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A plate of round flatbreads, some topped with sesame and nigella seeds, one with a bite taken showing a ground meat filling, next to a glass teapot and a tea cup on a blue surface.
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Oven Baked Beef Stuffed Flatbread (From Scratch Dough)

Yield: 10 Flatbreads
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total: 2 hours 10 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
A soft yeasted dough stuffed with a seven spiced ground beef filling, pressed thin, scored and baked until golden and crackly on top. It's inspired by a classic Iraqi recipe, and perfect for your freezer. Don't be intimidated - it's one of the easiest dough recipes to shape!
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Ingredients
 
 

For The Dough:

  • 2 cups warm water, divided
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 750 g all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt

For The Beef Stuffing:

  • 907 g lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 cup parsley, optional
  • 2 teaspoons seven spice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons paprika

Topping:

  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon nigella seeds

Instructions
 

To Make The Dough:

  • In the large bowl of a stand mixer, bloom yeast in 1 cup warm water for ~10 minutes until bubbly.
  • Add flour, second cup of water, olive oil, and salt. Knead by hand or stand mixer on low-medium for at least 10 minutes, until smooth and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough isn't soft, add splashes of water and knead 4-5 minutes until incorporated. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky.
  • Gather with oiled hands into a ball, slick the top with oil, cover, and let rise 1-2 hours.
  • After rising, punch down the dough with oiled hands. Divided into into palm sized dough balls and place them on an oiled tray. You should be able to get 10 to 12 dough balls. Cover and allow them to proof for 15 to 20 minutes.

To Make The Beef Stuffing:

  • Finely chop onion and garlic (and parsley if using - but my kids don't like it) together in a food processor. Squeeze the extra moisture from the vegetables using your hands, then mix with the rest of the ingredients by hand. Don’t over mix. Set aside.

Shaping:

  • Preheat oven to 400°F on bake.
  • Split the beef mixture into 10-12 balls, matching the dough balls, but slightly smaller so they fit right on top.
  • Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper, then oil generously (about 1/4 cup olive oil) and oil your hands. Parchment prevents sticking. Without it, leaked egg wash can bake into a hard crust that glues the bread to the pan.
  • Place a beef ball on top of each dough ball and stretch the dough around it until the beef is fully enclosed. Set aside on a tray.
  • Each pan fits 4-5 breads — use two pans or work in batches. Press each stuffed ball out by hand as thin as possible into a 5-6 inch circle.

Baking:

  • Score crisscross lines into the surface of each bread with a knife or bench scraper. This keeps the dough from puffing up and separating from the meat.
  • Brush all breads with egg wash, then sprinkle with sesame and nigella seeds.
  • Bake on the bottom rack at 400°F for 20 minutes. Check that the bottoms are set and slightly golden. if still wet, bake 5-10 minutes more.
  • Once bottoms are crusted, broil for 5 to 7 minutes, rotating the pan halfway for even browning, until golden and crispy on top.
  • Remove from oven and let cool, then transfer to a platter.

Notes

  • I use olive oil to spread out the dough, not flour. This is important to help achieve a crisp crust on the bottom and the top. It also adds a ton of flavour! 
  • Make sure to cover the pan with parchment paper. I made the mistake of baking on the pan directly and some of mine stuck to the sheet pan.
  • To freeze: Let cool slightly, cut into quarters, layer in freezer bags with parchment between pieces. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.
     
Serving: 1Flatbread, Calories: 475kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 893mg, Potassium: 471mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 176IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 6mg
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