The Gözleme is a Turkish stuffed bread.
The dough is usually unleavened and made only with flour, salt, and water, but it can also be prepared with leavened dough.
The word gözleme derives from the Turkish word közleme which means “grill/cook on embers”.
The Yörük (nomads) Turks prepared gözleme while traveling from Central Asia and settling in Anatolia, present-day Turkey.
It is similar to bazlama (leavened Turkish flatbread), but it is lightly brushed with butter or oil before serving, while bazlama is prepared without fats.
The dough is rolled out thin, then filled with various toppings, sealed, and cooked on a convex tava-saj (griddle).
The fillings are numerous and vary depending on the region and personal preferences and include:
meat (beef, lamb, sujuk, pastirma), but also fresh or smoked seafood;
vegetables (spinach, zucchini, eggplant, leeks, Swiss chard, peppers, onion, shallot);
mushrooms (porcini, chanterelles, truffle);
tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, radish);
cheeses (feta, Turkish white cheese (Beyaz Peynir), lavaş, çökelek, Kasseri, and Kashkaval);
eggs, seasonal herbs, and spices.
The most classic filling is spinach and feta.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 20 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 3/4 cup water
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2.2 lbs spinach
- 1 onion
- 7 oz feta
- to taste salt and pepper
Tools
- 1 tava
Steps
Mix the flour with water and oil. Add the salt.
Knead the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Prepare the filling by combining the spinach with the chopped onion and crumbled feta. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces, form balls, and roll them out.
Fill half of each rolled-out dough and fold it into a half-moon shape.
Cook on a tava or skillet for 4 minutes per side.
Brush with oil or clarified butter, cut into wedges, and serve with lemon.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is a tava?
A tava(h), tawa(h), tapa, saj or sac is a cooking utensil, similar to a large disk-shaped pan, flat, concave, or convex in metal (usually sheet metal, cast iron, or aluminum), originating from the Indian subcontinent.
It is used in Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, the Caribbean, the Balkans, and South Asia to cook a variety of flatbreads and as a frying pan. Sometimes the term is also used to refer to a ceramic pan.
In the Middle East, convex tava/saj are used, while in South Asia all versions are found: flat, convex, and concave.
