Gözleme is a savory Turkish pastry stuffed with a variation of fillings and lightly fried until golden. They are often shaped into half moons or squares. Fillings may include meat, seafood, vegetables, or cheese. I made these Gözleme with spinach, lemon, mint, pine nuts, and feta cheese. I absolutely loved the combination and they were especially popular with Evan. It was a wonderful, vegetable-packed afternoon snack.
In Turkey, the size of these stuffed flatbreads can become quite large and are cooked on huge pans. For easy serving, they can be sliced into strips.
I was able to freeze the extra Gözleme after frying in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet, then transferred them to a freezer bag. To reheat, I baked them in a 350 degree F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.
I rolled each piece of dough into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. You want the dough thin, but not so thin that it cannot withstand the weight of the filling.
Spinach, Mint and Pine Nut Gözleme (Turkish Savory Pastry)
Adapted from Milk and Honey
8 pastries
Dough:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup (180 milliliters) lukewarm water (105-115 degrees F)
2 cups 00 or all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons olive oil
Filling:
14 ounces (400 grams) baby spinach leaves
1 3/4 ounces (50 grams) pine nuts
zest of 1 lemon
7 ounces (200 grams) feta cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
3 tablespoons olive oil
lemon wedges for serving
In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over water. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a dough blade or a large bowl, combine flour, caster sugar, and salt. Mix in yeast with water and olive oil until dough comes together. If too crumbly, add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time, until smooth. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Oil a large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Place a large pan over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted. Transfer to a colander. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze any excess water out and place leaves in a large bowl.
Clean and dry the large pan and place over medium heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring often, just until toasted and fragrant. Add to the spinach. Mix in the lemon zest, feta, mint, and pepper.
Divide the risen dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 piece into a ball. Roll the ball out into a 7-8 inch wide circle. Spread 1/8th of the filling over half of the circle, leaving about 1 inch around the edges clean. Fold the circle over to form a half moon, pressing the edges to seal. Place on a piece of parchment or on a non stick surface and brush the top with olive oil. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Place a large pan over medium heat and brush with olive oil. Add the Gözleme, 1-2 at a time depending on size of pan, and cook until golden. Flip and cook the other side until golden. Remove to a serving plate and cover with foil or place in a warm oven to keep hot while you repeat with remaining Gözleme.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
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