Thin Spiced Ground Meat Flatbreads

Thin rounds of soft dough topped with a spicy mixture of ground meat, peppers, tomato, onion, herbs, and red-pepper paste.

By Moow Editorial ·

Thin lahmacun flatbreads topped with spiced ground meat and vegetables
Photo: Rainer Zenz · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons · cropped by Moow
  • For less heat, replace some pepper paste with tomato paste and choose mild pepper flakes. Extra dough can be cooked in a skillet as small bazlama flatbreads.

At a glance

Read through the method once, then prep the ingredients in the order listed.

  • Yield: 12 flatbreads
  • Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour rising
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
For the most consistent result, use the listed weights when available; household measures are rounded.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One serving from the final reviewed yield of 12 flatbreads.

  • Calories: 320 kcal
  • Protein: 16 g
  • Carbohydrates: 44 g
  • Fat: 9 g
  • Sodium: 521 mg
Estimated from the listed ingredients and serving yield using USDA FoodData Central. Actual values vary with brands, substitutions, cooking losses, oil absorption, and portion size.

Dough

Have these measured and ready before you begin.

  • 2 1/8 cups (500 ml) warm water
  • scant 1/2 cup (100 ml) warm milk
  • 3 1/4 teaspoons (10 g) instant yeast
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 to 5 1/2 cups (600–660 g) all-purpose flour, added gradually

Meat Topping, Part 1

  • 1 pound (454 g) ground beef or lamb
  • 2 tbsp biber salçası (red pepper paste; substitute mild red pepper paste or tomato paste mixed with paprika)
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 slender green pepper, such as an Anaheim or sivri pepper
  • 1 red kapya pepper; substitute a red bell pepper
  • 1 onion
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) garlic sauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

Meat Topping, Part 2

  • 1 pinch isot (Urfa biber); substitute Aleppo pepper with a pinch of smoked paprika
  • 1 pinch sweet paprika
  • 1 pinch pul biber or Aleppo-style red pepper flakes
  • 4–5 tbsp water

Directions

1. Mix the warm water, milk, sugar, and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the olive oil and salt, then gradually work in enough flour to form a soft, nonsticky dough.

2. Knead until smooth, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.

3. Process the tomato, peppers, and onion until finely chopped. Combine with the ground meat, pepper paste, garlic sauce, parsley, spices, water, and salt added cautiously to taste; the mixture should be loose enough to spread.

4. Divide the dough into tangerine-size balls, cover them, and roll each into a thin dinner-plate-size round.

5. Spread a thin layer of topping over each round, nearly to the edge.

6. Heat a baking steel or inverted sheet pan at 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes. Bake each thin flatbread for 6–8 minutes, until the base is crisp and the topping reaches 160°F (71°C).

Sources

  1. USDA FoodData Central — April 2026 data release

Contains wheat and milk. Cook the ground-meat topping to 160°F (71°C), avoid cross-contamination from raw meat, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

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