Easy Peasy Gozleme!

Up until a year ago I was scared of the words ‘yeast’ and ‘baking powder’ or ‘bicarbonate of soda’ when it came to anything that worked with flour, kneading or baking. When I heard about Gozleme dough, it looked like the simplest dough I’d ever heard of and I had to give it a try. I’ve since made this dough a dozen times and it seems to be fool-proof!

So what’s Gozleme? It’s simply a savoury flatbread dough filled with a savoury fillings and pan-fried till crispy and golden brown. The filling can consist of spiced minced beef, spinach and cheese, sujuk/chorizo and cheese, sautéed mushrooms or really whatever you want to use up in your fridge. Gozleme is traditionally from Turkey and is often sold as street food and at fairs and markets.

So here it is, the easiest of doughs. Feel free to use any filling you wish and be sure to experiment!

Gourmet Wog’s Gozleme! Serves 4

• 2 ½ cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ¾ cup water
• Olive Oil spray or extra oil to brush the pan

Beef Filling:

• 400 grams beef mince
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Spinach and Cheese Filling:

• 150 grams Danish Feta or ricotta
• 150 grams baby spinach
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Make the dough by sifting the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and oil and mix to combine. Lift out the dough onto your  bench top and knead for 10 minutes until silky smooth. Transfer the dough back into the bowl, cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, make your filling of choice. For the beef, I sautéed the onion till soft and slightly caramalised, add beef and brown for 5 minutes. Add your spices and season well. Add a tablespoon of water, mix and take it off the heat. Allow the meat mixture to cool down completely.

The spinach and cheese mixture is very simple! Add chopped spinach to a bowl, crumble in the feta and add the egg. Mix well to combine. Season well if your feta isn’t already salty.

Once the dough has rested, divide it into 4 equal pieces and roll out each ball as thin as possible. The dough should be silky and easily rolled. I roll out each ball to the diameter of my rolling-pin (30 cm). Add the cooled topping to two of the rolled out balls and use the other two rolled out balls to place on top and cover.

Heat your frying pan on a medium to high heat and grease well with olive oil spray or brush. Gently lift the Gozleme off your bench top and place onto the stove, cooking it for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Spray/brush your pan with more oil between sides. I used two frying pans to cook the two Gozleme’s at the same time.

Serve your sliced up Gozleme with plenty of fresh lemon. Enjoy while hot and crispy!

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