.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
350g ground lamb
2 tomatoes, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp allspice
Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

1 Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil, and warm water. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
2 Combine ground lamb with diced tomatoes, onion, pine nuts, pomegranate molasses, allspice, lemon juice, salt, and pepper thoroughly.
3 Divide dough into walnut-sized balls. Roll each into a thin 8cm circle on a lightly floured surface.
4 Place a generous tablespoon of the meat mixture on each dough circle, spreading it to the edges and leaving a thin border.
5 Arrange on greased baking sheets. Bake at 200C for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden and the meat topping is cooked.
6 Serve hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a side of yogurt or a fresh herb salad alongside.

Did You Know?

Lebanese emigrants brought sfiha to Brazil, where it became so popular that Brazilian Portuguese adopted the word "esfiha" into everyday language.