Lahmajun (Azerbaijani pizza)
8 servings
80 minutes
Lahmacun is a fragrant dish known as Azerbaijani pizza that embodies the richness of Eastern cuisine. Its roots go deep into the history of nomadic peoples, combining the traditions of baking thin dough with a rich meat filling. The crispy base made from yeast dough is rolled out thinly and topped with a juicy mixture of lamb, onions, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. This dish impresses with its rich flavor and harmonious balance of sweet-sour and spicy notes, creating an unforgettable gastronomic experience. Lahmacun is perfectly complemented by fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice, turning it into a true delight for gourmets. It is eaten hot, either rolled up or cut into pieces, making it convenient for friendly gatherings or a quick snack.
1
Prepare the yeast dough: dissolve sugar, salt, and dry yeast in warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes to foam. Then add flour and knead the dough. Cover with foil and leave in a warm place for half an hour (or longer for better dough). Once the dough has risen, divide it into 6 parts and let it rise again while preparing the filling.
- Water: 150 ml
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
- Dry yeast: 10 g
- Wheat flour: 400 g
2
Finely chop the onion (do not grate it!). If you prefer chopped meat instead of minced meat, it should be finely chopped. Make a cross incision on the 'bottom' of the tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water and peel off the skin. Also finely chop the tomatoes. Finely chop the parsley, melt butter or margarine. Mix all prepared ingredients well and pack them tightly in a bowl.
- Onion: 2 heads
- Minced lamb: 300 g
- Tomatoes: 2 pieces
- Parsley: to taste
- Butter: 75 g
3
Preheat the oven to 240 degrees.
4
Meanwhile, roll out each part of the dough thinly. Here's an interesting point - it's a matter of taste; all printed recipes say to roll the dough to a thickness of 5 mm, but in reality, in all restaurants or cafes in Turkey, the dough is served no thicker than 2 mm (my husband and I prefer exactly 2 mm, so we roll it out to that thickness).
5
Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Tip — transfer the dough without filling, otherwise you won't be able to do it later, as the filling is heavier than the thin dough and everything will just tear. Lightly brush the dough with beaten milk and salt. Place the filling and spread it over the entire surface. Sometimes it's advised to fold the edges to prevent juice from leaking during baking, but from my own experience — I never fold them, nothing leaks.
- Milk: 30 ml
- Salt: to taste
- Ground chili pepper: to taste
6
Send to the oven for 7-8 minutes. During this time, you can prepare the next lahmacun on another piece of parchment.