Small open-faced Lebanese pastries topped with spiced ground lamb, onion, and pine nuts, baked until the dough is golden and crisp.
Sfeeha are small, open-faced Lebanese meat pies, a yeasted dough round topped with a mixture of spiced ground lamb or beef, onion, tomato, and pomegranate molasses, baked until the edges turn golden and crisp while the meat topping stays juicy. They're distinct from the closed, folded meat pies (fatayer) found elsewhere in Levantine baking, and are a common item found at Lebanese bakeries and served at gatherings. The technique that defines sfeeha is the topping's balance: ground meat is mixed with finely diced onion and tomato, brightened with pomegranate molasses and lemon juice for a distinctive sweet-tart edge, and seasoned with warm spices like allspice and cinnamon. The dough, a simple yeasted bread dough, is rolled into small rounds and topped generously right to the edge, then baked at a high temperature so the dough cooks through quickly without the meat drying out. Served warm, often with a wedge of lemon on the side, sfeeha are popular as a snack, light lunch, or party appetizer across Lebanon, valued for their portable, hand-held format and the satisfying contrast between crisp dough and juicy, tangy meat topping.
Serves 6
Mix flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add olive oil and warm water, kneading until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 8 minutes. Rest covered 1 hour until doubled.
Combine ground meat, onion, tomato, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, allspice, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
Punch down dough and divide into 12-14 small balls. Roll each into a thin round, about 10cm across.
Spread a portion of the meat mixture over each dough round, all the way to the edges.
Scatter a few pine nuts over each topped round.
Preheat oven to 220C/425F. Bake sfeeha on parchment-lined trays for 12-15 minutes until the dough is golden and the meat is cooked through.
Serve warm, with lemon wedges if desired.
Spread the meat topping right to the edges of the dough -- this is what gives sfeeha their characteristic open-faced look and helps the edges crisp without curling up.
Use good quality pomegranate molasses; it's essential to the topping's distinctive sweet-tart flavor and can't easily be substituted.
Bake at a high temperature so the dough cooks through quickly without the meat drying out on top.
Use ground beef instead of lamb for a milder, more widely available option.
Add a pinch of Aleppo pepper to the meat mixture for a subtle kick.
Make mini versions for a party appetizer platter, adjusting baking time down slightly.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a 180C/350F oven for 8-10 minutes to re-crisp the dough, rather than microwaving.
Sfeeha are found throughout the Levant with regional variations in shape and topping, and Lebanon's version is particularly known for the addition of pomegranate molasses, which gives the meat topping its distinctive tangy sweetness.
Yes, in a pinch -- though the traditional sfeeha dough is slightly different and the topping-to-edge technique is more important to the final result than the specific dough recipe.
The tomato and onion may not have been diced finely enough, releasing too much liquid during baking. Dice finely and consider draining excess liquid from the mixture before topping the dough.
A mix of lemon juice and a touch of brown sugar can approximate the sweet-tart balance, though it won't replicate pomegranate molasses's distinctive deep, tangy flavor.
Per serving (140g / 4.9 oz) · 6 servings total
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