Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)

Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes) is a delicious savory Turkish flatbread filled with various fillings such as mince, cheese, spinach, or potatoes.

The options for stuffing are endless and mostly depend on the region as well as on personal preferences.

In this blog post, I will tell you about the history of gozleme, as well as some tips and tricks for making your own.

Jump to:

• What is Gozleme?
• History of Gozleme
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Gozleme?
• Serving Suggestions
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)

If you've ever traveled to Turkey or even just walked around a Turkish neighborhood, you've probably come across gozleme.

This traditional Turkish flatbread, also known as Turkish Pancakes is traditionally served for breakfast or as a snack.

They now have become very popular street food over the last few decades.

Whether eaten as a savory snack or for breakfast, gozleme is the nation's favorite.

With a simple dough and different filling options, you can make your own gozleme and experiment with different flavors.

What is Gozleme?

Gozleme is a popular Turkish flatbread (also known as Turkish pancakes) made with a leavened or unleavened dough filled with various fillings, mostly mince, spinach, or cheese.

The word "gozleme" comes from the Turkish word "goz," which means "eye."

This is because the dough is rolled out very thin, and the fillings can often be seen through the dough.

Although it is a bit time-consuming to make gozleme from scratch, it is really worth the effort and time spent.

The gozleme dough is quite similar to that used in Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread) and Greek Pita Bread, so you can prepare it ahead of time to save time.

You can store the dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook your Gozleme.

History of Gozleme

Gozleme has a long history in Turkey, dating back to the days when nomadic Turkic tribes would make flatbread on their travels.

Just like Arayes (Meat Stuffed Pita), it was a convenient and portable way to carry food and could be filled with whatever ingredients were available.

Today, gozleme is still a popular street food in Turkey and is often served at markets and festivals.

Gozleme is traditionally cooked on a gas-powered metal dome called a "sac griddle" but the good news is that a good quality heavy-based frying pan would do the job.

Why This Recipe Works?

• You can double the recipe up and freeze some of these scrumptious pastries. It is very easy to defrost leftover gozleme. Simply cover them with tin foil and place them in a preheated oven to 180° C (360° F) for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are piping hot.

• This gozleme dough recipe will be enough to make 5 medium-sized gozleme, or you can make 4 large if you are feeling very hungry and you have a large frying pan.

• Like the rest of my Turkish recipes, this gozleme recipe uses simple yet fresh ingredients.

Ingredients and Substitutes

The Dough

Gozleme dough can be made leavened or unleavened, and they both taste delicious.

I prefer the leavened version but sometimes in a hurry, I leave the yeast out and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the dough.

• Strong white flour - It is also known as strong bread flour. It is made from hard wheat varieties and contains more gluten than other types of flour. It gives some elasticity to the dough which makes it easier to roll out.

• Yeast - Use fast-action dried yeast or alternatively fresh yeast if you prefer. You need to double the amount if using fresh yeast.

• Sugar - I use caster sugar or granulated sugar. It feeds the yeast and helps the dough rise.

• Salt - It increases the strength of the dough as well as the flavor.

Popular Fillings for Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)

There are many options when it comes to deciding about what to stuff your gozleme with!

Beef or lamb mince, feta cheese, spinach, potatoes, sucuk, pastirma, halloumi, cheddar, roasted red peppers.

The list is only limited to your imagination.

I will give the recipes for the most popular fillings but you can mix & match and create your own!

Mince Filling

• Minced meat - You can use beef or lamb, or a mixture of both. Try and use mince with a minimum of 15-20% fat for extra flavor. Mince with a high-fat ratio releases enough fat to saute the onions when you brown them, therefore, you don't need to add any olive oil!

• Tomatoes - Red & juicy summer tomatoes are always the best option. Remove the eye of the tomatoes and cut them into small cubes.

• Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it online from Amazon.

• Parsley - It is one of the most popular herbs in Turkish cooking. Try and use fresh flatleaf parsley. Finely chop it before adding it to the filling at the end of the cooking period.

Cheese Filling

• Feta - I prefer feta cheese made with sheep milk with high-fat content with a creamy texture.

• Kasar cheese - It is a semi-hard yellow cheese that is similar to cheddar but much milder and is made from sheep milk. It is widely used in Turkey for pastries and general cooking. You can replace kasar with mozzarella, gouda, cheddar, or any other semi-hard cheese you like. They are available in most Turkish or Middle Eastern shops and on Amazon.

• Herbs - Parsley, mint, and dill are my favorite herbs to pair with cheese but you can use basil, oregano, thyme, chervil, or chives instead. If you want to use dried herbs, use ⅓ of the amount.

