Gozleme (Turkish Village Flatbread)

About This Recipe

Gozleme is sold across Turkey by women called yufkaci who roll the dough paper-thin with long thin rolling pins, right at market stalls, and cook it to order on a domed metal griddle called a sac. The dough is simple — flour, water, a little yogurt or oil — but rolling it thin enough is the real skill, since a properly made gozleme should be almost translucent before it's folded around the filling. Spinach and crumbled white cheese is the classic filling, though potato, minced meat, or pumpkin versions are equally common; whichever filling is used, the dough is folded into a rectangle and cooked directly on the hot griddle until blistered and golden.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 cupwarm water
• 2 tbspplain yogurt
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 1 tspsalt
• 300 gfresh spinach(chopped and wilted)
• 200 gfeta cheese(crumbled)
• 1onion(finely diced and softened)
• 1/4 cupmelted butter(for brushing)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, water, yogurt, olive oil and salt into a smooth, soft dough; knead 8 minutes until elastic.

2. 2

   Rest

   Cover and let the dough rest 30 minutes so it relaxes and rolls out easily.

3. 3

   Prepare the filling

   Wilt spinach, squeeze out excess water, and mix with feta and softened onion.

4. 4

   Roll thin

   Divide dough into 4 pieces and roll each out as thin as possible, ideally to a translucent, paper-thin round.

5. 5

   Fill and fold

   Spread filling over half of each round, fold into a rectangle, sealing the edges by pressing firmly.

   The thinner you roll the dough, the crisper and more authentic the gozleme.

6. 6

   Griddle-cook

   Cook on a hot dry griddle or large skillet over medium heat, 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and blistered.

7. 7

   Finish

   Brush with melted butter as it comes off the griddle and slice into wedges to serve hot.

Variations

• •

  Kiymali gozleme uses seasoned ground beef or lamb instead of spinach and cheese.

• •

  Patatesli gozleme is filled with mashed spiced potato, a favorite among children.

• •

  A sweet version filled with tahini and grape molasses (pekmez) is served as a dessert in some regions.

Storage

Best eaten hot off the griddle; leftovers keep a day refrigerated and reheat in a dry skillet, though the crispness won't fully return.

Frequently Asked Questions