Lahem Bi Ajeen

About This Recipe

Lahem bi ajeen — literally 'meat with dough' — are the Levant's iconic open-faced meat pies: thin rounds of yeasted dough spread with a fragrant mixture of minced lamb or beef, onion, tomato paste, pine nuts, allspice, and cinnamon, then baked hot and fast until the edges crisp while the topping stays juicy. The secret is keeping the dough thin and the meat layer modest, so pie and filling cook in the same short window. Every Lebanese bakery turns these out by the tray, and they're eaten warm with a squeeze of lemon, a dollop of yogurt, or rolled up around fresh mint. Made at home, they're an irresistible crowd-pleaser for mezze tables and lunchboxes alike.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 300 mlwarm water
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 2 tspsalt
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 400 gground lamb or beef
• 1 largeonion, finely diced
• 1/4 cuppine nuts
• 1 tspallspice
• 1 tspcinnamon
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1/2 tspsalt
• 1/4 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make dough

   Mix the flour, warm water, yeast, 2 tsp salt, and 3 tbsp olive oil into a rough dough, then knead for about 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in size.

   A soft, slightly sticky dough rolls thinner and bakes more tender — resist adding extra flour while kneading; oil your hands instead.

2. 2

   Make filling

   Brown the ground meat with the diced onion in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into fine crumbles as it cooks. Stir in the pine nuts, allspice, cinnamon, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and cook 5 more minutes until the mixture is fragrant and fairly dry. Cool before using.

   Cool the filling completely before topping the dough — hot filling steams the dough soggy and makes shaping difficult.

3. 3

   Divide dough

   Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces, rolling each into a smooth ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and let them rest 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes — they'll roll out thin without springing back.

4. 4

   Shape

   Roll each ball into a thin round about 3mm thick on a floured surface, then transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Pinch up a slight rim or press the centers down lightly to form shallow cups that will hold the filling in place during baking.

5. 5

   Fill

   Spoon a thin, even layer of the cooled meat filling onto each round, pressing it gently into the dough and spreading almost to the rim. Keep the layer modest — the thin dough and topping must finish cooking at the same moment.

   Pressing the meat firmly into the dough surface helps it adhere and keeps the pies from shedding their topping when picked up.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake at 220°C for 18–20 minutes, rotating the trays halfway, until the edges are golden brown, the bottoms are crisp, and the meat is sizzling. Serve warm with lemon wedges, plain yogurt, or fresh mint leaves.

Variations

• •

  Add 1–2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses to the filling for the tangy-sweet Aleppo-style version.

• •

  Stir finely diced tomato and a pinch of chili into the meat for a juicier, spicier sfiha-style pie.

• •

  Use ground chicken with extra allspice and a knob of butter for a lighter take.

• •

  Fold the rounds into open triangles before baking, pinching three corners, for the classic fatayer presentation.

Storage

Best eaten fresh and warm. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days, or freeze baked pies for 2 months; reheat in a 180°C oven for 6–8 minutes to re-crisp the base.

Frequently Asked Questions