Mini Lahmacun Recipe

Activate yeast

In a small bowl combine warm water (about 105–110°F / 40–43°C), sugar and active dry yeast. Stir and let sit 5–7 minutes until foamy.

Mix dough

In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt. Make a well, add foamy yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough is sticky, sprinkle up to 2 tablespoons additional flour.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1¼ hours.

Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces for mini lahmacun (each about 2–2.5 ounces). Roll each piece into a tight ball and rest under a towel for 15 minutes before shaping.

While dough rises, prepare the topping. Place minced lamb in a medium bowl and break up any clumps with a fork.

Add finely diced tomato, chopped red onion, diced green pepper, minced garlic and chopped parsley to the lamb. Mix until evenly combined.

Add tomato paste and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the bowl; mix thoroughly so tomato paste binds the mixture and distributes moisture.

Sprinkle paprika, ground cumin, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper over the meat mixture. Add lemon juice and using your hands or a spoon, knead the seasoning into the meat-tomato mix until it becomes a cohesive, slightly pasty topping. Taste a small piece (optional) and adjust salt or spice.

Cover topping and refrigerate while dough finishes its first rest so flavors meld, at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with a baking stone or inverted heavy baking sheet on the middle rack for at least 30 minutes. If using a pizza oven or very hot oven, adjust accordingly.

On a lightly floured surface, press or roll each dough ball into a thin round about 6–7 inches (15–18 cm) in diameter and roughly 1/8 inch thick. Keep edges slightly thinner as traditional lahmacun are thin throughout.

Divide the meat topping into 8 equal portions. Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, spread a very thin, even layer of the topping over each round, leaving no thick clumps — the layer should be thin enough to cook through quickly.

Transfer rounds to a pizza peel or the back of a sheet pan dusted with semolina or flour. Bake 2–5 minutes depending on oven heat: in a very hot oven (500°F + on preheated stone) bake 2.5–3.5 minutes until edges brown and topping is cooked; in a home oven may take 4–5 minutes. Rotate mid-bake if necessary for even browning.

Remove lahmacun from oven and place on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining rounds, keeping finished ones loosely tented with foil to stay warm.

Garnish each mini lahmacun with a sprinkle of fresh parsley leaves and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.

Traditional serving: fold or roll the mini lahmacun and enjoy while hot. Store any leftover cooked lahmacun wrapped in foil in the refrigerator up to 2 days and reheat in a hot oven or skillet to crisp.