Ingredients

To make the dough –

  • ▢3 cups All Purpose flour
  • ▢2 ¼ teaspoon Active Dry yeast
  • ▢1 teaspoon Sugar
  • ▢3 tablespoon Olive oil
  • ▢2 tablespoon Yogurt
  • ▢1 teaspoon Salt
  • ▢1 ¼ cup Warm water might need more or less

To make the Filling –

  • ▢10 oz Spinach chopped
  • ▢1 Onion finely chopped
  • ▢8 oz Feta cheese
  • ▢1 ½ teaspoon Crushed red pepper adjust based on spice level
  • ▢2 teaspoon Olive oil

Instructions

To make the  dough –

  • I made the dough in my stand mixer. In the bowl of the mixer, add the  flour and salt and mix to combine.
  • In a measuring cup, heat about 1 cup of water. Add the active dry yeast and sugar to the water and mix well. Cover the cup and let the yeast proof for about 10 minutes.
  • The yeast would be bubbly and foamy at the end of 10 minutes. If the yeast does not appear foamy, then the yeast might be dead and you have to start with a new batch.
  • Add the yogurt and the yeast mixture to the bowl along with the olive oil and start mixing. Add more water if needed to make a very soft dough. The dough would be very soft but not sticky.
  • Dived the dough into 6 equal pieces and make a smooth ball. Place the dough balls on a greased tray, well spaced and cover with a plastic wrap.
  • Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes to an hour or until it has doubled in size.

To make the spinach and feta filling –

  • I used frozen chopped spinach to make the filling.for the Gozleme. In a microwave safe bowl, place the spinach and thaw it in the microwave according to the instructions on the microwave.
  • Squeeze all the extra water out of the thawed spinach and keep it aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan and once it heats up, add the chopped onion. Let the onion cook a bit.
  • Add the crushed red pepper to the onions and let it cook for couple of minutes more. Do not let the onions caramelize too much. Just cook until they are soft and translucent.
  • Add the prepared spinach to the pan and mix well to combine. Cook for couple of minutes more for flavors to combine. DO NOT ADD SALT. The Feta cheese has a lot of salt and that was just enough for the filling. Also taste the cheese and then decide if you need any extra salt.
  • Let the spinach onion mixture cool down to room temperature and then add the crumbled feta to the mixture. Mix well to evenly combine.

To shape and cook the Gozleme –

  • Once the dough has risen, take one piece of dough and place it on a well floured surface.
  • Start rolling the dough to form a large circle which is very very thin. Make sure that you roll the dough very thin or else the Gozleme will feel very doughy.
  • Fold two opposite sides of the dough towards the center.
  • Divide the filling into 6 equal parts. Place one part of the filling in the center of the dough. Refer to the picture below to understand the folding technique.
  • Now fold the other two opposite sides over the filling towards the center, overlapping and seal the edges well.
  • Heat a heavy skillet / pan on medium high heat.
  • Brush the prepared gozleme dough with olive oil and place it on the hot  pan, oiled side down.
  • Cook on medium heat until golden brown and then flip to the other side. Before flipping, brush this side with oil as well.
  • Cook on both the side until golden brown. Make sure that the heat is on low to medium to allow the Gozleme to cook all the way through. If cooked on too high heat, the outside will cook quicker and the interior will still remain very  doughy.
  • Slice into 2 or 4 pieces and serve warm.