Lahmacun Turkish Pizza

Step 1

In a small bowl, mix yeast and the sugar.

Step 2

Add 1/2 cup of warm water, stir well, and close the lid (or cover with a plate). 15 minutes

Step 3

In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup warm water, flour and the yeast mixture.

Step 4

Mix everything well and knead it into a nice soft dough.

Step 5

Coat the dough with just a little bit of oil, cover with a damp cloth and leave it to rise in a warm place.

Step 6

Give it a rest for around 1 hour before you take it out from the cover. When you do take the dough out, make sure it has doubled in size.

Step 7

Once the time is up, open up the lid and punch the dough a little.

Step 8

Flour the working surface and drop the dough.

Step 9

Cut it into pieces smaller than a tennis ball but larger that a golf ball.

Step 10

You should have about 10-12 pieces.

Step 11

Roll each one and place on the floured surface.

Step 12

Cover with a damp cloth and let it stand until your topping is ready (about 20 minutes).

Step 13

Turn the oven on and keep it at 420 F.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE TOPPING

Step 14

Wash the greens well and chop them

Step 15

Cut the onion and garlic in minced pieces.

Step 16

Heat the skillet on medium-high heat and melt the butter.

Step 17

Add the onion and garlic mixture; saute for about 1 minute.

Step 18

Reduce the heat to low, close the lid and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Step 19

Take the skillet off the burner and cool the onion mixture.

Step 20

Peel the skin off the tomato and cut it to very small pieces.

Step 21

A lot of people like to seed the tomatoes. I don’t like it, since it also removes all the juice from the tomato. But if you feel like seeding the tomato, go ahead.

Step 22

Have all the ingredients in one big bowl.

Step 23

At this point, add chili pepper, tomato paste, salt, cumin, cinnamon,lemon juice, paprika, chopped jalapenos (or chopped pickled hot peppers) and mix everything very well. I am stressing this—the ingredients MUST be well mixed!

Step 24

The dough is well-rested at this point.

Step 25

Take the dough one by one and roll into a round, flat circle or an oval measuring up to 5 mm thick. If you like Lahmacuns very thin. This way they come out a little crispy, if you like them much softer, this portion a little thicker but no more than 5-8 mm.

Step 26

Some use pizza stones to bake Lahmacuns, or use regular baking sheets.

Step 27

Sprinkle some non-fat cooking spray (or just a little oil will work), place the rolled dough on the sheet, slightly brush with some olive oil (canola oil works too) and top up with 2 tablespoons of the ready topping.

Step 28

Spread the topping evenly and very thinly.

Step 29

Place 2 pieces of doughs in one regular 11″x17″ size baking sheet. If you have bigger sheets and want to use those, you are more than welcome to do so. Three baking sheets are enough to keep the whole process going pretty fast.

Step 30

Put two baking sheets in the oven at a time. The top one usually gets baked faster.

Step 31

When you take the ready batch out, rotate the bottom one to the top and place a new batch on the lower rack.

Step 32

The oven should remain at 420F—not too high and not too low.

Step 33

Since you are going to be constantly opening the oven, the temperature ideally will stay at about 370F.

Step 34

Cooked Lahmacuns are crispy at the ends and softer in the middle. Corners usually get nicely tanned.

Step 35

Take them off the baking sheet to a wider container and cover with a towel until you are done with every single one of them. Humidity under the towel will soften Lahmacuns, making it very easy for you to roll them around the fresh ingredients you might want to use.

Step 36

You can add Lahmacuns rolled around onions, some fresh curly parsley and hand-squeezed lemon juice.