Turkish Gözleme – Thin Stuffed Flatbread with Spinach and Cheese

About This Recipe

Gözleme is one of Turkey's most beloved street foods and home-cooked meals — a large, hand-stretched flatbread folded around a filling of spinach and beyaz peynir (white cheese) and cooked on a hot flat griddle (sac) until crispy and golden. The dough is unleavened and very thin, almost like a large crepe in consistency, while the filling is simple and satisfying. The combination of salty cheese, wilted spinach and crispy dough is deeply addictive. The word gözleme comes from 'göz' (eye), referring to the small air pockets (eyes) that form in the dough as it cooks on the hot griddle. Gözleme is traditionally a village food, made by women who roll the dough on large wooden boards, filling and folding multiple rounds simultaneously on the communal griddle. At Turkish bazaars and markets, gözleme stalls are a fixture — the women stretching dough and filling flatbreads in a seamless, practiced rhythm. Gözleme is fantastically versatile: the filling can be anything from minced meat to potato to mixed herbs. At home, it comes together in 20 minutes and makes a perfect quick lunch, light dinner, or party snack cut into wedges.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gplain flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 200 mlwarm water
• 200 gfresh spinach(washed)
• 200 gbeyaz peynir or feta(crumbled)
• 1 small bunchflat-leaf parsley(chopped)
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspbutter(for cooking)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, salt and warm water. Mix and knead 5 minutes until smooth. Divide into 4, cover and rest 15 minutes.

   The dough should be soft and pliable — add water if needed.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Wilt spinach in a dry pan 2 minutes. Cool and squeeze out all moisture. Combine with crumbled cheese, parsley and black pepper.

3. 3

   Roll the dough

   Roll each dough ball as thin as possible on a floured surface — nearly translucent. Aim for a large oval or circle.

4. 4

   Fill and fold

   Spread filling over half the dough circle. Fold the other half over. Press edges to seal.

5. 5

   Cook

   Cook in a dry hot griddle or large frying pan over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, flip and cook the other side. Brush with butter immediately. Cook 1 more minute per side until golden and crispy in spots.

Variations

• •

  Kıymalı gözleme: fill with spiced minced lamb, onion and parsley.

• •

  Patatesli gözleme: mashed potato with butter, parsley and mild chilli flakes.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Leftovers reheat well in a dry pan or toaster for 2 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions