Lahma Bi Ajeen

Lahma Bi Ajeen means little meat pizzas. This is the Arabic way to make pizzas. My family loves to have these during Ramadan. These also taste just as good heated up so have some for sahoor as well.

Dough:
1 cup warm yogurt
2 teaspoons dried yeast
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup warm water
3-1/3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Topping:
1 medium onion
1-1/4 pound lean ground lamb or beef
3 garlic cloves, crushed
½ teaspoon allspice
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 (240 gram) can diced tomatoes, juice drained
¼ cup pine nuts

1. To warm yogurt place in a cup then sit it in a pan of hot (not boiling) water for 1 hour. After yogurt has warmed in a small bowl add yeast, sugar and ¼ cup warm (not cold and not hot) water for 10 minutes, until it froths. In a large mixing bowl add flour, salt and oil. Then add yeast and yogurt mixture. If dough is not wet enough you can add a few drops of water until it holds together. Knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth. In a large mixing bowl add a drop of oil and place dough into bowl coating dough all over with oil. Cover with a towel in a warm place and allow to rise for 1-1/2 hours.

2. In a food processor add onion until finely chopped, drain juices. In a large mixing bowl add meat, onion, garlic, allspice, salt and pepper, molasses, tomatoes and pine nuts. Mix well with hands.

3. Punch down dough and knead for 1 minute. Make dough into balls the size of walnuts. On a non floured surface such as a baking mat roll dough with a pin until 1/8 inch thick and round. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

4. On a baking sheet line with foil then spray with cooking oil. Place 6-8 dough rounds at a time on baking sheet. Fill dough with meat all the way to the edge as the dough will rise and the meat will shrink. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 15 minutes each.

Yields: 30

Adapted from Arabesque