Ms. Lurdes' Sfihas Recipe

A family favourite ... 

Dough

1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
7g yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
approx 500g plain flour
1 egg yolk

Filling

500g lamb mince
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tomato deseeded and finely diced
4-6 pitted olives diced
1 medium onions finely diced
Parsley and spring onions to taste also finely diced
1 teaspoon of salt
Freshly grounded black pepper


1. Starting with the filling, using your hands mix well all filling ingredients in a large bowl and immediately transfer the filling mixture to a colander. Leave draining the excess liquid. 

2. Preheat oven to 180 C and coat a baking sheet with little oil.

3. Mix the water and milk and sugar in a measuring jug and add the yeast. Mix well a set aside for a few minutes. A froth should form in the surface. 

4. Sieve the flour and salt in to a large bowl and make a well in the center, pour in the oil and the water/milk/sugar/yeast mixture and using a fork gradually mix in the flour. Continue with your hands lightly oiled - adding little more flour at times if necessary - until a lightly firm and homogeneous dough is obtained. Keep your hands lightly oiled as you handle the dough.

5. Using your fingers separate portions from the dough the size of a small walnut and open it in circles. Add approximately 1 teaspoon of filling to the center of the circle and close it in  triangular shape.

6. You might choose the make them open. In that case spread and press the filling over the dough resembling a small pizza. 

7. If you've chosen to make closed sfihas, whisk one egg's yolk and brush the top of the sfihas.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Yield approximately 50 sfihas.