Ajeen Basic Dough Recipes

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a working surface.
• Mix in salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre.
• Pour olive oil and vegetable oil in the well.
• Mix the dry ingredients into the liquid.
• Add water gradually. Knead the dough into a ball (if the dough is too stiff add some water).
• Knead the dough on a floured working surface until it is smooth and elastic this can be done in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a food processor.
• Form the dough into a ball and put into a lightly floured bowl, covered with a damp cloth. Leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size- about 6 hours.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500˚ F. Line a large rimless baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the pizza sauce, finely chopped scallions, pepperoncini, 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, cinnamon, allspice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup of the sauce mixture. Add the lamb to the bowl with the remaining sauce and mix well.
• Rub the pizza dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil on the prepared baking sheet. Stretch into a large oval, about 11 by 15 inches. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then top with the meat mixture, pressing it into a thin, even layer up to the edges of the dough. Brush with the reserved sauce and sprinkle with the pine nuts.
• Bake until the meat is cooked through and the dough is dark golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes; sprinkle with the sliced scallion greens.
• Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon each pomegranate molasses and olive oil with 2 teaspoons water in a medium bowl. Add the herbs and toss gently to coat. Cut into 8 pieces and serve with the herb salad.

Steps:

• Mix all dough ingredients well. Knead for a few moments. Set aside to rest while preparing filling. Mix all the filling ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Since you will be preparing a large number of these, it makes sense to work on a large, clean surface. The kitchen table is perfect. Roll half the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a clean table. Use a glass, 2-2.5 inches in diameter to cut circles of dough. Place these circles on a well oiled baking sheet. Work the remaining dough into a ball, and roll it out to cut more circles. Keep combining the circle cutouts until you have used all the dough. Place 1.5 teaspoons filling on each circle. With a fork, carefully smooth filling to the edge of the circle. It's fine for the lahma bi ajeen to touch each other in the pan, but they cannot overlap.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, or until dough is just firm but not crisp.
• Serve with tehina and soup or salad for a first course.