How to make Lahmacun (oriental pizza with meat)

This a classic that rivals the Italian pizza Margherita, and consists of a very thin dough on which a mixture of ground meat, tomato, onion, pepper and spices is spread. The name derives from Arabic and means “meat with dough”. Lahmacun is a classic of Turkish fast food, and despite being available everywhere (or precisely because of it), it is not a recipe that people normally know how to prepare at home.

Important note: for more details about the preparation of the dough, I strongly recommend to read our post on how to prepare your own homemade bread.

Process:

The first step is kneading the dough. In a large bowl, add 500 g of flour, the yeast and the salt. Mix briefly, create a well in the center and pour 350 ml of water (or milk and water) into it. Mix for a few minutes, first with a spoon and then with your hands (previously rubbed with a few drops of olive oil) until you have formed a uniform dough. Lightly flour a large bowl (it can be the same just used), place the bun inside, sprinkle a little more flour over it and cover with film wrap (in order to prevent it from drying out). Let it rest for at least half an hour. Instead of sprinkling with flour, it’s also possible to paint it with a little olive oil, both methods prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the tomato, the onion or spring onion, the pepper and parsley and mix everything in a bowl with the ground meat. Season with a teaspoon of cumin, a teaspoon of sweet or hot paprika, ground pepper and salt. Mix until combined and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 240° and in the meantime, divide the bun for the dough into 4 or 5 parts and shape each one of them into a ball. Reserve covering with the same procedure as indicated above. On a board or flat surface, spread flour to prevent the small buns from sticking, place one of them, spread another little flour on top and flatten with a thin kitchen roll. The Lahmacun dough should ideally be round and even thinner than Italian pizza. Transfer to a flat baking dish lined with parchment paper, spread a thin layer of the meat mixture over it with a spoon, and bake for 10-15 minutes. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the preparation.

Serve with a some red onion, parsley, sumac and squeezed lemon.

Tips and tricks:

1. The only difficulty preparing Lahmacun is knowing how to shape the dough, but this improves very quickly with just a little practice. Don’t try to get a perfect circular shape, that’s reserved for professionals. In addition, an irregular shape has the charm of the homemade! The most important is to achieve a thin and uniform dough, without areas of noticeably different thickness. If you have a hard time handling it when it is very thin, you can start flattening it on the board as described, transfer it to a slightly floured baking paper (or painted with olive oil) and finish flattening it until properly thin. Then carefully transfer the paper with the dough to the baking tray.
2. Before handling the raw dough, it is advisable to spread your hands with a few drops of olive oil, which helps prevent it from sticking to your hands.
3. Adding a little milk to the dough helps it to become softer.
4. The meat can be beef, lamb, or a mixture of both.
5. Unlike Italian pizza, Lahmacun is usually eaten rolled up and not in slices.
6. It seems a minor detail, but it is incredible how the final addition of sumac, fresh parsley and lemon gives a freshness that enhances the whole flavor a lot.