Mix the meat topping. Place the ground beef or lamb in a large bowl. Add the chopped vegetables, grated garlic, tomato paste, Turkish red pepper paste, parsley, red pepper flakes, optional isot, black pepper and salt. Mix gently until evenly combined. The topping should be moist and spreadable, but not runny. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the dough.

Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar and salt. Add the lukewarm water and olive oil. Mix until a rough dough forms, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic. The dough should feel flexible without sticking heavily to your hands.

Rest the dough. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or reusable wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. It does not need to rise dramatically; this resting time relaxes the dough and makes it easier to roll very thinly.

Preheat the oven. Place a pizza stone, baking steel or inverted heavy baking tray inside the oven. Preheat the oven to its highest setting, ideally 250–260°C / 480–500°F, for at least 25 to 30 minutes. A thoroughly heated surface helps the thin dough become crisp before the topping releases moisture.

Divide the dough. Turn the rested dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Keep the dough balls covered while working so their surfaces do not dry out.

Roll each lahmacun thinly. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll it into a thin round or oval measuring approximately 25–28 cm / 10–11 inches. The dough should be much thinner than pizza dough, but strong enough to transfer without tearing.

Add the topping. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the meat mixture onto the rolled dough. Using the back of a spoon or your fingertips, spread it in a thin, even layer almost to the edges. Do not leave a thick pile in the center, as this can prevent the base from crisping properly.

Bake the lahmacun. Carefully transfer the topped dough onto the fully preheated stone, steel or inverted baking tray. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bottom is lightly crisp, the edges are browned and the meat topping is fully cooked. Depending on the size of your baking surface, bake one or two lahmacun at a time.

Keep the baked lahmacun warm. As each lahmacun comes out of the oven, transfer it to a plate or tray and cover lightly with a clean kitchen towel. This keeps it warm and flexible enough to roll when serving.

Serve traditionally. Serve the lahmacun hot with lemon wedges, fresh parsley and thinly sliced red onion tossed with sumac. Squeeze lemon over each piece, add the greens, roll it from one edge and enjoy immediately.