Lahmacun – Baked Turkish Pizza Recipe
Lahmacun, often referred to as Turkish pizza, is a deliciously thin, crispy flatbread topped with a well-seasoned mixture of ground meat, vegetables, and herbs. This authentic recipe features a perfectly tender dough combined with a flavorful blend of ground beef or lamb, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, and traditional Turkish spices. Baked at a high temperature for a short time, it results in a savory, aromatic treat that’s perfect served fresh with onion salad, parsley, and lemon wedges.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 minutes per lahmacun; total approx. 45 minutes including baking all pieces
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 lahmacuns 1x
- Category: Pizza, Flatbread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp cane sugar
- 2 tsp dried instant yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm water
For the Meat Mixture
- ½ pound ground beef or lamb
- ⅓ cup small-diced red bell pepper, packed
- ½ cup small-diced onion, lightly packed
- ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley, lightly packed
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried mint
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp kosher salt (do not use iodized)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste, scraped and leveled
- ⅔ cup water
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, cane sugar, and instant yeast thoroughly. Gradually add the lukewarm water while mixing, kneading until a smooth ball of dough forms. Transfer to a floured surface, dust the dough and your hands with flour, and knead vigorously for five minutes. Cover the bowl with a cloth or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for about one hour, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare the Meat Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground beef or lamb, diced red bell pepper, diced onion, chopped parsley, garlic, dried oregano, dried mint, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, Turkish red pepper paste, and water. Mix with your hands for five minutes until the mixture becomes aromatic and well blended. Set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 500 °F (or 475 °F if using a dark nonstick baking sheet).
- Shape the Dough: Once the dough has risen, divide it into six equal pieces. Lightly flour your work surface and hands. Roll out each piece of dough into a thin circle, about 8-10 inches in diameter, flattening the edges completely. Avoid creating thick or puffy crust edges as this is not a traditional pizza crust.
- Assemble the Lahmacun: Transfer each rolled dough circle onto a nonstick baking sheet. Avoid using parchment paper to prevent burning. Evenly spread about 4 tablespoons of the meat mixture over the surface using your fingertips, spreading gently to cover the edges and lightly wetting any bare spots to promote golden edges while baking.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Avoid opening the oven during baking; instead, use the oven light to monitor doneness. The lahmacun should be golden and cooked through.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and transfer the lahmacun to a heat-safe tray or pizza stone. Repeat the assembly and baking process for all six pieces. Serve hot with fresh onion salad, extra parsley, and lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.
Notes
- If using a dark nonstick baking sheet, reduce oven temperature to 475 °F to prevent burning.
- If the dough feels too sticky to handle, sprinkle additional flour as needed when rolling.
- Allowing the dough to rest and rise is essential to develop texture and flavor.
- This recipe uses halal-certified ground beef but can be substituted with lamb or a mix for preference.
Keywords: Lahmacun, Turkish pizza, flatbread, ground beef, lamb, Turkish red pepper paste, easy Turkish recipe, savory flatbread, Middle Eastern cuisine
Find it online: https://mixitwitjoe.com/lahmacun-baked-turkish-pizza-recipe/
