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Lebanese · Levantine

Sfouf

Vegetarian

صفوف · sfouf

A golden, gently sweet semolina cake coloured with turmeric and topped with pine nuts or almonds, baked in a tahini-greased tin. A simple Lebanese teatime cake made without eggs.

Sfouf is a Lebanese cake from Lebanon, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with semolina and turmeric. It serves 16 and is rated beginner to cook.

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No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Rest
20 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
16
Level
Beginner
Calories
232

Ingredients

16 squares

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) and grease a 23 × 23 cm tin with the tahini (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the semolina (opens in a new tab), flour, sugar (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab), baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt. Rub in the oil, then whisk in the milk (opens in a new tab) to a smooth, pourable batter.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Pour into the tin, scatter over the pine nuts (opens in a new tab) and bake until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares or diamonds.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
Lebanon · Commonly attributedMore food from Lebanon
Dish
Snack · Breakfast · Dessert · Cakes · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
sweet, earthy, nutty
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly · Make-ahead · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Semolina · Turmeric · All-purpose flour · Sugar · Baking powder · Milk
Techniques
Baking

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom milk
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom pine nuts
  • Contains: Wheatfrom semolina, all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom semolina, all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Sesamefrom tahini

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

232 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 66 g · recipe makes 16

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 51%
  • Fat 42%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy232 kcal354 kcal
Protein3.8 g5.7 g
Carbohydrate30 g45.7 g
Net carbohydrate29 g44.2 g
Sugars——
Added sugars11.3 g17.1 g
Fibre1 g1.6 g
Fat11.1 g16.9 g
Saturated fat1.2 g1.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol2 mg3 mg
Sodium90 mg138 mg
Salt equivalent0.2 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
82 mg
Calcium
55 mg
Iron
1.4 mg
Magnesium
16 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
9 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
65 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • A pinch of ground anise seed is a classic addition.

Common mistakes

  • Too much turmeric turns the cake bitter and greenish; stick to the measured amount.

Serve with

  • Serve with tea or coffee.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days in an airtight tin.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 10 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Bake · about 35 min at 180 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  3. Cool · about 20 min

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  4. Start to finish: about 1 h 5 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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