Gozleme Recipe (Turkish Stuffed Flatbread)

Gozleme is a delicious Turkish flatbread stuffed with different fillings such as potatoes and spinach. Watch the video to learn how to make the perfect gozleme recipe.  

We love Turkish food in general but breakfast items have a special place in our hearts. You can find Turkish recipes such as simit, menemen (eggs and tomatoes) and cilbir (Turkish eggs and yogurt) on the blog. Today I want to show you one of my favorite Turkish classics: gozleme. It’s a stuffed flatbread that’s made with the easiest dough (only three ingredients, no yeast!) and very delicious fillings! 

What is gozleme?

Gozleme is a traditional Turkish flatbread that’s stuffed with different fillings. The dough used to make gozleme is usually made without any leavening agents, however, there are also other types of gozleme dough that use yeast or eggs. The dough is thinly rolled out using a thin rolling pin called oklava, then filled with different fillings, folded, sealed and cooked in a pan. 

This Turkish flatbread is usually made on a traditional large pan called a sac. The sac is very large and almost flat. Turkish cooks grease the sac pretty well before cooking gozleme or, sometimes, they cook it in a nonstick pan without any oil and then brush butter on the pastry when it’s fully cooked. 

Authentic gozleme used to be made and served mostly in villages and rural areas in Turkey but in the last twenty years or so it has made its way into cities and is well loved by everyone. You can find gozleme in many cafes or restaurants. I love getting gozleme at the weekly farmers markets in Istanbul. 

Different fillings for gozleme

You can find traditional gozleme with many different fillings. Some of the most known gozleme fillings are:

• Peynirli: Made with cheese, you can use different types of cheese such as Kasar or feta to make cheese gozleme. 
• Patatesli: One of my favorites, this gozleme is made with a delicious spiced potato filling. We’re talking carbs on carbs, so good! 
• Ispanakli: Made with fresh spinach, feta and other greens, Ispanakli gozleme is one of the most popular types of Turkish flatbread. 
• Kiymali: The three fillings above are all vegetarian. However, if you’re looking for your gozleme to be even more filling, try kiymali gozleme. It’s made with a mixture of onion and ground beef with mild spices. 

Why this gozleme recipe works?

This is my favorite flatbread recipe for a few reasons:

• The dough is yeast free and so easy to make. 
• It calls for only 3 ingredients: flour, vegetable oil and water. 
• You can roll out the dough easily and patch up tears. 
• There are at least three different fillings for gozleme and all are delicious. 

Ingredients to make gozleme recipe 

As I mentioned before, gozleme is a simple Turkish stuffed flatbread that’s made with such basic ingredients. To make the gozleme dough recipe without yeast, you need flour, oil and water. 

As for the spinach filling, you need the following ingredients:

• Onion 
• Spinach 
• Dill
• Parsley
• Feta cheese

To make the potato filling, you only need a few ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Onion
• Tomato paste

Such a simple and satisfying dish, gozleme doesn’t require you to have any special culinary skills. It’s a very homey dish and it’s pretty much all hands-on. You can make it with your family and friends during the weekend and have everyone choose their favorite fillings and make their own gozleme. 

How to make gozleme recipe

Making gozleme includes three steps: preparing the dough, making the filling, and assembling it all together. Be sure to watch our how to make gozleme video for step by step instructions. 

Spinach and feta filling 

• Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion until translucent. 
• Add spinach, dill and parsley. Cook until spinach is wilted. 
• Stir in feta cheese, season with salt and pepper if desired.

Potato filling

• Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them in half. 
• Boil the potatoes in water with some salt until fork tender. 
• Heat some olive oil in a pan and saute onion until translucent. 
• Add in the tomato paste and cook for a minute. 
• Mash the potatoes and add them to the onion. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

The dough

It’s so easy to make gozleme dough without yeast or yogurt. Place flour, a pinch of salt, water and oil in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and knead until it comes together and forms a ball of dough. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes. This will make the dough easier to roll out. As the dough is resting, make the fillings for gozleme. 

Stuffing and cooking Turkish stuffed flatbread

Once the dough has rested and the fillings are prepared, it’s time to assemble and cook the gozleme. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll out one of the balls pretty thinly into a semi-circle shape. Spread the filling on half of the dough, then fold the other half on the filling and seal the edges. Try to make sure there aren’t many air bubbles in the pastry. The fewer air bubbles in your gozleme, the crispier your gozleme is going to be. 

Heat some oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, transfer the gozleme into the pan and let it cook for about 2-4 minutes, once it’s golden and crispy, flip and cook the other side. Transfer the gozleme onto a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. 

Can I bake these instead of frying?

As noted above, traditional gozleme recipe is made on the stove top in a pan called sac. You can also bake the gozleme following these instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 450ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Assemble the gozleme and place them on the baking sheet. 
• Once the oven is hot, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the gozleme for 8 minutes. 
• Flip the gozleme and bake for another 8 minutes or until the pastry is completely cooked and crispy. 

How large should the gozleme be?

Traditionally speaking, gozleme can be pretty large, especially if it’s made by women who are masters of gozleme and have been making the same gozleme recipe for decades. When making it at home, gozleme should be as small as the pan you’re going to fry them in because you don’t want the edges to hang. 

How to serve gozleme

Gozleme is a breakfast item that can also be served as a filling snack through the day. Being a full treat on its own, gozleme can also be served with a simple side of sliced cucumber and tomatoes drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. You can slice gozleme into pieces to grab or roll it into a wrap. You can also serve gozleme with pickles such as spicy peppers or cabbage. However you serve this stuffed Turkish flatbread, you’re going to love it!

Gozleme vs borek

If you have traveled in Turkey, especially Istanbul, you probably have seen borek shops on almost every corner. Borek is another popular Turkish food (more on that later) and it’s different from gozleme. Borek is made from layers of Yufka dough whereas the dough used for gozleme is a different type and there’s only one layer of dough. 

Can gozleme be frozen 

Turkish people don’t usually freeze gozleme and prefer to have it fresh. However, to freeze gozleme, you need to cook it first and let it cool completely. Then wrap each gozleme tightly in a plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. You can freeze gozleme for up to 2 months. To heat Turkish flatbread, unwrap it completely and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Heat in the oven at 280ºF for about 20 minutes until completely heated through. 

Notes and tips to make traditional gozleme recipe

• Gozleme is not supposed to be completely crispy so if yours softens a bit after sitting out for a while, it’s completely okay. 
• You can make gozleme using only one filling or two fillings. 
• To save time, make the fillings in advance and simply make the dough and assemble when you’re ready. 
• This gozleme recipe makes a great breakfast dish. It’s filling and makes a great grab and go breakfast. 

Looking for more Turkish recipes?

• Turkish lentil meatballs (mercimek koftesi)
• Lahmacun (Turkish pizza recipe)
• Turkish zucchini fritters (mucver)
• Turkish bulgur salad (kisir)