Gözleme is a savoury Turkish stuffed flatbread that’s popular at any mealtime and is one of Turkey’s most famous street foods. The dough is usually unleavened, and made only with flour, salt and water, but gözleme can be made from yeast dough as well. The dough is rolled thin, then filled with various toppings, sealed, and cooked over a griddle. You’ll find cheat’s recipes online made with pre-made flatbreads. By all means take this time-saving step, but the homemade result will be much better and certainly more satisfying!
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Fillings are numerous and vary by region and include a variety of meats (minced beef, chopped lamb, fresh or smoked seafood, sujuk, pastirma), vegetables (spinach, zucchini, eggplant, leek, chard, various peppers, onion, scallion, shallot, garlic), mushrooms (porcino, chanterelle, truffle), tubers (potatoes, yams, radish), cheeses (feta, Turkish white cheese, lavaş, Beyaz peynir, çökelek, Kasseri, and Kashkaval), as well as eggs, seasonal herbs, 
We featured four classic fillings for you to try. The amount of dough is enough for one recipe of these fillings. You could make half of one and half of another.  Make sure you read the notes before commencing your creation. Serves 4 – easy to double.

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Gozleme

INGREDIENTS:    ​
For the dough:

• 2 cups (285g) all-purpose (plain) flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tblsps (30ml) olive oil
• 3/4 cup (180ml) water

Filling Suggestion 1: Spicy Meat Gözleme

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ lb (340g) minced lamb or beef
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or paprika, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3oz (85g) feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup green onions, sliced thin
• ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, and dill)

​​Filling Suggestion 2: Spinach and Feta Gözleme

• 6oz (170g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 6oz (170g) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 ¼ cups (140g) shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup green onions, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, and dill)
• Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Filling Suggestion 3: Potato Gözleme

• 2lbs (900g) potatoes, peeled and boiled until soft (about 3 medium)
• 7oz (200g) feta cheese, crumbled           
• ½ cup green onions, sliced thin
• ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, and dill)
• Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

​Filling Suggestion 4: Cheese Gözleme

• 16oz (450g) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 10oz (280g) feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup green onions, sliced thin
• ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, and dill)
• Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste  

​METHOD:
To make the dough:

1. Combine the flour, salt, and oil in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, add water until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. It should not be too sticky or too dry.
2. Remove the dough from the processor and give it a couple of kneads on the counter. Wrap in plastic and let rest about 20 minutes. In the meantime, make your filling.

To make filling suggestion 1:

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until translucent and beginning to soften. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
2. Add the lamb or beef and cook until brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
3. When the meat is cooked through, add the chopped red bell pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the feta, green onion, and chopped fresh herbs. Let cool slightly before filling.

To make filing suggestion 2:

1. ​Combine the spinach, feta, mozzarella, green onion, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Taste before adding salt, as the feta may be salty.
2. Using your hands, squeeze the mixture several times to soften the spinach, making it easier to work with.

To make filling suggestion 3:

1. Combine the boiled potatoes, feta, spring onion, chopped fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
2. Use a fork to roughly mash the potatoes.

To make filling suggestion 4:

1. Combine both cheeses, green onion, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper.

TO PREPARE THE GÖZLEME:

1. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into balls. Keep them covered on the counter while you roll them out.
2. Divide the filling into 4 equal portions.
3. Roll out a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch (25.5 cm) circle.
4. Put a portion of filling on the top half of the circle, leaving a half inch border around the edges.
5. Fold the bottom half up over the top half and seal the edges, pressing firmly all around the edge to seal it shut.
6. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.

TO COOK:

1. Heat 4 tbls oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add one quarter and cook until golden brown, pressing down so that all the surface and the edges come into contact with the pan. Flip and cook on the second side, adding a little more oil if desired, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Repeat with the remaining Gözleme.
4. Cut into triangles and serve.

Notes:
You can make a Gözleme dough with yogurt. Substitute 1/3 cup of yogurt for the olive oil. You may need a little more or a little less water so add it slowly until you have a smooth dough.

In place of the crushed red pepper flakes or paprika, you could look for Urfa biber (Urfa pepper), a Turkish chili pepper that’s distinctive for its dark burgundy colour, irregularly sized flakes, and intriguing salty-sweet-smoky-sour flavour.