Turkish Lahmacun Flatbread (Print View)

Thin, crisp flatbread with spiced lamb, fresh vegetables, and herbs, perfect for snacks or light meals.

# Components:

→ Dough

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup warm water
03 - 1 teaspoon instant yeast
04 - 1 teaspoon sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Meat Topping

07 - 10.5 ounces ground lamb or beef
08 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 medium tomato, finely diced
11 - 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
12 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
14 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
15 - 1 teaspoon paprika
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
17 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
18 - 1 teaspoon salt
19 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ To Serve

20 - Lemon wedges
21 - Fresh parsley or mint
22 - Sliced onions and sumac (optional)

# Method:

01 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to dry ingredients along with olive oil. Mix to form a soft dough. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth. Cover and let it rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
02 - In a separate bowl, mix ground meat, onion, garlic, tomato, bell pepper, tomato paste, parsley, cumin, paprika, black pepper, chili flakes if using, salt, and olive oil until well combined.
03 - Heat the oven to its highest setting, approximately 480°F. Place a pizza stone or baking tray inside to warm up.
04 - Divide the risen dough into eight equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a thin oval or circle about 8 inches in diameter.
05 - Evenly spread a thin layer of the meat mixture over each dough round.
06 - Transfer topped dough rounds to the heated baking surface and bake for 6 to 8 minutes until edges are crisp and topping is cooked through.
07 - Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. Optionally, serve with sliced onions and sumac.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough puffs up just enough to cradle the meat without being heavy or overwhelming.
  • You can have dinner on the table in under an hour, which feels almost magical when you taste how good it is.
  • It's the kind of food that tastes fancy but doesn't require fancy techniques or ingredients you can't pronounce.
02 -
  • The dough needs to be thin—like really thin—or you end up with bread instead of lahmacun, and that's a different dish entirely.
  • Your oven absolutely must be as hot as it can get, and the baking surface must be preheated; cold or tepid heat is the enemy of crispness.
  • Don't skip mixing the meat filling thoroughly; when everything is evenly distributed, it cooks evenly and tastes balanced instead of meat-heavy in one spot and spice-heavy in another.
03 -
  • If your oven doesn't get very hot, a pizza stone makes a real difference—it holds heat better than a regular tray and gives you that restaurant-quality crisp.
  • Don't let your meat topping sit around; use it relatively soon after mixing or the vegetables will release their water and your lahmacun will steam instead of crisp.
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