Turkish Gozleme with Spinach and Cheese

Gozleme: From Village Kitchens to a Popular Street Food

Gozleme is a traditional Turkish flatbread with its roots in village cooking.

There are many varieties of gozleme in Türkiye, with different fillings depending on the region and personal preference. The version we're making here is ıspanaklı gözleme (spinach gozleme), which in Türkiye usually includes cheese along with the spinach.

For us, it brings back childhood memories. Both Yusuf's grandparents and mine lived in villages in different parts of Türkiye, where cooking over a wood fire was part of everyday life.

Traditionally, women would roll out the dough, fill it with whatever ingredients they had at home, and cook it over a wood fire on a large metal griddle called a sac. The filling could be anything from fresh herbs and cheese to potatoes or ground meat.

Today, what was once mainly a part of village cooking has become a popular street food across the country.

You'll find it at open vegetable and fruit markets called pazar, beaches, historical sites, and even on busy streets in Istanbul.

If you've ever travelled by bus in Türkiye, you may have spotted someone making fresh gozleme at a roadside stop.

And you don't need a restaurant to sell gozleme! A small stand and a hot sac are often enough. You might even see women making it from the back of a pickup truck. That's one of the things we love about gozleme. You can come across someone making it fresh in the most unexpected places.

About the Ingredients

In this gozleme recipe, we use a simple yeast dough and a spinach and cheese filling. Here's what you need and a few things to keep in mind.

For the gozleme dough: We use all-purpose flour, instant yeast, salt, and lukewarm water. You may have seen gozleme recipes made without yeast, and that works too! But the dough tends to be chewier. We prefer using yeast because it gives the gozleme a lovely soft texture.

For the filling: Fresh spinach, onion, Turkish white cheese (beyaz peynir) or feta cheese, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Both cheeses can be quite salty, so taste your cheese before adding the salt.

You can find the full list of ingredients with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

Authentic Turkish Gozleme Should Be Thin and Soft!

We've come across quite a few recipes online where the finished gozleme looks more like a thick stuffed flatbread. They might taste delicious, but traditional Turkish gozleme should be thin.

And thin doesn't mean crispy! A good gozleme should be soft and flexible enough to fold or even roll up as you eat it.

The key is to roll the dough out as thinly as you can without tearing it. Take your time with this step.

Letting the dough balls rest for 10 minutes helps the gluten relax, making the dough easier to roll out thinly.

As you roll, lightly dust both the top and bottom with flour whenever needed to prevent sticking, but don't use too much.

What if the dough tears while rolling?

Don't worry! For a small tear, simply pinch the dough back together with your fingertips, sprinkle a little flour over the spot, and gently continue rolling. If the tear is bigger, you can fold a small section of dough over it, press gently to seal, and roll over it again.

And don't give up if your first few attempts aren't perfect! You'll probably find it much easier after rolling out the first two or three dough balls. Rolling dough thin isn't difficult, but it does take a little practice. Just be patient!

What Else Can You Add to the Filling?

The spinach and cheese filling we're using in this gozleme recipe is quite simple, but sometimes we like to add a few extra ingredients for more flavor. Here are some of our favorites:

• Fresh herbs and green onions: Chopped parsley, dill, or thinly sliced green onions add a lovely flavor.
• Pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes): Add a little if you like some heat in your gozleme.

What to Serve with Gozleme

If we're having gozleme for breakfast, there's always a glass of Turkish tea on the table! We serve it with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, black and green olives, and whatever else we have in the fridge for a Turkish breakfast.

For lunch or dinner, a cold glass of ayran is a must for us. We often add some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers on the side, too.

And here's something you might want to try: We love squeezing fresh lemon juice over our spinach and cheese gozleme! We do this with pretty much anything made with spinach. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we think it tastes wonderful.

Storage, Freezing & Reheating

Storing: Let the gozleme cool completely, then wrap them in paper towels and place them in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing: We haven't tried freezing cooked gozleme ourselves, so we can't say for sure how well it holds up after thawing. 

Reheating: We prefer reheating gozleme in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat, turning occasionally until heated through. Don't leave it in the pan too long, or the dough may dry out. 

Can I Make Gozleme Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can prepare the dough a day ahead. Let it rise as directed in the recipe, then cover it tightly and refrigerate. When you're ready to make the gozleme, take the dough out of the fridge at least 30 minutes beforehand to let it come to room temperature. Then divide it into balls, let them rest for 10 minutes, and roll them out as usual.

You can prepare the spinach and cheese filling up to an hour ahead, but we wouldn't recommend leaving it much longer, as the spinach may release water. If you want to get more prep done the day before, wash, dry, and chop the spinach and keep it in the fridge. Mix it with the other filling ingredients when you're ready to make the gozleme.

More Turkish Pastries

Here are a few more Turkish pastries we'd love you to try!

• Spinach and Cheese Börek
• Potato Börek
• Pişi (Turkish Fried Dough)
• Turkish Poğaça
• Quick Turkish Poğaça with Dill
• Turkish Pide
• Simit

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