Gözleme with Feta and Leek - turkish, vegetarian recipe

Gözleme with Feta and Leek

Crispy Turkish flatbread stuffed with salty feta, leek, and tomato — golden and crunchy straight from the pan. Makes 4–5 pieces from one batch of dough.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the water a little at a time and knead into a smooth, soft dough — it shouldn't stick to your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

  2. 2

    While the dough rests, clean and rinse the leek well, then slice it into thin rounds. Finely chop the onion. Cut the flesh out of the tomato and dice it into small pieces — removing the wet insides keeps the filling from getting soggy.

  3. 3

    Combine the leek, onion, tomato, and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley in a bowl. Crumble in the feta and fold everything together. Make sure the filling isn't too wet.

  4. 4

    Divide the dough into 4–5 pieces. Roll each one out as thin as you can without tearing it — you're going for a round or oval flatbread.

  5. 5

    Spread a portion of filling over one half of each flatbread. Fold the other half over to make a half-moon shape, then press the edges firmly together to seal.

  6. 6

    Heat a large frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat and brush lightly with butter. Cook each gözleme for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and crispy.

  7. 7

    Once cooked, lift onto a rack and brush or spread with butter. Tuck under a clean kitchen towel while you cook the rest.

Per average serving

800
Calories
kcal
27.7
Protein
g
105.3
Carbs
g
28.8
Fat
g
4.6g
Fiber
6.7g
Sugar
1615mg
Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

  • The dough needs the full 30 minutes of resting, longer is fine too. Skip it and you'll fight the dough when you try to roll it thin, and it'll spring back on you.
  • Scoop the wet seeds and pulp out of the tomato before you dice it. That watery part soaks into the filling and softens the dough from the inside, which makes the gözleme tear in the pan.
  • Roll the dough as thin as you can manage. Thin is what gives you that crispy, crackly outside instead of a thick doughy fold.
  • Press the edges down hard to seal. If feta or leek pokes out it'll catch and burn on the pan, and the filling leaks. Use a fork along the edge if your fingers aren't sealing it well.
  • Keep the heat at medium-high but watch it. You want golden brown spots in 2 to 3 minutes per side. Too hot and the outside burns before the leek inside softens.

Ways to vary it

  • Swap the feta filling for spinach and feta if you want a greener version. Wilt the spinach first and squeeze out every bit of water so the filling stays dry.
  • A little chili flake or some chopped mint folded into the feta mix is a nice change if you're in the mood for it.
  • These work with a cheese-only filling too if you skip the vegetables. Just feta and parsley, mashed together, for an easier weeknight batch.

Storage & leftovers

They keep in the fridge for about 2 days wrapped in foil or a container. Reheat in a dry pan over medium heat for a couple minutes per side so they crisp back up, the microwave just makes them rubbery. You can freeze the cooked ones too, then reheat straight from frozen in the pan, give them a bit longer.

What to serve with it

A glass of ayran or strong black tea is the usual move with these. A simple tomato and cucumber salad on the side balances out the salty feta.

UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 11 May 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026