Turkish pizza with ground lamb - Lahmacun

Prep time: 10 mins     Cook time: 1 hr     Other: 1 hr 

Serves: 4-8

A different kind of pizza! This Turkish street food is served without the cheese topping but instead is topped with a flavourful topping of minced beef or lamb and vegetables. You can sprinkle some chilli flakes if you like it spicy or leave it mild. It is delicious! Serve it with salad and chopped parsley, roll it up or fold it with the fresh vegetables inside.

For the dough:

455 g bread flour

250 ml lukewarm water

1 tsp (5 g) yeast

1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (or sugar)

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

For the topping:

600 g minced lamb (or swap it for minced beef - 10% fat)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 green bell pepper (or swap for red), chopped

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

2 tsp cumin seeds, ground

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped tomatoes

3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

a handful of parsley leaf, finely chopped

a handful of coriander leaf, finely chopped

salt and black pepper

To serve:

large handful of parsley leaf, chopped

lettuce

tomato, cut in wedges

julienned carrot

1. Start with the topping: heat up oil in a frying pan, add onion and soften. Add garlic, chopped pepper, minced meat and spices (cumin, paprika, cinnamon and chilli flakes - if using) and cook until meat is browned. Season with salt and pepper. Then add tomato paste and chopped tomato, and simmer until reduced. Add pine nuts and chopped parsley and coriander leaf and mix well.

2. Leave to cool completely. You can skim off the excess of fat. You can prepare this stet ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to cook.

3. To make the dough: mix all the ingredients together and knead to make a smooth dough. Cover with a cotton kitchen towel or cling film and let rest in a warm place for about 1 hr.

4. When ready to cook, heat up the oven to 200*C. Prepare baking tray. Put the baking tray in the oven to heat up (you can use 2 shelves). 

5. Deflate the dough and separate into 8 equal pieces. Working 2 at a time, roll out to create an oval shape. Working quickly, take 1 tray out of the oven, place 2 pieces of dough on it and spread the topping - leaving about 1 cm edge - and bake for about 10-15 mins or until the edges start browning. Repeat the steps with the rest of the dough.

6. To serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley and a salad on the side (or indeed inside the folded rolled or folded pizza).

7. Enjoy!