Lahmacun — focaccia turca speziata con carne
Turkey's thin, crackly 'pizza': a paper-thin round of dough spread with a vivid topping of minced lamb, tomato, pepper and parsley, baked blistering hot for minutes. You squeeze over lemon, pile on parsley and onion, and roll it up to eat — a street-food staple from Gaziantep to Istanbul.
Make a simple yeasted dough and let it rise. Blend or finely chop minced lamb with grated onion, tomato, red pepper, garlic, parsley, pepper paste and spices into a loose, spreadable topping. Roll the dough paper-thin, spread a thin layer of topping right to the edge, and bake on a hot stone or tray at maximum heat until the edges crisp. Serve with lemon, parsley and onion, rolled up.
- Roll the dough very thin — lahmacun is crisp and light, never thick or bready.
- Spread only a thin layer of topping so it cooks through in the few minutes it bakes.
- Bake as hot as your oven goes (with a stone or upturned tray) for crisp edges fast.
Equipment
- Baking stone or heavy tray
- Food processor (for topping)
- Rolling pin
Ingredienti
Dough
- 300 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 180 ml warm water
- 5 g instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp oil
Topping
- 250 g minced lamb (or beef)
- 1 onion, grated
- 1 tomato, grated
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Small bunch parsley, chopped
- 30 g Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası)
- 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, chilli flakes, salt
To serve
- Lemon wedges
- Flat-leaf parsley
- Sliced onion (sumac-tossed)
Preparazione
- PASSO01
Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar, add the warm water and oil, and knead to a smooth, soft dough. Cover and rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- PASSO02
Blitz (or finely chop and mix) the lamb, grated onion and tomato, red pepper, garlic, parsley, pepper paste and spices into a loose, spreadable paste. Season well.
- PASSO03
Heat the oven as hot as it goes (250°C/480°F+) with a stone or tray inside. Divide the dough into 6, and roll each into a very thin round on a floured surface.
- PASSO04
Spread a thin, even layer of topping over each round, right to the edge. Slide onto the hot stone and bake until the edges are crisp and the meat is cooked, 6–10 minutes.
- PASSO05
Top with parsley and onion, squeeze over plenty of lemon, and roll up to eat. Serve hot, with more lemon and a glass of ayran.
Make ahead
Make the dough and topping ahead and refrigerate (both improve). Roll, top and bake to order so they stay crisp. Baked lahmacun also freeze well for a quick reheat.
Storage
Best fresh and hot. Cooked lahmacun keep 2 days and reheat in a hot oven or pan to re-crisp; they also freeze well, separated by parchment. The raw topping keeps 1 day refrigerated.
Variations
Spicy (acılı)
Add more chilli flakes (pul biber) and a fierce red pepper paste for the spicy southern style.
Beef
Use minced beef instead of lamb for a milder, leaner topping.
Cheese-topped
Some modern spots add a little cheese — not classic, but popular with kids.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Domande frequenti
Is lahmacun the same as Turkish pizza?
It's often called 'Turkish pizza', but it's quite different — much thinner and crispier, with no cheese, and a thin layer of spiced minced meat rather than a thick topping. It's meant to be rolled up and eaten by hand, often with lemon and salad inside.
What is biber salçası?
Turkish red pepper paste — a concentrated paste of sweet or hot red peppers that adds deep colour and flavour to the topping. It's widely available in Turkish and Middle Eastern shops. If you can't find it, use a little tomato paste plus paprika and chilli.
How do I get the base crisp?
Roll the dough as thin as you can, spread only a thin layer of topping, and bake in the hottest oven you have on a preheated stone or upturned heavy tray. The intense heat crisps the base in minutes before the topping overcooks.
Lamb or beef?
Lamb is the most traditional and flavourful, especially in southern Turkey. Beef makes a leaner, milder lahmacun, and a lamb-beef mix is common too. Either way, grate the onion and tomato to keep the topping moist.
How do you eat lahmacun?
Squeeze over lemon, pile on fresh parsley and sliced onion (often dusted with sumac), then roll it up like a wrap and eat by hand. It's a fast, casual street food — eaten hot, the moment it comes out of the oven.
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