Gozleme (Turkish Stuffed Flatbread)
Soft hand-rolled dough stuffed with salty white cheese, parsley and onion, cooked on a hot pan until golden and blistered — gozleme is Turkish street food at its most comforting.
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Ingredients
500 g (4 cups) plain flour, plus extra for rolling
1 tsp salt
300 ml warm water
2 tbsp sunflower oil, for the dough
300 g Turkish white cheese, crumbled
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 tsp pul biber (Turkish pepper flakes)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
100 g butter, melted, for brushing
Instructions
- 1
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, then work in the warm water and oil until a soft dough forms; knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 2
Cover the dough and rest it for at least 30 minutes — this makes it much easier to roll thin.
- 3
Meanwhile stir together the crumbled white cheese, parsley, onion, pul biber and black pepper for the filling.
- 4
Divide the dough into 4 balls and, on a floured surface, roll each one into a very thin round about 35 cm across.
- 5
Spread a quarter of the filling over one half of the round, leaving a small border, then fold the other half over and press the edges to seal.
- 6
Heat a wide dry frying pan over medium heat and cook the gozleme for 2-3 minutes per side, pressing gently, until golden brown spots appear.
- 7
Brush the hot gozleme generously with melted butter, cut into strips and serve straight away.
- 8
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, stacking the cooked gozleme under a clean tea towel to keep them soft.
Walk through any Turkish market and you will find women sitting cross-legged at a low table, rolling dough paper-thin and flipping gozleme on a domed sac griddle. The smell of toasted flour and melting cheese is impossible to resist. The good news is that gozleme needs no special equipment at home — a wide non-stick or cast-iron frying pan does the job beautifully in a UK kitchen.
The secret is a simple unyeasted dough rested long enough to roll out very thin, and a filling that is generously seasoned. Cheese and parsley is the timeless classic, but the same dough works with spiced potato, spinach or minced lamb. Brush the cooked gozleme with melted butter the moment it comes off the pan so the surface stays supple and glossy.
Serve it cut into wide strips with a cold glass of ayran and a few briny black olives on the side. Everything you need, from Turkish white cheese to proper pul biber, is available at Turkish Online Market with UK-wide delivery.
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