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Gozleme

★★★★★

5 from 1 review
  • Author: Gonul
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Gozlemes 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Let's make a truly authentic gozleme — Turkish flatbread with fillings! This is our family recipe that was passed down for at least five generations. No yeast, all-flavor with three tasty filling options: spinach-feta, plant-based mince, or spicy potato! Incidentally vegan with a gluten-free option. 

Ingredients

Scale

Dough (makes 8 small gozlemes, as pictured)

  • 2.75 cups (400g) all-purpose flour (Note 1)
  • 1/2 tsp (3g) table salt, double if using kosher
  • 1 cup + 4 tsp (260ml) water
  • extra flour for shaping and rolling the dough (1/2 cup)

Choose One Filling (each option makes enough filling for 8 small gozlemes)

Spinach:

  • 4 cups (900g / 32 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and strained (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (200g) plant-based feta (Note 3)

Mince:

  • 1.5 cups (300g) plant-based ground beef (Note 4)
  • 1 large onion (300g), finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Optional: 1/2 cup plant-based mozzarella shreds

Potato:

  • 4 medium Russet potatoes (800g), boiled and peeled (See Note 5)
  • 2 bunches of scallions (~10 stems), chopped
  • 2 tbsp Aleppo pepper (See Note 6)
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For Cooking & Serving:

  • 1/2 tsp olive oil per each gozleme
  • lemon wedges

Instructions

Dough:

  1. Add flour, salt, and water into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined, usually takes 1-2 minutes. Hand-knead for about 10 minutes (or 4 minutes with stand-mixer on medium-speed) until the texture is no longer sticky and becomes smooth.
  2. Cover and rest for at least half an hour for the gluten to relax.
  3. The relaxed dough should minimally bounce back when poked. Divide into 8 pieces and shape them into balls using your palms. Set aside the balls until it’s time to roll them out.

Fillings:

Each filling option ingredients are listed to be enough for 8 small gozlemes (82g ball of dough each); so choose only ONE, or make 1/2 or 1/3 batches to try more filling options!

Spinach:

  1. Squeeze out most of the water from the thawed spinach and season with salt.
  2. Crumble up vegan feta and mix into the spinach.

Mince:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook it down for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the mince, and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
  3. Cool before using. Mix in the plant-based mozzarella if desired.

Potato:

  1. Grate the boiled and peeled potatoes into a medium-sized mixing bowl after they are cooled.
  2. Mix in the chopped scallions, Aleppo pepper, cayenne, paprika, and salt.

Assembly:

  1. Liberally dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out each ball as thinly as you can. 1-2mm thickness is ideal. The original recipe that calls for 82g balls can be rolled into an 8-in (20-cm) diameter circle. The edges don’t need to look perfect since they’ll be folded in.
  2. Spread filling into the middle of the dough in a square shape. Fold all sides over like a parcel and lightly press down the edges to seal.
  3. Sprinkle flour on a cutting board or pizza paddle. Slide the gozleme onto the board to make transferring onto the cooking surface easier.

Cooking & Serving:

  1. Over medium-high heat, heat up 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet. Get as many pans going as you have space for on the stovetop to shorten the cooking time.
  2. Place gozleme into skillet. Cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes until golden and crispy on both sides. A little charring is common.
  3. Serve them immediately plain or with a pepper spread on the side. Although not popular in Turkey, some like to squeeze lemon as well. I recommend enjoying them with Turkish tea or vegan ayran.
  4. Although best when enjoyed fresh, gozleme will keep for a few days in the refrigerator and you may freeze it in airtight bags for up to three months. Reheat on a skillet the same way, or heat up a large batch in the oven at 375°F for 12-15 minutes.

Notes

  1.    Can be made with gluten-free flour. If necessary, I highly recommend using King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill measure-for-measure GF flours. The small-sized gozlemes are perfect if you make them GF as the dough will be more prone to tears while kneading due to a lack of robust structure traditionally provided by gluten. 65% hydration is ideal for both regular and gluten-free versions.
  2.    Can be substituted with fresh spinach by tripling the volume measurement (cups) and cooking it down. Freezing and thawing makes it easy to squeeze out the excess water. My great-grandmother always uses fresh spinach, but she also cooks gozleme on a sac with lots of surface area where the filling can perfectly cook through. However, I found that on a regular-sized skillet, most of the spinach stays raw. If using mature fresh spinach with hard stems, make sure not to add them here.
  3.    I like the Violife or Trader Joe’s brands if using store-bought vegan feta. However, when heated through as with this recipe, they both melt due to their first ingredient being coconut oil. You can make your own with a tofu or almond base as well.
  4.    Any store-bought plant-based mince would work. In my experience, Impossible Meat tastes closest to the real deal. You can use my walnut and mushroom vegan mince recipe for a healthier and more accessible option as well!
  5.    Always boil your root vegetables by starting them in cold, unsalted water. This ensures that the inside can cook through before the edges of the vegetable become mushy. I like the starchy Russet for gozleme, but feel free to substitute with any type of potato you like.
  6.    Aleppo (aka pul biber) is a bright, fruity type of chili flakes commonly consumed in the Eastern Mediterranean. If you ever decide to build a Turkish pantry, make sure to start with Aleppo or Urfa pepper flakes—ideally both. Feel free to substitute with regular chili flakes if not available.
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Turkish, Snack, Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: Turkish

Find it online: https://aegeandelight.com/authentic-gozleme/