Lamb & Pine Nut Sfeeha 🥟🇱🇧

Description

Tiny Middle Eastern open-faced meat pies with aromatic lamb, toasted pine nuts and a glossy, tangy finish – perfect for mezze or a luxurious snack 🥟

Hook

Crisp golden bases, juicy spiced lamb on top, and a touch of pomegranate molasses that makes each bite unforgettable ✨

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 🥣 350 g all-purpose flour (2¾ cups / 12.3 oz)
• 🧂 7 g instant dry yeast (2¼ tsp / 0.25 oz)
• 🧂 10 g sugar (2 tsp / 0.35 oz)
• 🧂 8 g fine sea salt (1½ tsp / 0.28 oz)
• 🥛 80 ml plain yogurt, room temperature (⅓ cup / 2.7 fl oz)
• 💧 200 ml warm water, 35–38°C (¾ cup / 6.8 fl oz)
• 🫗 45 ml neutral oil (3 tbsp / 1½ fl oz)
• For the lamb filling
• 🥩 400 g ground lamb (about 3 cups / 14.1 oz)
• 🧅 60 g onion, very finely minced (½ cup / 2.1 oz)
• 🧄 4 g garlic, crushed (1 clove / 0.14 oz)
• 🌰 40 g pine nuts (¼ cup / 1.4 oz)
• 🫒 15 ml olive oil (1 tbsp / ½ fl oz)
• 🧂 5 g sea salt (¾ tsp / 0.18 oz), or to taste
• ⚫ 2 g freshly ground black pepper (½ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🌿 4 g ground allspice (1 tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🌿 2 g ground cinnamon (½ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🍅 15 g tomato paste (1 tbsp / 0.5 oz)
• 🍋 15 ml lemon juice (1 tbsp / ½ fl oz)
• 🍇 15 ml pomegranate molasses (1 tbsp / ½ fl oz)
• For finishing
• 🥚 1 egg, lightly beaten (for brushing the edges)
• 🌾 5 g sesame seeds (1 tsp / 0.18 oz), optional

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Activate the yeast
2. In a small bowl whisk warm water, sugar and yeast until dissolved. Let stand for 5–10 minutes, until a light foam appears on top.
3. 2️⃣ Make the dough
4. In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, yogurt and neutral oil. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead 8–10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
5. 3️⃣ First rise
6. Form the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 50 minutes, until almost doubled in size.
7. 4️⃣ Toast the pine nuts
8. While the dough rises, toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool so they don’t burn.
9. 5️⃣ Mix the lamb filling
10. In a large bowl combine ground lamb, minced onion, garlic, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, tomato paste, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. Mix gently with your hands or a spoon until everything is evenly distributed without overworking the meat. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
11. 6️⃣ Divide the dough
12. Punch down the risen dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Divide into 20 equal pieces and roll each into a tight ball. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
13. 7️⃣ Shape the bases
14. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Working one piece at a time, flatten each ball with your fingers into a small round about 7–8 cm in diameter (2¾–3⅛ in), keeping the center slightly thinner and the rim a bit thicker to hold the filling. Arrange the rounds on the prepared trays.
15. 8️⃣ Fill the sfeeha
16. Place about 1 tbsp of lamb filling in the center of each dough round. Gently spread it to the edges in a thin, even layer, leaving just a tiny border of dough visible. Press lightly so the filling adheres well and doesn’t shrink while baking.
17. 9️⃣ Brush edges and sprinkle
18. Brush the exposed dough edges with beaten egg. If using, sprinkle sesame seeds over the rims for extra crunch and aroma.
19. 🔟 Bake
20. Bake at 220°C (428°F) for 15–18 minutes, rotating trays halfway through, until the dough is deep golden and the lamb topping is cooked through and sizzling at the edges.
21. 1️⃣1️⃣ Rest before serving
22. Let the sfeeha rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes so the juices settle and the bottoms stay crisp. Serve warm with extra lemon wedges and an optional drizzle of pomegranate molasses.

Total Time

⏱️ Prep: 35 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 18 min
🛋️ Rest: 60 min
⏰ Total: 113 min

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