A golden, fragrant Lebanese semolina cake flavored with turmeric and anise, topped with almonds or pine nuts, often eaten for breakfast.
Sfouf is a traditional Lebanese cake made from semolina and flour, colored a vivid yellow with turmeric and scented with anise and often orange blossom water, baked until light and slightly springy with a fine, sandy crumb. It occupies a flexible role in Lebanese food culture, eaten as a breakfast item with coffee, a sweet snack, or a treat during religious fasting periods since it contains no eggs or dairy in many traditional recipes. The technique that matters is achieving the right crumb texture: semolina and flour are combined with baking powder for lift, and the batter should be mixed just until smooth, not overworked, then baked at a moderate temperature until it springs back to the touch but stays moist rather than dry. Turmeric provides both color and a subtle earthy flavor, while ground anise seeds add sfouf's distinctive licorice-like fragrance that's immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with Lebanese baking. Served cut into diamond shapes, each piece often topped with a single almond or pine nut pressed into the center before baking, sfouf is simple, dairy-optional Lebanese home baking that's been a fixture of the country's breakfast and snack tables for generations.
Serves 8
Whisk semolina, flour, sugar, turmeric, anise, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Stir in oil, water or milk, and orange blossom water if using, mixing just until smooth.
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease a baking pan and pour in the batter, spreading evenly.
Score the batter into diamond shapes with a knife, then press an almond or pine nut into the center of each diamond.
Bake 25-30 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, with the top springing back when lightly pressed.
Let cool completely in the pan, then cut along the scored lines and serve at room temperature.
Mix the batter just until smooth -- overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour and make the cake tougher than the desired sandy, tender crumb.
Score the diamonds before baking rather than after; this makes cutting much cleaner once the cake has cooled.
Don't skip the anise -- it's what gives sfouf its instantly recognizable, distinctive fragrance.
Use tahini instead of some of the oil for a nuttier, more traditional flavor in some family recipes.
Add shredded coconut to the batter for extra texture, a common variation.
Make individual small cakes in a muffin tin instead of one large pan for portion control.
Store covered at room temperature up to 5 days; sfouf keeps well and doesn't dry out quickly thanks to its oil-based batter.
Sfouf is a traditional Lebanese cake with roots in home baking traditions across the country, its turmeric coloring and anise flavor making it distinct from other Middle Eastern semolina cakes like basbousa, which are typically soaked in syrup.
The batter was likely overmixed, or too much flour was used relative to semolina. Mix just until combined and measure ingredients carefully.
You can omit it, though the flavor will be noticeably different from traditional sfouf; a small amount of fennel seed can work as a rough substitute if anise isn't available.
Many traditional recipes use water and oil rather than milk and butter, making it naturally dairy-free and suitable for those observing certain fasting periods, though some family recipes do include milk.
Per serving (80g / 2.8 oz) · 8 servings total
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