You have got to try this delicious spinach and feta gozleme (flatbreads). Crispy skin, soft bread, and a wonderful combo of spinach and feta cheese as filling. They are easy to make, and are also freezer-friendly! A must-make for flatbread lovers!
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What Is Gozleme?
Gozleme is a Turkish flatbread that has various types of fillings. They can be minced meat, veggies, mashed potato, or spinach and cheese. A similar concept to our delicious Lebanese flatbread (Man'oushe za'atar), which is also known as Lebanese pizza.
The dough is very basic and can be done with or without a leavening agent (yeast). And even if you're using yeast, the dough is also known for not using any sugar, in any form, not even just a bit to help activate the yeast.
Gozleme comes from the word "goz" in Turkish which means "compartments". It refers to the pocket structure of the flatbread.
These flatbreads are a common snack and street food among the Turks. And I can see why because they are so delicious!
Recipe Highlights
Texture and flavor - Soft bread with crispy skin, filled with spinach and feta cheese. Serve with some squeezes of lemon juice on top and we're talking about another level here
Level - Easy with time to kill while the dough is rising
Size - 6 pieces
Occasion - share this spinach and feta gozleme as a snack with family and friends, or when you want to impress a bread lover
Lets Talk Ingredients
Bread flour - use it and you'll see why. I don't recommend all-purpose flour as it has low protein content, less gluten will be developed and also the liquid ratio is different. So the texture will be different.
Spinach - Frozen is better for this. You can use fresh spinach but then first you'd have to blanch it, drain it, and then chop.
If you like to cook with spinach, then you'll love our spinach ricotta pie also known as pascualina.
Yogurt - I like to use plain Greek yogurt but full-fat or skimmed yogurt also works fine.
Feta cheese - is what makes the filling unique and delicious. If you can't find it, simply use your favorite cheese instead. Cheddar? Goat cheese? Just mozzarella? Why not?
Chilli flakes and garlic powder - optional. I like to use them, they help with the flavor. You can flavor the filling the way you like, no problem at all.
Can I Freeze Them?
Yes, you can.
What I do is cook them all, let them cool completely, and then wrap each piece in a cling wrap. Then place them in a ziploc bag and into the freezer they go.
Thaw at room temperature. Then simply bring them back to life by toasting them in a pan or place in the oven at 350ºF (175ºC) for a few minutes.
More Flatbread Recipes
- Cheese-stuffed naan bread
- Malaysian-style flatbread (roti canai)
- Malaysian-style flatbread with filling (murtabak)
- Lebanese flatbread with za'atar
- Indian-style flatbread with chicken keema filling
Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Spinach and Feta Gozleme
Ingredients
The Bread
- 1 cup warm water (250 ml)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon dry yeast (7 g)
- 3 cup bread flour (390 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon yogurt (30 g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
The Filling
- 14 oz frozen spinach (400 g)
- 1 onion , finely diced
- 7 oz feta cheese (200 g)
- 3.5 oz shredded mozzarella (100 g)
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
The Bread
- Mix dry yeast with warm water and leave for 3-5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
- In a standing mixer bowl, add in the rest of the bread ingredients including yeast mixture. Mix to incorporate and then knead for 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl and cover it tightly with a cling film. Leave until the dough rises double its size.
The Filling
- Thaw the spinach and squeeze out the water. Then chop into small pieces. Put the spinach in a bowl together with the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix well and set aside. TIP: Divide the filling into 6 so that you get equal filling for each bread.
Assembling And Cooking
- Place the risen dough on a lightly floured working surface. Lightly knead into a log and cut it into 6 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball.
- Take one ball and roll it into a very thin square, around 10 inch (25 cm). Place some filling in the center and spread evenly, leaving around 2 inch (5 cm) empty space all around.
- Fold each side to the center, making sure you cover the filling completely. Cook in hot pan with some oil for 3 minutes on each side (or until golden brown). Brush with some oil before flipping the bread.
- Meanwhile continue with the rest of the balls, cooking them as you go. Cover the cooked gozleme with a kitchen cloth to maintain them warm. Cut and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Oct 14, 2018. Updated with improved text, recipe and pictures on Mar 29, 2021.
Carol R says
Great recipe. Proportions are great. We love these.
Bea & Marco says
Awesome! Happy that you love them, thanks, Carol!
Rae says
I have been using this recipe since the lockdown. Have lost count of the number of times I’ve made it. Always a success among family members and friends.
Bea & Marco says
Hey ya, Rae! Thank you so much for leaving your feedback here!
Fahima Ezat says
That’s very nice thank you very much
Greta says
Can you use all purpose flour?
Bea & Marco says
You can but you'll have to tweak the recipe though, use less liquid. Hope it helps!
Dana says
Do you use active dry yeast or quick rise yeast ?
Bea says
I use active dry yeast for this recipe 🙂
Izzy says
Hi I had this on holiday in turkey and fell in love with it and nee I had to make it when I got home, seeing this recipient and watching it being made has made me feel really emotional and happy and can’t wait to try it and eat it, thankyou so much for this recipe
Bea says
Hi Izzy! Yes, do give it a try. Many who've made it really liked it. Enjoy and let me know how it goes 😍.
Seth says
The bread texture was marvellous!
Thanks for this recipe!!
Bea says
Yeay 🙌! Happy that you gave it a try, Seth. Thank you!
Sabrina says
Your receipt made it to Germany! Best dough I've ever made!
Bea says
Yeay 🙌! So happy to hear that, thank you Sabrina!
Janine says
Hi, btw I love your recipe! Im planning to make a big batch, can i refrigerate the raw dough? thanks!
Bea says
Hi! I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure. Do let me know if you did.
Nora says
I’ve made this a couple of times. My husband is from Turkey and. It got a thumbs up from him.
Bea says
That's wonderful! I'm excited to know that, thanks Nora!
Melanie says
Generally speaking, how long should it take for the dough to double? Thx!
Bea says
Depending on your kitchen's temperature, it could be between 50 minutes to 2 hours. Hope it helps 😊.