Lahm Bi Ajin Recipe (Sfiha Recipe)

"Lahm Bi Ajin" or Sfiha pastries are among the most loved pastries (Muajanat) in the Middle East. Lahm Bi Ajin is very popular in the whole region from Armenia and Turkey in the north, through Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine, extending to the Gulf countries in the south, and spreading to north Africa. "Lahm bi Ajin" has many names including “Sfiha", "Lahmajun", "Lahmacun", "Meat Pies", "Meat Pizzas".

Although each country prepares these yummy meat pies in its own way, the basic method is the same: yeast dough with minced meat topping or filling. The difference is in the spices, meat marinade, and crust. Many prepare Lahm Bi Ajin with extra thin crust and the pies prepared that way are called Armenian Sfiha or Armenian Lahmajun. Others prepare it with a somewhat thicker crust; by thicker I don't mean a thick crust, but thick when compared to the paper thin one used in the Armenian version. The most popular way for preparing Lahm Bi Ajin in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria is using the thicker crust.

I remember that before I learnt how to prepare Lam Bi Ajin at home we used to order it from restaurants. We used to order Armenian Lahmajun or Aleppeian Sfeeha. I am not sure how the Aleppian version differs from my Sfiha Recipe. I learned how to prepare Lahm Bi Ajin from my sister-in-law, who helped me overcome my fear of preparing pastries or muajanat at home.

Today's portion is very generous! When I prepare it, I freeze half the amount and when needed, I take them straight out of the freezer and line them on a greased cookie sheet, and bake in a hot oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until hot.

Basic Yeast Dough Recipe

The basic yeast dough recipe is prepared using only the basic dough ingredients: water, yeast, flour, salt, sugar and oil. It doesn’t contain any of the extra ingredients that improve the dough’s taste and texture or make it crispier.

You can use today’s basic yeast dough recipe to prepare pizza crust or various middle eastern pastries, know as “Muajanat” or “Fataer”. As I mentioned in my previous posts, over the years I have tried dozens of dough recipes until I finally settled on two favorite ones. Today’s recipe is one of them!

Most of the time I use the Pizza Dough Recipe that I posted previously. I use today’s  basic yeast dough recipe when I want to prepare a vegan dough, or when I want to prepare pastries that are best prepared with a dough that is not very crispy, such as Arabic spinach pastries “Muajanat Sabanekh”.

And, before I forget, to prepare the best dough each and every time, don’t forget to read my two posts on preparing the perfect dough: Great Dough Part 1, and Great Dough Part 2. They include the A, B, Cs of preparing yeast dough!

Today’s recipe portion is enough to prepare the crust for two 36 cm (14 inches) pizzas. Just divide the dough into two parts, and spread each part on the bottom of one 36 cm aluminum tray. When I am preparing mini pizzas or Arabic Muajanat I double the portion.

Pizza Dough Recipe

Over the years I have tried dozens of dough recipes to prepare my pizza’s and Arabic pastries “Muajanat”’ until I settled on two favorite ones. Those are now nicely written in my recipe book.

Today’s dough recipe is my all time favorite that I use most of the time. It is an improved dough recipe as it includes powder milk and yogurt which give the dough flavor and make it crispier than the basic dough. This dough recipe is perfect if you are looking to prepare a pizza with a crust that is not thick but not too thin either!

Although the title of the recipe is Pizza Dough Recipe, this dough is perfect for preparing most Arabic pastries “Muajanat” including Sfiha, cheese pastries, spinach pastries, hotdog pastries, and my favorite Manakish. Manakish are popular Middle Eastern thyme pizzas.

Before preparing your dough, spare some time to read my two posts on preparing the perfect dough: Great Dough Part 1, and Great Dough Part 2. They cover the basic information you need to prepare the perfect yeast dough each and every time.

The recipe yields enough dough to prepare the crust for two 36 cm (14 inches) pizzas. I divide the dough into two parts, and spread each part on the bottom of one 36 cm aluminum tray. If I want to prepare mini pizzas or Arabic Muajanat I double the portion.

Tips: Great Dough Part 2

First, I want to thank all of you who sent me messages to inquire about my well-being and the reasons for not posting any new articles and recipes on my blog for more than a month! I was very touched by your concern! I am well, and really sorry for being so overdue with today’s post. I was immersed in personal matters as we are moving houses, and I am sure you can guess all the hype around that. But, I promise, I will do my best to find a way to at least publish one post a week until my current hectic schedule ceases by the end of summer!

My previous post was Part 1 of the principles to prepare great yeast dough. It covered the various ingredients used in yeast dough recipes, whether it is a pizza dough or bread dough, as well as the role and importance of each ingredient.

At the time, I promised to cover in part two the different techniques used during the preparation of the dough. These techniques will help you get the perfect dough you are looking for; and this is what today’s post will cover.

Tips: Great Dough Part 1

One of the most requested recipes for which I received dozens of messages whether on my Arabic Blog (www.fattoush.me) or on my English one has been the “Dough Recipe”. Some sent asking me for the pizza dough recipe, others asked about a good bread dough recipe, and many many (especially on my Arabic site) for the muajanat dough recipe. Muajanat is the Arabic word for various types of pastries, not sweet, that are dough based, these include mini pizzas among others. Muajanat are very popular in the Middle East!

For a while now, I have been planning to post the dough recipe, or actually the two dough recipes I use the most. The first is a basic dough recipe without dairy products while the  second one includes dairy products. I use both.  Just as I was about to post the “Dough Recipe”, I remembered my struggles with dough recipes when I started cooking! and by dough I mean “Yeast Dough”.

Yeast dough is the dough that rises, and it is used to prepare bread, pizza crust (both thin pizza crust and thick pizza crust) and is the dough used in many of the Arabic muajanat.

What are the struggles I faced? Probably the same ones many of you face or faced when you started trying to make homemade bread or homemade pizza crust. They are the same challenges that have made bread making and pizza crust making spark so much fear and awe!

I remember one of the things that baffled me the most was why did one recipe work perfectly well one time and the next time it will be flat or mediocre??!!!?? I couldn't figure it! I would toss the recipe labeling it as not trustworthy, and continue my search for the perfect dough recipe.

I must admit that it took me some years to figure out the problem or problems, and pick-up tips and pointers from here and there that helped me get the dough and crust I want. And till this day I continue learning something new every day.

Last month as I was skimming through my daughter’s “All About Food” textbook, I noticed they had a whole section on yeast bread! The methodology they use to teach students how to make the perfect bread or perfect pizza crust is to introduce the dough ingredients and explain what they are, what they do, and how they work. I loved it!!! I remember thinking I hope I had this at hand when I started out!

I knew what I wanted to do next!

Before I post any pizza dough recipe, or muajanat recipe, or bread recipe, I will cover the basics of a great dough in a 2-part tutorial tip. As I learn new tricks and tips will update these two tutorials for all to benefit. Today’s tip covers:

Ingredients of Yeast Dough Recipes and What Each Ingredient Does.