Spinach Filling

• Spinach - I prefer using fresh spinach leaves but you can make these delicious pastries with frozen spinach if you prefer. Wash and dry the spinach before using it. You can replace spinach with cavalo Nero or nettle leaves.

• Minced meat - You can use beef or lamb, or a mixture of both. Try and use mince with a minimum of 15-20% fat for extra flavor. Mince with a high-fat ratio releases enough fat to saute the onions when you brown them, therefore, you don't need to add any olive oil!

• Onion - They add umami flavor and sweetness to the spinach and feta filling. You can use white, brown, or yellow onions.

• Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavoring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater. I use two large or three small fresh garlic cloves for this recipe.

• Chilli - Adjust it to your taste. You can use fresh chilies or chili powder instead of flaked chili.

How to Make Gozleme?

Making these delicious stuffed flatbreads is an easy task but requires some time and a bit of patience.

To achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

Prepare the Gozleme Dough

You can prepare the dough up to two days in advance and keep it in the fridge until needed.

Simply take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before cooking.

To make the gozleme dough, place the water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl.

Stir and leave it for 10 minutes until it forms bubbles.

Add the salt and flour, and mix until forming a soft and sticky dough.

Depending on the type of flour or the humidity of the room, you might need less flour than the recipe calls for.

Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth but slightly sticking to your hands.

Add a little bit of extra flour if it's too sticky.

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it has doubled its size.

Prepare the Filling

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling of your choice and let it cool down (if necessary) to room temperature before proceeding to cook gozleme.

You can prepare the filling up to 3 days in advance to save time on the day of cooking.

Mince Filling

To make the mince filling, put a heavy-based pan on medium heat and brown the mince until it releases its fat.

If your mince is fairly fatty, you will end up with enough fat to saute the onions.

If you are using lean mince, add some olive oil to the pan and saute the onions until soft and translucent.

Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, chili, and paprika, and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the chopped tomatoes, and cook them for a few more minutes.

Let it cool down before filling the gozleme dough.

Cheese Filling

To make the cheese filling, crumble the feta cheese into a bowl and add the grated kashar cheese or cheddar cheese along with chopped parsley, dill, and mint.

Mix well to combine and it's ready to go!

Spinach Filling

To make the spinach filling, heat a large pan or wok on medium heat.

Brown the mince until it releases its fat.

Break the mince down into small pieces with a wooden spoon while cooking.

Add olive oil if needed and stir in the onions and garlic.

Cook until translucent then add chili, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and paprika.

Sauté for another minute.

Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes or until the water from the spinach evaporates.

Remove from the heat and let it cool down before using.

Alternatively, you can use the vegetarian spinach filling I use for Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek) or Spinach and Feta Borek recipes.

Assemble and Cook

After the dough is doubled up in size, divide it into 5 equal pieces and leave them to rest for another 15 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough balls and cover them with a clean kitchen cloth.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out each of the dough balls with a rolling pin into thin, flat rounds, about 25 cm ( 9") in diameter.

Sprinkle a little flour as you roll the dough so that the dough won’t stick.

Scatter 3 tablespoons of the filling of your choice onto one half of the round.

Fold the other half over the filling and pinch the seams of the gozleme shut.

Put a heavy-based frying pan or a skillet over medium heat.

When the pan is hot, place the gozleme carefully on the pan and cook until the skin begins to blister and turn brown in some spots.

Flip using a thong and cook for a few more minutes until golden brown.

Remove on a plate and brush with some soft butter and keep warm with a clean cloth or tin foil while cooking the rest of the gozleme.

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

Serving Suggestions

Gozleme is a great snack to eat on its own.

If you want to have it for lunch or dinner, serve it with some soup like Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup), Vegan Pumpkin Soup, or Spiced Butternut Squash Soup and a bowl of salad like Greek Cucumber Salad or Tomato and Walnut Salad (Gavurdagi Salatasi).

Turkish tea and Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink) are two popular drinks to pair with gozleme.

Top Tips From the Chef

• Knead the dough for at least five minutes to form a soft and elastic dough. It is much easier to work with elastic dough without tearing it.

• If the dough doesn't roll out easily, let it rest for 10 minutes and try to roll it out again.

• When rolling the dough out, sprinkle a little flour as you roll the dough so that the dough won’t stick.

• Be sure to roll out the dough very thin. This will help the gozleme become crispy and golden brown.

• Make the filling(s) up to 3 days in advance to save some time and make the dough and assemble it when you're ready. 

• Don't overfill the gozleme, or it will be difficult to seal and cook properly.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more scrumptious Turkish pastry recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious street food "Gozleme - Turkish Pancakes" as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

This post is featured by Twinkl in their ‘Pancake Day 2022’ blog'.

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