Ingredients for Dough:

 

2 cups of warm water

 

1 tablespoon of dry instant active yeast

 

Half a tablespoon of sugar

 

2 tablespoons of olive oil

 

Four cups of wheat  flour

 

 

Ingredients for Topping:

 

21 - 25 ounces (600-700 grams) of ground beef (preferably, halal)

 

1 14.5-ounce (411-gram) can of diced tomatoes with juice

 

1 large onion, chopped

 

5 garlic cloves, minced

 

1 full tablespoon of tomato paste

 

1 tablespoon of olive oil

 

1 teaspoon of paprika

 

Half a teaspoon of black pepper

 

Salt, according to taste

 

Parsley, according to taste

 

[Optional] Chili, cumin and baharat, according to taste

 

[Optional] Mint, according to taste

 

 

Directions

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/232 degrees Celsius. (Or to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/204 degrees Celsius for a slightly softer crust.)

 

Combine yeast and warm water and let stand for several minutes until frothy. Add to the flour, oil and sugar and combine to form a dough. It should have an elastic consistency. Moisten the dough with extra olive oil and cover. Let the dough rise for 40 minutes to one hour until it has doubled in size.

 

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse briefly until a paste has formed. Alternatively, add the beef to the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and combine by hand.

 

Punch the dough down, and separate into about 20 fist-sized portions. Keep under a damp cloth.

 

Roll out one lump of dough into a small, thin circle, but New-York chef Susan Sady recommends (see video) not into the full size of a lahmajoon. (The dough will expand while baking.)

 

Apply a thin layer of the topping to the edges of the dough. Place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.

 

Serve folded over or face-up, topped with juice from a slice of lemon.

 

(Makes about 20 lahmajoons)