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Sfeeha
صفيحة بعلبكية (sfiha baalbakiyeh): small square open pies from Baalbek filled with lamb, tomato and pomegranate molasses
Sfeeha are the little open meat pies of Baalbek in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, where bakers pinch them into neat squares and bake them by the hundred for weddings, Eid and Sunday mornings. The lamb filling is chopped with tomato and onion and sharpened with pomegranate molasses and a spoon of yogurt, so it stays juicy as it bakes on thin, crisp dough. Eat them warm with a bowl of yogurt or labneh and some cucumber. Chef's tip: pinch the four corners really firmly; the square shape is what traps the juices so the base stays crisp.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
To finish
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add ½ cup lukewarm milk, 3 tbsp olive oil and enough ½ cup lukewarm water to make a soft dough, then knead for 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes.
55 minStep 2: Mix 14 oz lamb mince, 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 2 tbsp thick plain yogurt, 1 tbsp tahini, 1 tsp Lebanese seven spice (baharat), 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp chilli flakes. Cover and keep in the fridge until needed. A common mistake is leaving the tomatoes wet: drain them well or the pies turn soggy underneath.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan) and line two baking trays.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 24 small balls. Roll each into a 9 cm round, put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the middle and spread it out, leaving a 1.5 cm border.
Step 5: Pull up four sides of the border and pinch the corners firmly to make an open square with the meat showing in the middle. Brush the dough edges with 1 egg and press a few 2 tbsp pine nuts into the meat.
Step 6: Bake for 12–15 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp underneath and the lamb is browned and cooked through, with no pink juices (160°F).
15 minStep 7: Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm. They freeze well once baked; reheat from frozen at 350°F for 10 minutes until piping hot.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sfeeha take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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