Name: Lahmacun (Turkish Spiced Flatbread)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 97 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1 cup All-Purpose Flour, for the dough; ½ tsp Active Dry Yeast, for light dough; ½ tsp Sugar, to activate yeast; ¾ tsp Salt, divided; ⅓ cup Water, warm, plus more if needed; 1½ tbsp Olive Oil, divided; 200 g Ground Beef, cold; ½ Onion, finely grated; 1 Tomato, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Turkish Pepper Paste, for the topping; 1 clove Garlic, finely grated; 3 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped; ½ tsp Ground Cumin, for Turkish-style seasoning; ½ tsp Paprika, for color and warmth; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper, freshly ground if possible; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, for serving

1 hr 37 mintotal

37 min hands-on1 hr hands-off

Prep 25 min · Cook 12 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, part of the salt, warm water, and part of the olive oil into a soft dough.
Knead briefly, cover, and let the dough rest until it feels relaxed and slightly puffy.
For the topping, mix beef mince, onion, tomato, Turkish pepper paste, garlic, parsley, cumin, paprika, black pepper, remaining salt, and remaining olive oil.
Heat the oven well. Divide the dough into two balls and roll each one very thin.
Spread a thin layer of the meat topping over each flatbread, leaving only a tiny border.
Bake until the base is crisp at the edges and the meat topping is fully cooked.
Serve hot with lemon juice squeezed over the top.

How to tell it's done

The base should be thin and lightly crisp, while the meat topping should be moist but fully cooked.

Getting it right

Tip

Roll the dough very thin and spread the topping thinly; lahmacun should be crisp and flexible, not thick like pizza.

What to serve it with

Serve with lemon, parsley, sliced onion, and a simple cucumber-tomato salad.

Substitutions

Lamb mince may replace beef mince for a richer Turkish-style topping.
Use tomato puree only if fresh tomatoes are not ripe; keep the topping thick, not watery.
A hot pizza stone or preheated baking tray helps create a crisper base.

Balık Ekmek (Turkish Fish Sandwich)

An Istanbul-style Turkish fish sandwich with grilled white fish, sumac onion, parsley, lettuce, and lemon.

25 minpescatarian

Gözleme (Turkish Spinach and Feta Flatbread)

A Turkish griddled flatbread filled with spinach, feta cheese, onion, parsley, and mild spices.

1 hr 5 minvegetarian

Izgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)

Turkish-style grilled meatballs made with beef mince, onion, parsley, cumin, paprika, and breadcrumbs.

57 minnon vegetarian

Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs with Tomato)

A soft Turkish egg skillet cooked with tomatoes, green pepper, onion, parsley, and gentle spices.

25 mineggetarian

Sigara Böreği (Turkish Cheese Phyllo Rolls)

Crisp Turkish phyllo pastry rolls filled with feta cheese, parsley, and black pepper.

30 minvegetarian

Tavuk Şiş (Turkish Chicken Shish Kebab)

Juicy Turkish chicken skewers marinated with curd, tomato puree, garlic, paprika, lemon, and olive oil.

1 hr 30 minnon vegetarian

Ingredients