Lahmacun Turkish Flatbread Recipes

LAHMACUN: SPICY MINCED LAMB FLATBREADS

Steps:

• First, make the dough. Sift the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add 250ml warm water and the olive oil and mix together to make a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Put back into the bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for about an hour until doubled in size. For the topping, bring the minced lamb back to room temperature if necessary. Roughly chop the onion, red pepper and green pepper, put them into a food processor and process, using the pulse button, until finely chopped but not a pulp. Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and press out the excess liquid. Add to the minced lamb with the crushed garlic, chopped parsley, Aleppo pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix together into a soft paste using your hands. Divide the mixture into 12. Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas Mark 9. Punch back the flatbread dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead once more until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 evenly sized pieces. Working with 4 pieces at a time, roll each one out very thinly on a lightly floured surface into ovals of 14 x 24 cm. Place side by side on 2 lightly floured baking sheets. Using your fingertips, spread one portion of the lamb mixture evenly over each base, taking it right up to the edges because the mixture shrinks as it cooks. Bake for 8 minutes until the dough is lightly browned. Serve straight away. The traditional way to do this is to pile a few parsley sprigs towards one end of the flatbread, squeeze over a little lemon juice and roll it up, much like you would a taco. While your guests start to eat, repeat with the remaining dough and lamb topping. This is one of those dishes where the cook always eats last.

TURKISH LAMB FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Mix the yeast and 250ml warm water in a small bowl, and leave to stand for 5-10 mins until foamy - this means the yeast is working. Put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl (or use a tabletop mixer fitted with a dough hook and set at a low speed). Add the yeast mixture and mix by hand or machine until the dough comes together into a ball. If the mixture is too sticky to form a ball, add 2 tbsp flour and mix again. Knead for 12 mins by hand, or 8-10 mins on a high speed in the mixer, until smooth, then put in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn to coat the dough in the oil, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 2-4 hrs until doubled in size. (You can also put it in the fridge overnight, punch down and let it rise again at room temperature.)
• Heat the oven to 240C/220C/gas 9. Put a baking sheet or pizza stone on the middle shelf. If you're using lamb leg meat, blitz it in a food processor until it's finely minced. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 10 mins until golden. Add the lamb and cook for 5 mins or until brown, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, then pour off any excess oil. Add the spices, some seasoning, tomato purée, tomatoes and the pomegranate molasses, and cook for 5 mins more, mixing everything together well and breaking down the tomatoes with a spoon. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Can be done one or two days ahead.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle about 30 x 40cm. Sprinkle 1 tsp or so of the semolina on a baking sheet. Put the dough on top and make sure it can move around. Add the spicy lamb first, then top with the red onions, pine nuts and feta. Slide onto the heated baking sheet or pizza stone and cook for 10-15 mins until crisp on the bottom.
• Remove and drizzle with a little extra pomegranate molasses, then scatter over the parsley and pomegranate seeds. Transfer to a large board and cut into diamonds to serve.

LAHMACUN TURKISH FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Combine yeast, sugar and 3/4 cup boiled water in a bowl, let sit until foamy, about 5-7 minutes.
• Combine flour and salt separately, fold in the yeast mixture, and knead until soft, smooth dough ball forms. Cover the dough in a bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for about an hour.
• Punch down dough, divide into 4 portions, and form them into a ball. Transfer dough balls to a floured baking sheet. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rest for another 45 minutes, or refrigerate until needed.
• In a large bowl, combine oil and tomato paste with the Baharat blend packet. Add in lamb, garlic, tomato, onion, and season with salt (optional).
• Preheat oven to 475°, use a pizza stone in bottom third of oven.
• Roll out each dough ball fairly thin, into a 10" disk. Transfer dough to a parchment paper, spoon about 4 tablespoons of topping onto dough, spread evenly with your fingers.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown and topping is cooked, between 6-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your crust and topping layer. Repeat with remaining dough and toppings.