Small, open-faced meat flatbreads: rounds of soft yeasted dough topped with a tangy mince of lamb, onion, tomato and pomegranate molasses, then baked until the edges blister and the meat browns. A hand-held lunch and a famed specialty of Baalbek.
Sfiha, also called lahm bi ajin, is most closely tied to the ancient city of Baalbek in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, where bakeries are renowned for their tiny, intensely tangy meat pies. The dish travelled widely with the Lebanese diaspora, becoming a fixture in Brazilian-Arab bakeries as 'esfiha.' At home it is classic celebration and weekend fare, baked in batches and eaten warm with a squeeze of lemon.
A thin, tender bread base gives way to a juicy, savory meat layer sharpened by pomegranate molasses and sumac. The edges are crisp and a little charred, and a squeeze of lemon makes the whole thing ring bright and tangy.
Wringing the liquid from onion and tomato keeps the topping from steaming the dough, so it bakes crisp rather than soggy. Pomegranate molasses and sumac add fruity acidity that balances the rich lamb, while the thin layer of raw meat cooks through in the same short, hot bake that sets the bread.
Variations
Baalbeki tiny tangy version; Zahle larger style; topped with pine nuts; beef instead of lamb; folded triangular fatayer-style closure
On the Palate
Where Sfiha Lebanese sits in the Lebanese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · 40 min
- 180 min
Make a soft yeasted dough with flour, water, oil, yeast and salt; knead until smooth and leave to rise until doubled.
- 28 min
Finely chop onion and tomato, then squeeze out excess liquid so the topping is not watery.
Watch outSqueeze the chopped onion and tomato really dry — leftover juice steams the dough and you get a soggy bottom instead of crisp.
- 35 min
Mix raw ground lamb with the onion, tomato, pomegranate molasses, sumac, allspice and salt.
- 48 min
Punch down the dough and divide into small balls; roll or press each into a thin round.
- 510 min
Spread a spoonful of the meat mixture over each round, right to the edges, keeping it open-faced.
Watch outKeep the meat layer thin and open-faced right to the edge — piled thick, the middle stays raw while the rim burns.
- 62 min
Optionally scatter pine nuts over the top.
- 714 min
Bake in a hot 220C oven until the dough is set and golden and the meat is cooked, about 12-15 minutes.
Watch outPull them the moment the edges are golden and the meat has lost its pink — a few minutes over and the thin bread dries hard.
- 83 min
Serve warm with lemon wedges and a dollop of yogurt or labneh.
