Gözleme is a very popular street food in Turkey. You can find it in markets, small cafés, and roadside stalls across the country. It is a thin flatbread filled with different ingredients, then folded and cooked on a large flat pan. The most common fillings are cheese, spinach, or potato. Traditionally, it is cooked on a wide metal griddle called a sac. At home, you can prepare it easily in a large pan.
😌 Difficulty: Medium
⏱️ Preparation time: 30 minutes
🔥 Cooking time: 20 minutes
⏳ Total time: 50 minutes
👥 Servings: 4 flatbreads
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 180 ml warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 200 g fresh spinach, finely chopped
- 150 g feta cheese (Turkish beyaz peynir – white brined cheese)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Black pepper
For cooking:
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
Typical side:
- Ayran (Turkish yogurt drink)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Add warm water and olive oil. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix chopped spinach, crumbled feta, olive oil, and black pepper.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
- Roll one piece into a thin circle on a lightly floured surface. It should be very thin but not torn.
- Spread a portion of the filling on one half of the dough. Leave a small border at the edge.
- Fold the other half over the filling. Press the edges firmly with your fingers to seal.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Lightly brush with oil or butter.
- Cook the flatbread for about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown spots appear.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Cut into pieces and serve warm.
SpinThatCuisine Tip 💡
Roll the dough as thin as possible. Thin dough cooks evenly and gives the traditional light street-food texture.