Description

Crispy Meat Flatbreads Stuffed with Cheesy Crust

These amazing tasting meat flatbreads are made with a perfect chewy dough that has a soft inside and a crispy layer on the outside! They’re topped with savory minced ground meat, spiced with authentic Middle Eastern spices, chopped tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs, and have a stuffed cheesy crust! Despite all the different variations of this recipe, this recipe, without a doubt, is my favorite!

Ingredients

Units Scale

FOR THE DOUGH

4 cups All-Purpose Flour (Sifted)
4 teaspoons RapidRise Instant Yeast (Fast-Acting)
1 1/3 cup Whole Milk
2/3 cup Water
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
4 teaspoons Olive Oil

FOR THE MEAT FILLING

1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef - 85/15: 85% lean meat, 15% fat
1 small sweet Red Bell Pepper
1 small Green Bell Pepper
1 Small Yellow Onion
6 oz Fresh Parsley leaves
3/4 tablespoons Mild Pepper Paste
3 oz Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon Paprika
1 tablespoon Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin

FOR CHEESE FILLING

1 1/2 lbs (24 ounces) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

FOR BRUSHING DOUGH

1/4 teaspoon Water
1/4 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

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Instructions

Firstly, start by warming your milk to 115°F. Then, add yeast, water, and sugar to the warm milk and cover with a tight lid or plastic wrap. Lastly, allow this to sit for 10 minutes for fermentation.
In a large bowl, add flour, yeast, salt, sugar and combine. Add milk, oil, water, and knead by hand or with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. Cover with cling plastic wrap and place in a room temperature for about 45 minutes to allow proofing to start. For the most part, this process should allow your dough to double in size.
For the topping, in a large bowl, combine ground beef, chopped red bell peppers, green bell peppers, onions, parsley, and then add your spices – cumin, paprika, black pepper, salt, tomato paste, and pepper paste, and combine.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a 1/4″ thickness and flatten down into a long oval shape about 8″ long on a lightly floured surface. While rolling your dough, make sure not to over-flour your surface. Fill edges with cheese about an inch thick around the diameter, folding the dough over the cheese and pushing down firmly to seal it closed. Lastly, pinch the ends and then twist to close the sides. Gently lift one side of the dough and flour underneath from both sides before completely lifting the dough. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough on top.
Fill a nice amount of the meat mixture into the center of all and push down softly to evenly distribute the meat to fill the center of your flatbread. (I didn’t measure exactly how much each filled, but it was approximately 8-10 oz of meat mixture for each flatbread.)
In a small saucer, first place water and oil together, then brush them lightly over the edges of the dough with a baking brush. Afterward, place one baking sheet at a time in the center of your oven and bake for 25 minutes at 450°F. Once done, place the next baking sheet and continue this process until all have been baked and enjoy!

Notes

To shape the dough without frustration, avoid kneading or overworking it, as this can make it tough. Don’t add too much flour when rolling it out; instead, lightly flour your rolling pin and work surface. Once shaped, gently roll the dough when transferring it to the baking sheet. Lift it carefully, sprinkling flour underneath. Then, lay it back down and lift again—it should come off easily without sticking.

*** Our Nutrition information is estimated, so please make sure to check your own calculations to fit your diet.

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25
Category: Appetizer, Entree
Method: Baked / Stove Top
Cuisine: Mediterranean