Easy No-Yeast Lahmacun or Turkish Pizza, a quick and delicious take on the classic Turkish flatbread made with a simple dough that does not require yeast nor any rising time. Topped with a flavour-packed mixture of lean beef mince, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, onion and warming pepper flakes, these crispy flatbreads are ready in an hour and make a fantastic family meal with a Mediterranean touch.
I absolutely love the Turkish cuisine, perhaps because it has a lot in common with the Romanian one, which I grew up with, and because it relies on simple, fresh, everyday ingredients to create delicious meals that are packed with flavour.
Lahmacun is one of Turkey's most popular street foods, a thin flat bread topped with a savoury mixture of minced meat, tomatoes, herbs and spices. This quick no-yeast version is ideal for busy home cooks who wants to enjoy this Turkish pizza without the extra prep time.
Unlike an Italian pizza, which has a soft and chewy yeast dough, the Turkish version is baked at a very high temperature for a much shorter amount of time until crisp and the meat is cooked through.
One spice that is traditionally found in the mince mixture is ground cumin, but I did not add it in my recipe, I am not the biggest fan of cumin in anything that's not a curry. By all means, you can add a teaspoon of cumin if you wish for a more authentic feel.
I also omitted cumin from my beef kofta kebabs, another recipe that would traditionally have cumin in, but yeah, not for me!
If you like Lahmacun, you might like these similar recipes: no-yeast yogurt flatbread, veggie pizza or mini peperoni pizzas.
Jump to:
Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
The dough
- flour - I used plain everyday flour, no raising agents are required for this dough
- salt - there is no need for a fancy salt here, table salt would do
- water - I used lukewarm water, it helps the flour be more pliable
- olive oil - makes the dough easier to roll and keeps it from drying out out
The beef mixture
- minced beef - or ground beef, I used lean mince, a fatty one will turn the flatbreads too greasy
- tomatoes - make sure to deseed them, if they are too watery, the mixture will be messy
- paprika - I used regular one, but smoked paprika or hot paprika work too
- tomato paste - adds a bright red colour and natural sweetness
- parsley - it has to be fresh, it adds freshness and a vibrant colour
- salt & pepper - to taste
- onion and garlic - I used a shallot, but a small regular onion or red onion would do too. Use fresh garlic rather than garlic granules for a more intense flavour
- olive oil - keeps the mixture moist and flavourful without making it greasy
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- to make the dough, sift the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the warm water, salt and olive oil and knead well until you have a soft dough that does not stick to the hands
- cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and leave it to rest for 30 minutes
- divide the dough in 4 equal parts, then roll each dough ball into a thin disc
- to make the topping, mix the minced beef with grated onion and garlic plus all the other ingredients
- spread a thin layer of beef mixture over each dough disc
- bake each Lahmacun in the preheated oven at 250 degrees Celsius (480 Fahrenheit) for 8- 9 minutes until the dough is crisp and the beef is cooked though
Expert tips
It is important to leave the dough to rest, it relaxes the gluten and makes the dough a lot more pliable and easy to work with. If the dough does not have time to rest, it springs back when you roll it.
Don't overload the dough, a thin layer of mince cooks faster and keeps the dough crisp. Make sure the oven is well preheated before adding the flatbreads, we need them to cook at a high temperature for a short amount of time to evaporate excess moisture.
It also keeps the crust thin and crisp, while the centre is tender. I did not spread the mince mixture all the way to the edges to avoid the juices running out and making a mess in the oven.
Other Turkish recipes you might like
If you’ve liked this recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM , YOUTUBE, TIK TOK , FLIPBOARD and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Easy No-Yeast Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza)
Ingredients
For the dough
- 250 g plain flour (2 cups)
- 125 ml lukewarm water (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the topping
- 250 g lean beef mince (ground beef, ½ lb)
- 2 tomatoes on the vine
- 1 shallot
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- To make the dough, sift the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the water, salt and olive oil and knead well for at least 5 minutes or until you have a smooth and elastic dough that does not stick to the hands.
- Add more flour if necessary.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius (480 Fahrenheit).
- To make the topping, peel and grate the shallot and garlic.
- Deseed and chop the tomatoes into small cubes and chop the parsley finely.
- Mix the minced beef with the rest of the ingrediens.
- Divide the dough into 4 parts, and use a rolling pin to roll out each dough ball into a thin disc.
- Spread each dough disc with a thin layer of beef mixture.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes until the dough is crip and the beef is cooked through.
- Serve it with extra fresh parsley, lemon wedges or chopped onion.
Video
Notes
- It is important to leave the dough to rest, it relaxes the gluten and makes the dough a lot more pliable and easy to work with.
- If the dough does not have time to rest, it springs back when you roll it.
- Don't overload the dough, a thin layer of mince cooks faster and keeps the dough crisp.
- Make sure the oven is well preheated before adding the flatbreads, we need them to cook at a high temperature for a short amount of time to evaporate excess moisture.
- It also keeps the crust thin and crisp, while the centre is tender. I did not spread the mince mixture all the way to the edges to avoid the juices running out and making a mess in the oven.
Nutrition
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Leave a Reply