Lahmacun Recipe - Give Recipe (2024)

Is Lahmacun A Turkish Pizza?

Lahmacun, lahmajoun or lahmajun is one of the most delicious dishes in Turkey. It is world widely known as Turkish pizza but the only similarity between lahmacun and pizza is how they look.

They are both round shaped and topped with a mixture. On the other hand, the dough crust of these are quite different. Lahmacun has a thinner crust, doesn’t have cheese and always topped with a ground meat(beef or lamb) mixture. Plus, it is rolled up before eating.

There is another type of flatbread in Turkey which is more similar to pizza: Pide. Its dough and toppings are quite similar. However, the shape of pide is oval (like a boat) and the edges of it are folded. That might be the reason why it’s not called pizza.

Also, check out our Turkish flatbread bazlama recipe!

Is Lahmacun Turkish Or Armenian?

Turkish and Armenian cultures have a lot in common in terms of their food because they used to live together during Ottoman Empire in the past.

Lahmacun is one of the foods both cuisines have. It is known as lamadjo in Armenia or Armenian pizza around the world.

So it’s hard to say who invented lahmacun first.

Also, there are some slight variations between these:

Turkish Lahmacun: Generally, it's super thin and topped with minced beef or lamb mixed with vegetables, herbs, and spices, then baked until the crust is crispy. It's typically served rolled with additional fresh fillings.

Armenian Lahmacun: This version usually incorporates more garlic and bell peppers in the topping. Also, the topping contains sumac and pomegranate molasses. It's often served flat, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon on top.

Lahmacun is not just limited to Turkish and Armenian cuisines; it's a popular dish in various Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries, including Syria and Lebanon.

Types Of Lahmacun

So how do we eat lahmacun? Put some parsley, onions and salad on it, squeeze lemon over these, roll it up and enjoy!

There are two types of lahmacun in Turkish cuisine:

Large and crispy: One of them is with very thin and crispy crust and as big as a plate as you see in the pictures here in this post. This one is made all around the country with some little twists.

Small and soft: The other version is as smaller as a saucer and quite popular in the southern part of Turkey. It is called findik lahmacun. Fındık means hazelnut in Turkish and it is a word used to describe how small this version of lahmacun is. It has a soft and thicker crust as the dough is made with dry yeast.

How To Make The Dough

It is a simple 3-ingredient no-yeast dough. Although there are lahmacun recipes around calling for yeast, there is really no need for that. Masters of lahmacun in Turkey says that it shouldn’t be a soft dough because you roll it out thin. So if you don’t like working with yeast, this recipe is for you.

Whisk together 3 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pour water gradually over these and mix with your hand until everything holds together well. It should be a hard dough. You might need to wet your hand a few times when making this dough. Alternatively, you can make the dough in a stand mixer too.

Slightly dust the counter with flour and transfer the dough on it. Knead it about 5-7 minutes until you have a smooth dough.

Give it a log shape about 14 inches (35cm) length. Cut it into 11 pieces. Roll each of them into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest until you prepare the topping.

PRO TIP: Don’t forget to cover the remaining patties with a clean kitchen towel when rolling out one of them. Otherwise, they might dry out.

Is There A Shortcut For Lahmajoun Dough?

Yes! You can use store-bought pizza dough, but it might not be rolled out as thin as the homemade dough. Still, it works fine for those who don’t want to bother making the dough from scratch.

How To Cook It

Traditionally it is cooked in a large stone oven, but it’s not possible when you are making it at home. There are two cooking options of homemade lahmacun:

1. In the oven: Preheat the oven to 450F/230C. Roll out each piece of dough balls on a floured counter into a thin circle. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can bake two flatbreads in a baking sheet at a time. Spread a thin layer of the topping mixture on it. Make sure all parts including the edges are coated well. Gently press on the mixture so that it sticks on the dough well and spreads evenly. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Repeat the same steps for the remaining dough balls. Change the parchment paper with a new one after baking three times of baking.
2. On the stove: Heat a non-stick pan with a lid over medium low heat. Roll out a dough ball on a floured counter into a thin circle that is not bigger than the pan you are using. Gently place it in the hot pan. Spread the topping mixture on it using a spoon. Gently press on it with the back of the spoon. Cover the pan with the lid and cook it for 7-8 minutes or until you see some marks at the bottom. Repeat for the remaining dough balls.

As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!

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• Author:
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 11 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Turkish

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 232
• Sugar: 1.7 g
• Sodium: 452.9 mg
• Fat: 7.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 29.6 g
• Protein: 10.3 g
• Cholesterol: 25.8 mg