Lahmacun (Turkish Spiced Flatbread)

About This Recipe

Lahmacun is often called Turkish pizza, but that comparison misses its defining qualities: an ultra-thin dough, a finely chopped topping that cooks into the bread rather than sitting on it, and a fresh serving ritual with parsley, onion, lemon, and sumac. The topping should be wet enough to spread but not so loose that it makes the base soggy. A blazing hot oven, baking steel, or inverted tray helps the dough blister at the edges while the meat cooks quickly. Rolled around herbs and salad, lahmacun becomes crisp, juicy, spicy, and bright in the same bite.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gbread flour
• 300 mlwarm water
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 1 tspsalt
• 300 gminced lamb or beef
• 1 largetomato, grated
• 1 smallonion, grated and squeezed
• 1 redpepper, finely chopped
• 2 tbsppepper paste
• 0.5 bunchparsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsppul biber
• 1 tspsumac
• 2 wholelemons, for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, yeast, salt, and warm water. Knead 8 minutes until smooth, then cover and rise 45 minutes.

2. 2

   Mix topping

   Combine meat, tomato, onion, pepper, pepper paste, parsley, pul biber, sumac, salt, and pepper. The mixture should be spreadable and aromatic.

3. 3

   Heat the oven

   Place a baking steel or inverted tray in the oven and heat to the highest setting for at least 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Roll thin

   Divide dough into 6 pieces. Roll each into a very thin oval, dusting lightly with flour.

5. 5

   Spread and bake

   Spread a thin layer of topping edge to edge. Bake 5 to 7 minutes until edges crisp and the topping is cooked.

   A thin topping layer is essential; thick lahmacun steams instead of crisping.

6. 6

   Serve rolled

   Top with parsley, onion, sumac, and lemon juice. Roll tightly and eat hot.

Variations

• •

  Make a spicy Urfa-style version with extra isot pepper.

• •

  Use half lamb and half beef for balanced flavor.

• •

  Serve with a tomato, cucumber, and parsley salad for a fuller meal.

Storage

Cooked lahmacun keeps refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat in a hot dry skillet or oven until flexible and warm.

Frequently Asked Questions