Sfeeha: Crispy Lebanese Spiced Meat Pies

⏱ Prep: 30 min 🕐Rise: 1 hour 🔥Bake: 15 min at 425°F 👤Makes: 24–28 pies

Sfeeha recipe, Lebanon’s most beloved street snack is a small open-faced meat pie that you will find at every bakery in Beirut and every family gathering in the Lebanese diaspora worldwide. Soft, slightly chewy dough rolled thin and topped with a fragrant mixture of ground beef, tomato, onion, fresh parsley, sumac and seven spice, baked at high heat until the edges turn golden and crisp while the meat stays juicy and steaming underneath. They are eaten warm, straight from the tray, dipped in cold plain yogurt. And once you have eaten three you will understand immediately why people make them in batches of fifty.

I first had sfeeha at a small bakery in Beirut where they came out of a wood-fired oven every twenty minutes and disappeared from the counter before they had time to cool. I bought six. I ate all six standing on the pavement. I went back for more.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, feeds the yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 cup (240ml) warm water, 105°F–115°F (40°C–46°C). Or substitute half water half warm whole milk for a softer, more traditional dough.

For the meat filling

• 1 lb (450g) ground beef, 90–95% lean. Higher fat content releases too much liquid during baking and makes the dough soggy. Lean is correct here.
• 1 medium yellow onion, very finely diced, do not grate, grating releases too much liquid. Dice as finely as possible by hand.
• 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and very finely diced, removing the seeds removes excess water. Take the time to do this.
• ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Lebanese 7 spice (baharat), available at Middle Eastern grocery stores and Amazon. See the Moroccan spice guide for a homemade substitute.
• 2 teaspoons sumac, the tangy, slightly fruity spice that defines the flavor of sfeeha. Non-negotiable.
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional for heat
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, optional but deeply recommended. Adds a specific sweet-tart depth that elevates the filling significantly. Available at Middle Eastern grocery stores and Whole Foods.
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, optional but traditional in the Baalbek version
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, added off the heat at the very end

Step by step

1. Make the dough. Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in the olive oil and warm water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft and slightly tacky. Slam the dough against the counter 4–5 times during kneading, this strengthens the gluten and produces a lighter, more tender result. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in size.The slam technique is traditional in Lebanese bread-making. It feels strange but produces a noticeably better texture than gentle kneading alone.
2. Make the filling. Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook 8–10 minutes until completely soft and translucent. Add the ground beef and break it down continuously, cooking 8–10 minutes until no pink remains and the mixture is completely dry, any remaining liquid will make the dough soggy during baking. Add the diced tomatoes and cook 5 more minutes until the tomato liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.The filling must be completely dry. Press it against the side of the pan, no moisture should appear. This is the single most important step in sfeeha-making.
3. Season the filling. Add the 7 spice, sumac, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pomegranate molasses to the cooked meat mixture. Stir well. Add the fresh parsley and lemon juice. Stir once more. Taste, it should be bold, tangy from the sumac, warmly spiced and deeply savory. Adjust seasoning now. Allow to cool completely before using, warm filling tears the dough.Making the filling ahead and refrigerating overnight actually improves the flavor, the spices settle into the meat and the sumac’s tang deepens. Highly recommended.
4. Shape the sfeeha. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch the risen dough down. Divide into 24–28 equal pieces, roughly the size of a golf ball. Roll each piece into a ball and rest 5 minutes covered. Roll each ball into a thin circle 4–5 inches (10–12cm) in diameter, aim for 3mm thickness. Place on the parchment-lined trays.
5. Fill and shape. Place 1½–2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. For triangle sfeeha: bring three edges of the dough up and pinch firmly together at the top to create a three-cornered sealed pie. For open-faced sfeeha: press the filling outward to the edges leaving a 5mm border of dough, like a mini pizza. Both are traditional. The open-faced version shows more of the filling and is more common in Baalbek. The sealed triangle is more portable.Do not overfill, 1½ tablespoons is the correct amount. Too much filling means the dough cannot support it and tears during baking.
6. Bake. Place the filled sfeeha on the prepared trays. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 12–15 minutes until the edges of the dough are golden brown and the filling is cooked through and slightly caramelized at the edges. Check at 10 minutes, ovens vary and sfeeha can go from golden to dark quickly at this temperature. Rotate the tray once halfway through for even browning.The bottom of the sfeeha should be pale golden, not white, it needs heat from below to cook through. If the tops are browning before the bottoms, move the tray to a lower rack for the final 3 minutes.
7. Serve immediately. Remove from the oven. Serve hot, straight from the tray, with cold plain yogurt or labneh for dipping. Sfeeha at its best is sfeeha eaten within 5 minutes of leaving the oven, the dough is slightly crisp at the edges, the filling is steaming, and the sumac and seven spice are at their most vivid.

