Gözleme (Turkish Flatbread)
Gözleme is a savoury traditional Turkish flatbread, made of hand-rolled dough that is lightly brushed with butter and eggs, filled with various toppings, sealed, and cooked over a griddle. The name derives from the Turkish word "göz", meaning "compartment", in reference to the pocket of dough in which the various toppings are sealed and cooked. Traditionally, this is done over a saç griddle. Fillings for gözleme are numerous and vary by region and personal preference. They include a variety of meats (minced beef, chopped lamb, fresh or smoked seafood, sucuk, pastirma), vegetables (spinach, zucchini, eggplant, leek, chard, various peppers, onion, scallion, shallot, garlic), mushrooms (porcino, chanterelle, truffle), tubers (potatoes, yams, cassava, radish), cheeses (feta, Turkish white cheese, lavaş, kaşar, kaşkaval), eggs, and seasonal herbs and spices. A modern variation is honey and banana served hot with a slice of lemon.
Total Time
60 minutes
Servings
10
5¼ cups (600 grams) all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons (15 grams) salt
2 teaspoons (7 grams) dry yeast
1 teaspoon (4 grams) white granulated sugar
1¼ cups (300 grams) water
½ cup (100 grams) oil
⅓ cup (65 grams) butter
Sift flour in a large bowl, reserving 1 cup of flour.
Sprinkle with salt and mix. Make a well in the centre.
Combine yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Stir in ¼ cup warm water.
Pour the liquid into the well in the centre of the flour.
Cover yeast with some flour. Let stand for 10 minutes to rise.
10 minutes
Stir in remaining liquid, blending thoroughly. Knead for 5 minutes to form a medium-soft dough.
5 minutes
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
1 hour
Place dough on lightly floured board. Divide into 10 portions with floured hands.
Shape portions into balls; roll each ball out with rolling pin into a 5 mm thick rectangle. Brush with oil.
Fold opposite edges over, bringing edges together in centre.
Spread filling over half of pastry. Then fold other half over filling, shaping into an oblong.
Seal edges well, pressing slightly.
Heat griddle or a cast iron skillet.
Grease with butter and place gözleme on griddle.
Brown on both sides.
Serve hot with ayran.