Lahmacun (Turkish Spiced Lamb Flatbread)

Before you start

Lahmacun is a very thin, round flatbread topped with a smooth paste of minced lamb, onion, tomato, peppers and herbs. The topping goes on raw and cooks in a few minutes in a very hot oven, where it browns slightly while the edges of the bread crisp and the middle stays soft enough to roll. It is served with lemon wedges and a pile of parsley and onion, then rolled up and eaten by hand.

The topping is the heart of it, and its texture matters: it should be finely chopped and moist enough to spread in a very thin layer, but not wet, or the dough turns soggy. Grate the onion and tomato and squeeze out excess juice. Roll the dough thinner than you think, spread the meat almost to the edge, and bake on a preheated stone or steel so the bottom cooks as fast as the top. Because the meat is spread so thin, it cooks through in the same few minutes the bread takes.

Ingredients

• Dough400 g (3⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
• 4 g (1¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1¼ tsp (7 g) fine salt
• 250 ml (1 cup + 1 tbsp) warm water
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
• Topping250 g (9 oz) ground lamb — or half lamb, half beef; about 20% fat
• 1 small (about 100 g) onion — grated and squeezed dry
• 1 small (about 100 g) ripe tomato — grated, skin discarded, juice drained
• ½ (about 75 g) red bell pepper — very finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste (biber salçası) — optional; or 1 tbsp more tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove — minced
• 15 g (½ cup) flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or pul biber
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¾ tsp fine salt
• To serve lemon wedges, parsley, thinly sliced red onion with sumac

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm water and olive oil and knead for 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled.
2. Place the stone or steel on the top third rack and heat the oven to the highest setting, ideally 250 to 260°C (480 to 500°F), for 45 minutes.
3. Combine all topping ingredients except the serving garnishes in a bowl. Knead with your hand or pulse briefly in a food processor until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste. Keep it refrigerated until needed.
4. Divide the dough into 8 pieces of about 85 g, shape into balls, cover and rest for 15 minutes.
5. On parchment, roll one ball into a round about 23 cm (9 in) across and 2 mm thick. Spread an eighth of the topping, about 70 g or 4 heaped tablespoons, in a very thin, even layer, right to 5 mm from the edge.
6. Prepare a second flatbread, then slide both on their parchment onto the stone. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are crisp and browned, the topping has darkened slightly and no pink color remains in the meat.
7. Stack the baked lahmacun on a plate, topping sides facing each other, to keep them soft while you bake the rest. Wash hands and surfaces that touched the raw meat.
8. To eat, squeeze lemon over a flatbread, scatter parsley and sumac onion down the middle and roll it up.

Tips for success

• Spread the topping thin. A thick layer stays raw in the middle and weighs down the bread.
• Chill the topping. Cold meat paste spreads more evenly and holds its shape on the dough.
• If the bottoms brown before the topping is done, move the stone one rack higher next time; the closer the top element, the faster the meat cooks.

Substitutions

Ground lamb

Ground beef gives a milder flavor. For a meatless version, use finely chopped mushrooms and walnuts with the same vegetables and spices.

Turkish red pepper paste

Use harissa for a smokier, hotter topping, or more tomato paste with ¼ tsp smoked paprika.

Aleppo pepper

Use ½ tsp sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne. Aleppo pepper is milder and fruitier than standard chili flakes.

Variations

Spicier lahmacun

Add 1 finely chopped fresh hot pepper to the topping and double the Aleppo pepper.

Herby lamb and mint

Replace half the parsley with fresh mint and add ½ tsp dried mint.

Troubleshooting

Soggy, pale bread

The topping was too wet or too thick, or the stone was not hot enough. Squeeze the onion and tomato dry, spread thin, and preheat fully.

Edges burned before the meat cooked

The topping was too thick in the middle. Spread it evenly and bake higher in the oven where the top heat is stronger.

Flatbreads cracked when rolled up

They were overbaked or rolled too thin at the edge. Stack them face to face as soon as they come out so they steam soft.

Storage

Lahmacun is best eaten warm. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days; reheat in a hot oven or skillet until steaming. Raw topping keeps in the refrigerator for 1 day.

Safety notes

Ground meat should reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). The thin layer gets there within the bake time; if any pink remains, bake a minute longer. Keep raw meat and its utensils away from ready-to-eat garnishes.