Lahmacun – thin Turkish pizza with minced meat Recipe
Lahmacun is a very thin yeast-dough flatbread spread with a mixture of minced meat, tomatoes and herbs, baked briefly at a high temperature. In Turkey it’s often rolled up like a crêpe with lettuce, onion and lemon juice and eaten on the go. The taste is reminiscent of a cross between pizza and kebab, but it’s lighter and more herb-forward.
Lahmacun combines the best of pizza and kebab in an ultra-thin, crisp flatbread that stays light and aromatic thanks to fresh herbs and spices. It bakes in just a few minutes, making it ideal for quick dinners or casual gatherings.
Chef's tips
Roll the dough as thinly as you can – this is key to authentic lahmacun. Don’t overload the base with filling; a thin, even layer cooks faster and doesn’t make the dough soggy. If your oven doesn’t get very hot, preheat a pizza stone or an inverted baking tray to help crisp the bottom.
How to serve
Serve straight from the oven with lemon wedges, lettuce leaves, thinly sliced red onion and plenty of fresh parsley. You can also add tomato slices, cucumber and a spoonful of natural yogurt or garlic sauce, then roll everything up and eat with your hands.
Ingredients
- wheat flour - 350 g
- instant dry yeast - 5 g
- water lukewarm - 200 ml
- salt for the dough - 1 teaspoon
- olive oil for the dough - 2 tablespoons
- ground beef or mixed beef and lamb - 300 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 cloves
- tomatoes ripe - 2 pieces
- red bell pepper sweet - 1 piece
- flat-leaf parsley finely chopped - 3 tablespoons
- hot paprika powder or chili flakes - 0.5 teaspoons
- ground cumin - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt for the filling, to taste - 0.5 teaspoons
- black pepper to taste
- lettuce for serving, optional - 4 leaves
- lemon cut into wedges for serving - 1 piece
Preparation
- Put the flour, yeast and salt into a bowl. Pour in the lukewarm water and olive oil and knead the dough by hand for 7–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for about 40 minutes, until the dough has clearly risen.
- In the meantime, prepare the filling: peel the onion and garlic and chop them very finely or grate on a fine grater.
- Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut it into very small cubes. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes, removing the hard core near the stem.
- Put the minced meat, onion, garlic, pepper, tomatoes, parsley, hot paprika, cumin, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand until everything is well combined and you have a uniform mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 250°C (top and bottom heat) and place a baking tray inside to heat up.
- Divide the risen dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion out into a very thin round, about 25–28 cm in diameter, dusting with a minimal amount of flour so it doesn’t stick.
- Spread a thin layer of the meat filling (about 2–3 tablespoons) over each round, right to the edges, pressing it down with a spoon so it adheres well to the dough.
- Carefully remove the hot baking tray from the oven and transfer 1–2 flatbreads onto it (depending on the size of the tray).
- Bake for 6–8 minutes, until the edges of the dough are lightly browned and the meat is fully cooked and lightly browned on top.
- Bake the remaining flatbreads in the same way.
- Serve the lahmacun immediately, drizzled with lemon juice, with a lettuce leaf and optionally onion slices inside, rolled up like a crêpe.
Storage
Upieczone placki przechowuj w lodówce owinięte folią lub w pojemniku do 2 dni. Możesz je też zamrozić, przekładając pergaminem, aby się nie skleiły. Podgrzewaj w gorącym piekarniku lub na suchej patelni, aż staną się znów chrupiące.
