Sfeeha
Aleppo's open-faced lamb pies: small dough rounds topped with a tangy mince of tomato, pomegranate molasses, pine nuts and Aleppo pepper. Baked hot.
Overview
A simple yeasted bread dough rises for 1 hour; balls are divided and rolled into 9 cm rounds. A raw mince mixture of lamb, grated onion, tomato, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, allspice and pine nuts is spread thinly on top. Baked for 12-14 minutes at 230°C, high heat so the dough turns crisp before the meat dries out. Served warm with lemon wedges and yogurt.
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g plain flour
- 1 sachet (7 g) fast-action yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 320 ml warm water
Topping
- 500 g lamb mince (shoulder, slightly fatty)
- 1 onion (medium, very finely grated, juices reserved)
- 2 tomatoes (small, deseeded, very finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper (or 1 ½ tsp paprika + ½ tsp chilli flakes)
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
To serve
- 1 lemon (cut into wedges)
- 300 g Greek yogurt
Method
Stage 1 - Dough
- Whisk flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl.
- Add olive oil and warm water; mix to a soft dough.
- Knead 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover; rise 1 hour until doubled.
Stage 2 - Topping
- Combine all topping ingredients (except parsley and pine nuts) in a bowl; mix well with hands. Cover; refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Just before using, stir in pine nuts and parsley.
Stage 3 - Shape
- Knock back; divide into 24 equal balls.
- Cover; rest 10 minutes.
- Roll each ball into a thin 9 cm round, about 3 mm thick.
- Place on lined baking trays, spaced 3 cm apart.
Stage 4 - Top
- Heat oven to 230°C (210°C fan).
- Spread a generous tablespoon of topping over each round, almost to the edge but leaving a small 5 mm border.
- Spread thin - thick meat won't cook through in the bake.
Stage 5 - Bake
- Bake 12-14 minutes, until the dough is gold underneath and the meat is just cooked and slightly bubbling at the edges.
Stage 6 - Serve
- Stack on a plate. Eat warm with a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of yogurt.
Notes
- Grate the onion, save the juice: The onion juice keeps the meat moist as it bakes. Don't squeeze it out.
- Raw mince on the dough: The high heat cooks both at once. Spread thin so the meat doesn't stay raw.
- Aleppo signature: Pomegranate molasses gives the dark sour-sweet note that distinguishes Aleppo / Syrian sfeeha from its Turkish (lahmacun) or Egyptian (hawawshi) cousins. Don't skip.
Storage
- Refrigerate 2 days; re-warm at 200°C for 5 minutes.
- Freeze 2 months (after baking and cooling).
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