Lahmacun (Turkish Meat Flatbread)

Ingredients

• 300 g wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dry yeast
• 1¾ dl water, lukewarm
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 300 g ground lamb
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp red pepper paste
• 1 tsp aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. 1.

   Make and rise the dough — In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the flour, salt and olive oil, then knead into a smooth, soft dough for about 8 minutes. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until roughly doubled.

2. 2.

   Mix the lamb topping — Meanwhile, make the topping: in a large bowl combine the lamb mince, chopped onion, tomato, red bell pepper, garlic, red pepper paste, aleppo pepper, cumin and half the parsley. Mix well until it forms a spreadable, slightly wet paste.

3. 3.

   Divide the dough into balls — Preheat the oven to its highest setting, ideally 250°C (480°F), with a baking tray or pizza stone inside to heat up. Punch down the dough and divide it into 4 equal balls.

4. 4.

   Roll and top the dough — On a floured surface, roll each ball out as thinly as possible into an oval or round shape about 25-30 cm across. Spread a thin, even layer of the lamb topping over each base, right to the edges.

5. 5.

   Bake until crisp — Slide the topped dough onto the hot tray or stone and bake in batches for 7-8 minutes, until the edges are crisp and lightly browned and the meat is fully cooked.

6. 6.

   Finish and roll to serve — Remove from the oven, scatter over the remaining parsley, then squeeze fresh lemon juice over each lahmacun. Roll them up with sliced onion or a dollop of yogurt on the side and eat while hot.