Sfeeha - meat pie

This Middle Eastern recipe was a hit with my family. It may be surprising for the uninitiated to add "sweet" spices to meat, but trust me: it works really well. Preparing a soft, sticky dough is key to the success of this recipe.

Ingredients

4 cups flour

1 cup milk

0.5 cup water

1 tbsp yeast 

0.25 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp oil

1 pound ground beef

1 tbsp butter

1 tomato

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

0.25 tsp garam masala

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp pepper flakes

3 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp tahini

Preparation

Mix the flour with the salt and baking soda. Bloom the yeast with the sugar and water.

Add the yeast with the milk, melted butter, and oil to the flour mix. Knead until smooth, sticky dough forms.

Allow to rise for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Sautee the onions, add the garlic crushed, and the ginger grated. Cook for a minute. Add all the spices, the diced tomato, and the meat. Cook until meat is done.

Mix in the tahini, lemon juice, and parsley. Cook for a few minutes. Set aside to cool.

Take the dough and form 12 balls. Roll each into a circle and fill with 1/12th of the filling. Fold over sides and pinch at the corners to shape a rectangle from each. Place onto parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 400F. Bruch edges of pastries with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown. Cool on a cookie rack and serve. Freeze extras.