Meat on Dough (Lahm bi Ajeen)

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1 kg flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1½ tablespoons salt
• 3 tablespoons powdered milk
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups warm water
• Filling:
• Ground meat
• Tomatoes
• Onion
• Salt
• Spices to taste
• Hot pepper — optional
• For more delicious pastries, see Thin Pastry Dough (Raqaq) Recipe

Method

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and milk, then add the oil and then the water gradually; do not add all the water at once because you may not need it all depending on the type of flour.
2. Knead well, then let the dough rest until it doubles in size.
3. Prepare the filling meanwhile: finely chop the onion and tomato and add them to the meat.
4. Add salt and spices and mix well.
5. After the dough has risen, roll it out into a large circle, then cut it into circular shapes—for example, small rounds using a teapot lid.
6. Place a little filling on the dough circles and press it slightly. You can crimp the edges, make squares, or leave them as they are, according to preference.
7. Arrange the lahm bi ajeen on a baking tray and bake until cooked.
8. When serving, you can squeeze a few drops of lemon juice to add a distinctive flavor.
9. Serve lahm bi ajeen with yogurt or ayran.
10. Al-Yasar Rajab
11. For more delicious pastries, here is Raqaq dough