Sfiha
Sfiha are small open-faced meat pies found throughout the Levant, with Syrian bakeries typically selling them fresh from wood-fired ovens as an everyday snack rather than a special-occasion dish. The topping is usually made without pre-cooking the meat, since the thin dough and hot oven cook everything together in just a few minutes. Recipes vary from bakery to bakery, some favoring a sweeter tomato-forward topping and others leaning on pomegranate molasses for sharper acidity, but the thin, crisp base stays consistent across regions. Sfiha are often eaten folded in half, straight from the paper they were wrapped in, making them a staple of street food stalls and bakery counters alike.
Thin dough, open-faced
The dough is rolled thin and left uncovered, so the topping bakes directly into the surface instead of being sealed inside.
Pomegranate molasses adds tang
A spoonful of pomegranate molasses mixed into the meat gives the topping a sweet-sour edge that balances the warm spices.
Baked hot and fast
A very hot oven cooks the thin base and topping quickly, keeping the crust crisp while the meat stays juicy.
Pine nuts on top
A scattering of pine nuts is pressed into the meat before baking, adding a light crunch to every bite.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500g flatbread dough (or pizza dough)
- 400g minced lamb or beef
- 2 tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pine nuts and chopped parsley, for topping
How to make it
- 1Divide the dough into small balls and roll each one out into a thin oval or round base.
- 2In a bowl, mix the minced meat with the diced tomatoes, diced onion, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, cumin, and cinnamon.
- 3Season the meat mixture generously with salt and pepper and mix until evenly combined.
- 4Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture over each dough base, pressing it gently to the edges.
- 5Scatter a few pine nuts over the top of each piece.
- 6Bake in a preheated oven at a high temperature until the edges of the dough are golden and the meat is cooked through.
- 7Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm, with lemon wedges on the side.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
