Turkish Lahmacun Flatbread (Printable)

Thin, crisp flatbread topped with seasoned minced meat, fresh vegetables, and herbs for a flavorful dish.

# Ingredient list:

→ Dough

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup warm water
03 - 1 teaspoon instant yeast
04 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Meat Topping

07 - 10.5 ounces ground lamb or beef
08 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 medium tomato, finely diced
11 - 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
12 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
14 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
15 - 1 teaspoon paprika
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
17 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
18 - 1 teaspoon salt
19 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ To Serve

20 - Lemon wedges
21 - Fresh parsley or mint
22 - Sliced onions and sumac (optional)

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to dry ingredients along with olive oil. Mix until forming a soft dough. Knead 5 to 7 minutes until smooth, then cover and let rise for 30 minutes until doubled.
02 - In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine ground meat, chopped onion, minced garlic, diced tomato, diced red bell pepper, tomato paste, parsley, cumin, paprika, black pepper, optional chili flakes, salt, and olive oil.
03 - Set oven to 480°F (250°C) or highest setting. Place a pizza stone or baking tray inside to heat thoroughly.
04 - Divide risen dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a thin oval or round approximately 8 inches in diameter.
05 - Spread a thin, even layer of meat mixture across each dough round.
06 - Place topped dough onto the hot baking surface in batches as needed. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until edges are crisp and topping is cooked through.
07 - Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Optionally, add sliced onions and sumac before serving immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels like you're making something fancy but comes together faster than you'd expect, especially once the dough rises.
  • The meat topping is forgiving enough to adjust to your taste, but structured enough that it never feels improvised or messy.
  • Serve these warm straight from the oven and watch people tear into them with a kind of unselfconscious joy that doesn't happen with many foods.
02 -
  • If your dough springs back when you try to stretch it, let it rest for 5 minutes under a towel and try again—it's just relaxing, not refusing.
  • The meat topping should be thin enough that you can still see hints of dough underneath, not thick like a pizza sauce, or the whole thing becomes heavy instead of light.
  • An oven that isn't hot enough is the biggest reason these don't turn crispy, so give it a real 10 minutes to preheat and don't skip heating the baking tray.
03 -
  • If your meat topping is cold when you spread it on the dough, it will take longer to cook—bring it to room temperature or let it sit out while the dough rises for smoother, faster cooking.
  • A pizza stone creates better heat distribution than a flat tray, but if you don't have one, a dark metal baking sheet works just as well as long as you preheat it properly.
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