Meat Pie (Sfiha)

Ingredients

Dough:

3 cups white flour

¾ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoon milk powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Filling:

300 gram beef, finely minced (substitute: lamb)

1 onion, finely grated

1 tomato, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (substitute: 1 tablespoon lemon juice)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon pine nuts

Preparation

1. In a medium size bowl, combine flour, salt, milk powder, yeast, and vegetable oil. Rub the mixture together until oil is well combined into the flour. Add 1 cup of warm water gradually while kneading using one hand. Add another quarter cup of warm water if the dough is still too dry. Add some vegetable oil to your both hands and try to form the dough to a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic bag and leave it in a warm dark place for about 40 minutes to rest.

*if the dough got too sticky at any time, add some flour.

2. Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients in another bowl except for the pine nuts and put it aside until the dough is ready.

3. Cut the dough into egg size balls and put them in a pan greased with vegetable oil. Spread dough balls a little, enough to add 1 tablespoon of beef filling to each of them. Add couple of pine nuts to the dough pieces. Press the beef filling firmly into the middle of dough pieces.

4. Place the pan in the bottom shelf of  preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the dough pieces are golden. Place the pan in the middle shelf to get a golden color from the top for about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Lara Kh.