Description
Lahmacun, often referred to as Turkish pizza, is a delicious thin flatbread topped with a spiced mixture of ground lamb, vegetables, and herbs. This recipe features a simple homemade dough and a flavorful lamb topping infused with warm spices such as cumin, paprika, and allspice. Perfectly baked until the edges are golden and the topping is cooked through, Lahmacun makes a delightful snack or meal served with fresh tomato slices, lemon, and chopped salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Base
- 2 cups all purpose flour (or plain flour, or bread flour)
- 1 teaspoon fast acting instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ⅔ cup lukewarm water (plus a little more or less as needed)
Topping
- 2 shallots or ½ red onion
- 2 cloves garlic (or 1 large clove)
- 1 large tomato or 2 small tomatoes
- ½ red pepper
- ½ lb ground lamb (lamb mince, can substitute with beef)
- 1 cup parsley leaves (lightly packed)
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or substitute with red pepper flakes)
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Drizzle in the olive oil and add most of the lukewarm water. Mix by hand until the dough starts to come together, adding more water if needed to form a cohesive but not sticky dough.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead vigorously for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough back into the cleaned bowl brushed with a little oil. Cover the bowl with a cloth or cling film and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
- Prepare the Topping: Roughly chop the shallots/onion, garlic, tomato, and red pepper. Remove parsley leaves from stems. In a food processor, pulse the onion, pepper, garlic, and parsley until finely chopped but not pureed. Add the ground lamb, tomato paste, olive oil, and spices (allspice, cumin, paprika, Aleppo pepper, salt). Blend until evenly combined. Refrigerate if not ready to use immediately.
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Position a pizza stone in the oven if available, or heat baking trays, then line with parchment paper for baking.
- Divide and Roll Out Dough: Knock back the risen dough and divide into 8 equal balls. Let them rest for 5 minutes, covered. Roll each ball out on a floured surface into a very thin circle or oval about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) in diameter.
- Assemble Lahmacun: Place the rolled dough onto the parchment paper on your baking surface. Spread a thin, even layer of the lamb topping over each base. Optionally sprinkle pine nuts on top for added texture and flavor.
- Bake: Bake one or two lahmacun at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the topping is cooked. Start baking on the bottom oven rack, then move to higher racks and rotate as needed for even cooking.
- Serve: Serve the lahmacun warm, rolled or flat, with fresh tomato slices, a squeeze of lemon, red onion slices, or a chopped salad for garnish and added freshness.
Notes
- The photos and video reference making half the batch but follow the same method for the whole recipe.
- Adjust water quantity gradually while mixing to get the perfect dough texture—soft but not sticky.
- If Aleppo pepper is unavailable, red pepper flakes work well as a substitute for mild heat and flavor.
- Pine nuts as a topping are optional and add a nice nutty texture, inspired by a Cypriot variation.
- Rolling the dough as thin as possible is key for authentic lahmacun texture.
- Cooking one or two lahmacun at a time yields best results for even baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
