Lahmacun

How To Make Lahmacun

1. For the dough, sift the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and mix. Add 225 lukewarm water and olive oil to the flour and mix until the dough comes together.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until it is nice and smooth. Put the dough into a lightly floured bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in size.
3. Once the dough has doubled in size, remove from the bowl, transfer to a lightly floured surface and portion into 100g balls. Transfer the balls to a lightly oiled container and cover with a damp cloth. Leave in a warm place to rest for about 30 mins until the dough is soft and easy to roll out.
4. Preheat the oven to 240°C with a baking try while you wait for your dough balls to rest. (NB: Oven needs to be very hot!)
5. For the topping, add the onion, red pepper, green pepper and ½ teaspoon salt to a food processor and process for about 10 to 15 seconds until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer the mixture to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let drain for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use a spatula and press on the onion and pepper mixture to remove any remaining liquid, then return the mix to the food processor and discard the drained liquid.
6. Add tomato paste, garlic, aleppo, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, black pepper and the remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt and process for another 10 to 15 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
7. Break up your mince into ping-pong size chunks and distribute around the bowl of the food processor. Combine the mixture, about 5 – 10 pulses. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Once rested, divide into 6 equal portions, about 80g each.
8. Once the dough balls have rested, remove a ball from the container and transfer to a generously floured surface. Use your hands and fingers to push the dough ball into a 10cm circle. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough thinly into a 20cm – 25cm circle. Make sure to use enough flour so your dough doesn’t stick to the surface.
9. Using a spoon and your fingertips, gently spread a portion of the mince mixture evenly over the flatbread base. Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and lightly brush with olive oil. Using a floured pizza paddle, transfer the flatbread to the tray and bake for about 7 minutes or until the dough is browned and the mince is cooked.
10. Top the cooked lahmacun with freshly chopped parsley, salad, tomatoes and freshly squeezed lemon. Cut into slices or fold it up like a wrap and enjoy!