Samsa (Baked Lamb Pastries)

Method

1. 1

   Make a smooth, firm dough with the flour and a splash of water; knead until elastic.

2. 2

   Roll the dough thin, brush it with the butter, then roll it into a log and coil it — this is the cheater's lamination.

3. 3

   Chill the coiled dough 30 minutes so the butter firms and the layers hold.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, mix the chopped lamb with the onion, cumin, salt and pepper for the filling.

5. 5

   Cut the chilled coil into pieces and roll each into a thin round.

6. 6

   Fill each round and pinch it into a sealed triangle, pressing the seams tight so the juices stay in.

   💡 Underfilled triangles dry out in the oven — pack the filling generously and seal hard.

7. 7

   Brush the tops with the beaten egg and scatter with black sesame seeds.

8. 8

   Bake at 220°C for 25–30 minutes until deep bronze.

   💡 The juice inside is molten for a good ten minutes. Samsa burns are a rite of passage; waiting is wiser.

9. 9

   Serve hot, straight from the paper the way street vendors do, giving each one a minute to cool before the first bite.