What actually matters here

Sumac is not optional in sfeeha. It is the ingredient that separates Lebanese sfeeha from any other meat pie tradition, that specific fruity, tangy, slightly astringent quality that counters the richness of the ground beef and makes the filling taste brighter and more complex than the spice count suggests. Without it the filling tastes like well-seasoned ground beef. With it the filling tastes like sfeeha. Find it at any Middle Eastern grocery store, Whole Foods or Amazon. Buy more than you think you need, you will find yourself putting it on everything once it is in your pantry. Full guide to the Lebanese spice pantry is in the Lebanese spices guide.

Make it ahead

Claire’s note

Sfeeha freeze beautifully, bake them fully, cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag. They keep for 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 12–15 minutes until heated through and the edges crisp back up. Do not microwave, the dough becomes rubbery. The filling can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated, it actually improves overnight. The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated after the first rise, bring to room temperature 30 minutes before shaping. A full batch of 28 sfeeha takes about 2 hours total. Make them on a Saturday and eat them all week.

Serve with

Sfeeha is served warm with cold plain yogurt or labneh for dipping, this is the classic and correct accompaniment, the cool creaminess cutting through the spiced meat in exactly the right way. On a full Lebanese mezze spread they sit alongside hummus, muhammara and tabbouleh. For the complete Lebanese table, the spices, the techniques and every recipe, the Lebanese recipes collection has everything.

Add sfeeha to your weekly meal planner as a weekend baking project, make a double batch and freeze half. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Sfeeha: Lebanese Meat Pies

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• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 120 minutes
• Yield: 24–28 pies 1x
• Diet: None

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Description

Sfeeha is a small open-faced meat pie, famous in Lebanon, featuring ground beef, spices, and a crispy crust.

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Ingredients

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• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 cup (240ml) warm water, 105°F–115°F (40°C–46°C)
• 1 lb (450g) ground beef, 90–95% lean
• 1 medium yellow onion, very finely diced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and very finely diced
• ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Lebanese 7 spice (baharat)
• 2 teaspoons sumac
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, optional
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, optional
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Make the dough. Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in the olive oil and warm water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft and slightly tacky. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in size.
2. Make the filling. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains. Add the diced tomatoes and cook until the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat.
3. Season the filling. Add the 7 spice, sumac, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pomegranate molasses. Stir and add parsley and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Allow to cool completely before using.
4. Shape the sfeeha. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Punch down the risen dough, divide into 24–28 equal pieces, and roll each into a thin circle.
5. Fill and shape. Place 1½–2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle. Shape into triangle or open-faced pies.
6. Bake for 12–15 minutes until edges are golden brown. Rotate trays halfway through for even baking.
7. Serve warm with cold plain yogurt or labneh for dipping.

Notes

Sfeeha freezes well. Bake fully, cool, and freeze in a single layer. They keep for 2 months. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Snack
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Lebanese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 pie
• Calories: 250
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 300mg
• Fat: 10g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 12g
• Cholesterol: 35mg