Sfiha or Lahm Bi’ajeen

Only a few decades ago, when many Palestinian families didn’t have ovens at home, housewives used to bring a risen dough and lamb topping to their nearby bakery. The baker would deftly shape the dough for them, scatter over the minced lamb and bake in his wood-fired oven. His payment came in the form of a little gastronomic return: a couple of sfiha pastries.

Sfiha or Lahm Bi’ajeen, a Levantine lamb-topped dough, is a bit like a pizza and is as popular as its Italian cousin. The lam