Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dough
- 350 g bread flour
- 240 ml water, lukewarm, roughly 35°C
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 8 g kosher salt
- 15 ml olive oil
- 5 g honey
Za'atar Base
- 20 g za'atar blend
- 45 ml olive oil
Spiced Lamb
- 300 g ground lamb
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 30 g tomato paste
- 5 g baharat spice blend
- 2 g ground cumin
- 4 g kosher salt
Finish
- 75 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 10 g fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 10 g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 692 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbohydrates
- 85 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 1512 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 47 mg
- Potassium
- 1455 mg
- Calcium
- 235 mg
- Iron
- 6.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 104 mg
- Phosphorus
- 357 mg
- Zinc
- 3.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 73 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 18 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 49 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.68 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.53 mg
- Niacin
- 9.3 mg
- Folate
- 106 mcg
- Water
- 129 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lukewarm water, yeast, and honey. Let stand for 5 minutes until frothy, then stir in the olive oil.
Add the bread flour and kosher salt to the yeast mixture. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
While the dough proofs, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb, breaking it apart, and cook until deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if there is more than a light coating left in the pan.
Add the diced onion to the lamb and cook for 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, baharat, cumin, and salt, cooking for 2 more minutes until highly fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 260°C/500°F. Allow the stone to heat for at least 30 minutes.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Roll or stretch each piece into an oval or circle roughly 5 millimeters thick. Place the shaped dough onto pieces of parchment paper for easy transfer.
In a small bowl, mix the za'atar blend and olive oil. Brush this mixture generously over the surface of each flatbread, leaving a small border around the edges.
Distribute the cooked spiced lamb mixture evenly over the za'atar base on each flatbread, pressing it gently into the dough.
Using a peel or inverted baking sheet, slide the flatbreads (on their parchment) onto the hot pizza stone. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until the edges are puffed, deeply golden, and blistered.
Remove the flatbreads from the oven. Immediately scatter the crumbled feta, chopped mint, and parsley over the top. Serve warm with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Chef's Notes
- Pre-cooking the lamb before baking is essential for this recipe. It prevents a greasy dough and ensures the spices are toasted and properly bloomed.
- A screaming hot oven is the secret to bakery-style flatbreads. Letting the pizza stone preheat for an extra 30 minutes after the oven registers as ready makes a massive difference in base crispness.
- If baharat is unavailable, you can make a quick substitute by combining equal parts paprika, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of clove or nutmeg.
- Never apply fresh herbs before baking in a 260C oven, as they will instantly burn and turn bitter. Always scatter them the moment the flatbreads emerge from the heat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store flatbreads wrapped tightly in foil or an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze baked flatbreads fully cooled, separated by layers of parchment paper.
Reheating: Reheat directly on the rack in a 200°C/400°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the crust is crisp.
Troubleshooting
Dough springs back and resists stretching
Cause: Gluten network is too tense
Fix: Cover the dough pieces with a damp towel and let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes before trying to stretch again
Prevention: Ensure the dough rests fully after dividing
Soggy bottom on the flatbread
Cause: Oven and baking stone were not preheated long enough, or lamb mixture was too greasy
Fix: Bake directly on the oven rack without the parchment paper for an additional 2 minutes
Prevention: Preheat the baking stone for at least 30 minutes at maximum temperature and drain excess lamb fat before topping
Cultural Context
This recipe bridges the gap between Lebanese manoushe, traditionally a soft breakfast flatbread painted simply with za'atar and oil, and lahmacun, an Armenian and Turkish flatbread topped with minced meat. By marrying the two, it captures the essential aromas of Levantine street foods in one balanced, highly shareable dish.
