Gozleme are incredibly tasty stuffed flatbreads from Turkey. The dough is made with plain yogurt, which makes it a delight to work with: smooth, stretchy and very well behaved. They would usually be cooked on a flat griddle over a wood fire, so in the spirit of tradition I like to fire up my barbecue until it’s really hot and bung them on as I fill them. Alternatively, a large flat frying pan will do the job nicely.
For the dough, place the flour, yeast and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together. Measure the boiling water into a jug and pour the yogurt on top, mixing together until combined. Pour into the flour, stirring as you go until you have a soft dough. Tip on to a lightly floured worktop and knead until smooth. Divide it into 6 even-sized pieces and knead again briefly before placing on a lightly floured baking tray. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 30 minutes, or up to an hour.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach and add to a mixing bowl, scattering the cheese on top. Grate in the onion and add the yogurt. Stir together until evenly combined.
Place the pinenuts in a small frying pan and set over a medium heat. Toast for a minute or two until golden, then add to the filling. Season generously with the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Drizzle a little oil on to the worktop and roll a ball of dough around in it to get an even coating. Roll the dough out to a thin, roughly circular shape, turning over as you roll to make sure it doesn’t stick to the worktop or rolling pin. It should be a few millimetres thick and about 25–28cm in diameter.
Fold the top of the circle down about 3–4cm to straighten the top edge. Repeat with the bottom edge. Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of filling into the centre, and spread it out to form a rectangle around 12cm wide, avoiding the folded edges at the top and bottom. Bring one side of the dough over the filling, pressing it down at the top and bottom to seal, then bring the other side over that, again pressing down to seal. Turn over so the folds are facing down and lay on a lightly oiled baking tray. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
Fire up your barbecue until hot if you are going to cook outside – you can cook directly on the bars, or use a flat griddle plate if you have one. Alternatively, set a large frying pan over a high heat if you are cooking inside. Cook the parcels, one or two at a time, for about 3 minutes each side until the bread is crisp and dark in places. You shouldn’t need to add any extra oil as they were rolled in oil while being assembled.
Serve immediately, but take care with your first bite as the filling will be very hot.
