Sfiha (صفيحة) — Lebanese Open-Faced Lamb Pastries with Tangy Spices

• 360 gall-purpose flour
• 210 mlwarm water (about 40°C/104°F)
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 8 ggranulated sugar
• 6 gfine sea salt
• 30 mlolive oil
• 450 gground lamb (85–90% lean)
• 180 gyellow onion, very finely minced
• 120 gtomato, deseeded and finely diced (About 1 medium; remove watery core for a drier topping)
• 15 gflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 30 mlpomegranate molasses
• 15 mlfresh lemon juice
• 15 gtomato paste
• 2 tspground allspice
• 0.5 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
• 25 gpine nuts (Optional but traditional in many homes)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough by mixing the warm water, instant yeast, and sugar in a bowl for 30 seconds to hydrate the yeast. Add the flour and salt, then mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.

2. 2

   Drizzle in the olive oil and knead for 8 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes with a mixer on medium-low) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, or until roughly doubled in size.

3. 3

   While the dough rises, prepare a drier, bakery-style topping by combining the minced onion, diced tomato, parsley, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, and tomato paste in a bowl. Stir in the allspice, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, and salt until the mixture looks evenly seasoned and glossy.

4. 4

   Add the ground lamb and mix thoroughly for 1–2 minutes so the spices and aromatics are fully distributed and the mixture becomes slightly tacky. If using pine nuts, fold them in now so they stay intact rather than breaking during mixing.

5. 5

   Preheat the oven to 250°C (482°F) and place a rack in the upper-middle position for strong top heat. Lightly oil two sheet pans with 10 ml olive oil total, then set them aside so the shaped dough releases easily after baking.

6. 6

   Divide the risen dough into 12 equal pieces (about 50 g each) and cover them with a towel to prevent drying. Roll each piece into a 10–11 cm round, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges to support the topping.

7. 7

   Place the rounds on the prepared pans, leaving space for airflow and even browning. Spoon about 40 g of the lamb mixture onto each round and press it into a thin, even layer that reaches close to the edge without spilling over.

8. 8

   Bake for 8–10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the dough is lightly browned at the edges and the lamb is cooked through with no pink spots. For deeper color, broil for 30–60 seconds at the end while watching closely, then cool on a rack for 5 minutes before serving.