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Esfirras

Esfirras are yeast dough pastries filled with seasoned ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and red pepper.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 14 ingredients
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Why it works: Beef and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,092 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Esfirras

Oven400°F
Time25 to 35 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the filling

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan.

  2. Lightly fry onions, tomatoes, salt, and pepper.

  3. Brown the ground beef with this mixture.

Make the dough

  1. Heat milk with margarine until very warm.

  2. Pour the warm milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.

  3. Combine the egg and remaining flour to make soft dough.

  4. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.

  5. Roll the dough into a rope.

  6. Cut the rope into 2‑inch long pieces.

  7. Cover and let the pieces rest for 2 hours in a warm place or until they double in size.

Shape and bake

  1. Flatten each piece with a pin on a floured surface.

  2. Place the filling in the center of each piece.

  3. Fold the dough over the filling on three sides to form a triangular shape.

  4. Place esfirras seam‑down on a large floured baking sheet, leaving room for dough to rise.

  5. Let the rolls rest for half an hour while you heat the oven to 400°F.

  6. Brush each esfirra with egg yolk.

  7. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1282Calories
56 gProtein
55 gFat
138 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Beef100g cooked250
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,092 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,923 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Beef + tomatotop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,448 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together20,633 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,971 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

All-purpose flour
Forms the gluten network that gives the dough its structure and chew.
Yeast
Produces gas as it ferments, so the dough rises and becomes airy.
Margarine
Adds fat that tenderizes the dough and keeps the crumb soft.
Milk
Provides moisture and proteins that help the dough brown and stay soft.
Ground beef
Forms the savory, meaty filling that is browned before shaping.
Egg yolk
Brushed on top, it promotes a glossy, golden browned surface when baked.

The step that matters

Let the dough rise fully before shaping and baking. Yeast needs time in a warm place to produce gas. Under-proofed dough stays dense and tight, while the rise gives the baked esfihas a light, open texture.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, sugar, milk, egg, beef, tomato, pepper):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Potatofits better
  3. Asparagusfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, sugar, milk, egg, beef, tomato, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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