Lahmajun - Savory Beef-Topped Flatbreads

Faith picked this out to eat while she was here and YUM, as if I would expect anything different from Shuk. It was pretty basic ingredient filling, which Faith made, but the flavor was Soo tasty. It was so good, even reheated the next day. This is a definite remake in the future. We also had the tasty Kohlrabi, Cucumber, and Avocado salad that we made when the D'Anna's were here. 

Some things I did this time:

• For the Laffa dough, I added extra flour when I was originally making it and then added more as I was rolling them out. It took a lot more than the recipe prescribed. The first flatbread I made was a nightmare, but the other 3 were much better. 
• My pan was literally smoking for the Laffa dough, but that really helped the dough beautifully bubble up. 
• I doubled the recipe since there was 3 of us and the ratio of topping to flatbread was a little high. I think it would be more tasty next time if the filling wasn't so thick and was more crispy. 
• For the filling, we did not include pine nuts. 

Lahmujan

Time: 30 minutes

Makes: Two 8-inch pies 

Ingredients:

     2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

     1 large yellow onion, chopped

     2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

     1/4 jalapeno chile, cored, seeded, and chopped

     1/2 pound ground beef

     2 teaspoons tomato paste

     2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

     Pinch of sugar 

     1 teaspoon kosher salt

     1 teaspoon ground cumin

     Freshly ground black pepper

     Several fresh mint leaves

     1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted or fried

     1 recipe Laffa dough

Steps:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. 
2. Add the ground beef, increase the heat to high, and cook, crumbling the meat with a fork as it cooks until it's broken into tiny pieces and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and set aside. 
3. In the same pan, combine the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, and sugar. Cook, stirring continuously, for 1 to 2 minutes (this will help cut the acid in the tomatoes). Return the meat to the pan and season with the salt, cumin, and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint and pine nuts. Set aside. (The topping can be prepared, cooled, and stored in the fridge up to a few days before using. 
4. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a ball. Let sit for another 10 minutes. 
5. While the dough is resting, preheat the over to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
6. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each round of dough into an 7-inch disc, about 1/4 inch thick or even thinner. 
7. Heat a 9 or 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Brush the skillet lightly with vegetable oil and flop one dough onto the skillet. Sear until you start seeing bubbles on the surface of the dough, about 2 minutes, then flip and sear on the second side for 2 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the second dough disc. 
8. Divide the topping between the dough discs and spread evenly, leaving about 2/3 inch exposed around the edges. Bake just until the meat is nicely browned and lightly crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. 
9. Cut the lahmajun into wedges or slices using a pizza cutter. Serve at once. 

Laffa

Time: 90 minutes (including 60 minutes rise time)

Makes: 2 to 4 Laffa breads

Ingredients:

     1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

     1/2 teaspoon sugar

     1/4 cup lukewarm water (about 110 degrees)

     1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

     2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

     2 tablespoons soda water

Steps:

1. Combine the yeast and sugar in a small bowl, pour over the like water, and let sit for about 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy. 
2. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and soda water and mix with your fingers or a rubber spatula until a dough starts to come together. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. 
3. Grease a large bowl with oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let sit until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. (At this point, the dough can also be wrapped up in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day before use). 
4. If you're using the Laffa dough to make Lahmajun, stop here and continue with the Lahmajun recipe, beginning with "Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a ball."
5. If you're making the Laffa as a flatbread, divide the dough into 2, 3, or 4 pieces (according to the number of breads you want) and roll each piece into a ball. Let sit for 10 minutes. 
6. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each dough ball into rounds about 1/4 inch thick or thinner (The actual diameter depends on how many Laffa breads you want to make). 
7. Heat a 9 or 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the skillet lightly with vegetable oil and flop one dough disc onto the skillet. Sear until you have plenty of nice scorch marks, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the second side the same way, making sure the dough is cooked through. Continue with all of the dough rounds. 
8. Serve at once - Laffas are best when they are served straight from the skillet. If you have leftovers, wrap them in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 1 month and reheat for a few minutes in a hot oven. 

EAT