Bill,
What you described sounded familiar and led me to search my files to see if I had a recipe for what you described. I found a recipe that I had saved but never tried. It is as follows:
Lahmajoon Armenian Meat Breads (from Calling All Cooks)
For the dough:
1 packet dry active yeast
1 c. warm water (around 105-115° F)
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. sugar
1 t. Kosher salt
1/4 c. vegetable oil
Proof the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes until foam appears. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, then add the sugar and salt, and mix with a spatula. Create a well in the center and pour in the vegetable oil and the yeast mixture. Fold together all the ingredients until well combined. Knead the dough thoroughly for about 10 minutes or until it is smooth and thick. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 2 1/2 hours. Once risen, punch the dough down, divide the dough into 13 egg-sized balls, and roll each by hand. Roll each ball with a rolling pin into 7” or 8” diameter rounds, about 1/8” thick. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
For the meat topping:
1 lb. lean ground beef or lamb (lamb is the classic ingredient)
3 T. tomato paste
1 T. Kosher salt
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. sweet paprika
1 T. dried mint
1/2 t. allspice
1 1/2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
3 T. finely chopped green bell pepper
1 t. finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 (14-oz.) can seedless chopped tomatoes, well drained and rinsed
Lemon wedges and plain yogurt, for garnish
To prepare the meat topping, combine the ground beef or lamb, the tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, mint, and the allspice in a bowl. In a food processor, pulse the onion and fresh garlic until it has a thick-chunky texture. Add to the meat mixture. Next, add the bell pepper, jalapeno and parsley to the food processor and pulse just until fine. Then add to the meat and onion mixture. Lastly, add the tomatoes to the food processor, puree, and then add to the meat mixture. Mix well by hand or a spatula. Let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 hours.
When ready to make the lahmajoons, spread a thin layer of the meat mixture—about 2 ounces—onto each dough round and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the edges of the dough start to brown. To serve, stack the baked breads on top of each other in a tower. When ready to serve, squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top of each lahmajoon, followed by a dollop of plain yogurt. Roll up like a wrap and eat. If desired, the baked breads may be wrapped in wax paper and stored in a plastic freezer bag and frozen for future use.
Peter
