sfeeha

Lebanese meat pies or sfeehas are savory pastries that are traditionally served like pizzas or as little triangles of doughy bread stuffed with a flavorful ground lamb or beef filling. Lebanese meat pies can be made in large sizes to be eaten for the main meal or smaller for appetizers!

Lebanese Meat Pies (Sfeehas)

flour

milk

¼ teaspoons quick-rising active dry yeast

salt

sugar

oil (such as canola or vegetable)

eggs, room temperature

water

ghee (clarified butter)

onion,

tomatoes, diced

beef

EACH: ground cinnamon AND allspice

cayenne pepper

EACH: sumac powder, lemon juice, AND chopped parsley

tahini paste

pomegranate molasses

greek yogurt + lemon wedges

FOR THE DOUGH: Put the flour, powdered milk,...

FOR THE DOUGH: Put the flour, powdered milk, yeast, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Give it a good whisk so that all the ingredients are mixed. Create a well in the middle, add oil and eggs to well. Using a wooden spoon, stir as you add the water. When the dough starts to come together, dump it out onto a work surface. Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. The dough will look wet and sloppy and doesn't really hold its shape. Place it in a bowl and loosely cover it with plastic wrap or a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot, like the oven (turned off, of course) for 1 hour. While it's rising, prepare the filling.

FOR THE SFEEHA FILLING: Heat the ghee in a...

FOR THE SFEEHA FILLING: Heat the ghee in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté the onions for 3 minutes. They should just start to turn translucent. Add the ground beef or lamb. Brown the meat for 10-12 minutes. Increase the flame to medium-high and add the tomatoes. Continue to cook for 8-9 more minutes or until the tomatoes wilt and most of the liquid dries up. Add the salt, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, and sumac. Give it a stir. Add the tahini paste and pomegranate molasses. Let it cook for 1 more minute. Turn the stove off and add the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Let the filling cool for 15 - 20 minutes.

ASSEMBLE: Divide the dough into 16 or 32 pieces...

ASSEMBLE: Divide the dough into 16 or 32 pieces depending on how you'd like to serve. Before rolling out each dough ball spread a teaspoon or two of flour on a clean work surface. Roll the dough ball around so that it takes in the flour. The dough is going to feel somewhat oily, don't be tempted to add more flour. Roll out dough into a 5-6 inch circle. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center (for larger sfeehas, for smaller use 1 tablespoon). Grab 2 ends and bring them over the filling. Pinch dough as you go to create a seal, stop at the center. Bring the last side up and pinch the center and down the two sides. Place on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet, 6 per sheet for large, and 12 for app size. (see pictures in post for detailed step-by-step directions).

BAKE: Position two rack in the center of the...

BAKE: Position two rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 425ºF. Let pies rest for at least 15 minutes while the oven is preheating. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they start turning lightly golden brown. Mine took exactly 12 minutes. Serve them warm or at room temperature with cold greek yogurt as a dip or with lemon wedges.

Inspired by the savory Lebanese meat pies called sfeeha, these open faced pies are topped with spiced beef or lamb and garnished with lemon and fresh herbs.

Lebanese Meat Pies (Sfeeha)

yeast

tsp sugar

full-fat Greek yogurt

olive oil

flour + more for kneading (may need up to 1/4 cup more)

lb ground lamb

onion

garlic (chopped finely)

cinnamon

allspice

paprika

sumac

tsp salt

pine nuts

Parsley or mint (for garnish)

Lemon wedges (for garnish)

Start with the dough, in a large boxing bowl (or the stand mixer bowl) add water, yeast and sugar. Mix lightly with a fork and set aside until the yeast starts foaming, about 10-12 minutes.

Next, add the egg, yogurt and olive oil and whisk together. Then using a dough attachment of a stand mixer, slowly mix in flour on low-medium speed until a ball of dough forms.

Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Place the ball of dough in a bowl and let rest while you make the fillings.

At this point, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the dough rests, make the meat mixture. Drizzle olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground lamb and use a wooden spoon to start breaking up the meat. Cook meat until crust begins to form and it's about halfway cooked through.

Add in the chopped onion and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in pomegranate molasses and spices and continue cooking until meat is cooked through and is very aromatic. If there is excess fat, carefully drain that out. Once done, turn off heat and let mixture cool while you roll out the dough.

Once dough has rested and risen, divide into 2 and roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter (anywhere from 5-8 inches) to cut circles and place rounds on a lined baking sheet.

Top dough rounds with 1-2 tablespoons of meat mixture, gently pressing down so it stays.  You can also bring the edges of the dough up to make little pockets for a different shape.

Bake savory pies at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes until dough is lightly toasted and golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before servings. Top with toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

Top 2 sfeeha recipes from across the web

The most viewed sfeeha recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Lebanese Meat Pies (Sfeehas)

Lebanese Meat Pies (Sfeeha)

Top 2 sfeeha recipes from across the web

The most viewed sfeeha recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Lebanese Meat Pies (Sfeehas)

Lebanese Meat Pies (Sfeeha)

The most viewed sfeeha recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine