Gözleme Recipes

SPINACH AND THREE CHEESE GOZLEME

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the water and olive oil. Using your fingers, draw the flour in from all sides, working the mixture until it's sticky and forms into a ball. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Transfer back to the bowl, drizzle with a little bit of oil, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
• Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into three equal pieces; you should have six equal pieces, each weighing about 2 ounces.
• Roll out each yufka ball into a very thin 8- to 9-inch round, using plenty of flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Stack them on top of each other with a piece of parchment paper between them and plenty of flour or lay them out slightly overlapping on a baking sheet.
• Heat an 11- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat and cook the yufka on one side until it starts to bubble up and lightly brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. You only need to partially cook each flatbread at this stage; don't get them too crispy or they will be dry and hard to work with. Stack them on top of each other as you cook each one so that they lightly steam and keep each other soft and pliable.
• If you are not using immediately, transfer the warm yufka to a large zip-top plastic bag and store at room temperature up to overnight. You can also freeze the yufka for up to 2 weeks. After thawing, reheat briefly in a skillet over medium heat before using.
• Heat the olive oil and onion in a sauté pan over medium-low heat and sweat the onion until softened, about 8 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape into a large mixing bowl and add the ricotta cheese, feta cheese, kasseri cheese, salt, parsley, mint, dill, and pepper to taste.
• When you are ready to assemble, put about 1⁄3 cup cheese filling on each yufka and smooth it to the edges in a very thin layer. Sprinkle evenly with 3⁄4 cup spinach and season lightly with salt. Fold the left side in towards the middle and then the right side towards the middle, overlapping by about 1⁄2 inch, to form a rectangle shape with an open top and bottom.
• When the gozleme are assembled, heat an 11- to 12-inch cast-iron or nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Place two gozleme at a time, seam side down, in the pan. Cook until the filling is hot, the spinach is wilted, and the bread is lightly toasted on one side but still soft on the other, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip to the other side and cook 1 minute more to heat through. Place on a tray and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm while you cook the remaining four gozleme. Cut into halves or strips and serve immediately.

GöZLEME

Steps:

• Add the flour, salt and dried yeast to a mixing bowl. I like to use an electronic scale here - measure the water and yogurt carefully on to the flour mixture. Mix with a large spoon - it will feel very wet. Cover with a tea towel and stand for 10 minutes.
• Give the dough another vigorous mix in the bowl. Oil your hands and also the work surface, turn the dough out and give it a good knead with for a couple of minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl and leave for 1 hour.
• When ready to cook the gözleme pull balls of dough off measuring roughly 100g and roll out on a lightly floured surface. You want the gözleme to be cardboard thin, oval shaped and roughly 9in (small pizza-like) in size.
• On to one half of the oval, grate about a tablespoon of halloumi, a teaspoon of dried mint and a 2 teaspoons of the cooked leek. If using, lightly smear blobs of the pepper paste onto the dough. Fold the other half over the filling and pinch the seams of the gözleme shut.
• Cook the gözleme in a dry frying pan over a moderate heat until the skin begins to blister and turn nut brown in some spots. Turn over and cook the other side of the gözleme. When ready, turn out onto a chopping board, cut into strips and serve immediately.