Lahmacun Turkish Spicy Mince Pizzas
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus overnight or 1.5 hours resting time
Cooking time: 15 minutes per pizza
Makes 4 pizzas
Start this recipe the day before if you can
For dough
- 600g/21.2ozs. flour
- 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 450ml/15flozs. water
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
For topping
- 2 onions, peeled
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 5 cherry tomatoes or 1 tomato
- 4 tablespoons/80g/3ozs tomato paste
- 20g/1 cup parsley leaves
- 2 large red chillies
- 500g/1.1lbs minced lamb or beef (lamb is traditional)
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 3 teaspoons of salt (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons Turkish Aleppo chilli or cayenne chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
To serve:
- Fresh parsley and lemon wedges
Step 1 - Make the dough first by whisking the flour, yeast and garlic powder together in a very large bowl. Dissolve the salt into the water and then mix into the flour mixture and make sure that there isn't any dry flour bits. With a silicon spatula shape into a ballish shape (it won't be overly stiff) and drizzle with oil and cover and leave to rise overnight. See above for quicker method if you don't have time to wait overnight.
Step 2 - Make the filling. Place the onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley and chillies in a food processor and chop until fine. Add the mince, pomegranate molasses, salt, smoked paprika, chilli, cumin seeds, sumac, black pepper and cinnamon and process until smooth in texture. I always try the mixture by heating it up and tasting it because you need to check it for seasoning.
Step 3 - Preheat oven to 230C/460F and have a few 30cm/11.8inch pizza trays ready (you can also do this on parchment, the pizza trays just help to keep it in a round shape). Have a bowl of flour for sprinkling ready. Oil your hands and section the dough into quarters. Take a round pizza tray and sprinkle with flour. Shape dough into a ball and press out. You may need to rest it for 5 minutes or so while stretching it out. The dough should be thin and even (unlike say a Neapolitan pizza where the edges are puffy). Spread the beef mixture over the top reaching to the edge. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve with fresh lemon and parsley.