Gözleme with courgette, white cheese and dill

Thin dough, fresh filling

Gözleme is a Turkish stuffed flatbread cooked in a hot pan. The thin sheet of dough is folded over the filling, so the outside develops brown spots while the bread cooks through inside. The name refers to a dish with many possible fillings; the exact ingredients vary from cook to cook and from region to region. This version combines courgette with white cheese and dill. The result is savoury and fresh, with a soft interior and a lightly crisp crust.

Courgette contains a lot of moisture, which is the main thing to watch out for here. Coarsely grate the vegetable, then squeeze it firmly over the sink or in a clean cloth. This keeps the filling from becoming watery and helps the dough stay intact while you fold and cook it. Courgettes are usually widely available in summer, but these flatbreads are easy to make outside the season too, using shop-bought courgettes. Choose firm ones without soft spots.

Use feta or another white brined cheese. Feta has a pronounced salty flavour, so taste the filling before adding any extra salt. Turkish beyaz peynir is another good choice, though it can be softer or milder depending on the variety. Dill adds a fresh, anise-like note that goes well with courgette. If you don’t have dill, you can replace it with finely chopped parsley; the flavour will be greener and less distinctive. Keep the rest of the filling simple so it doesn’t become too wet.

A short rest makes the dough easier to roll out thinly: it becomes more pliable and is less likely to spring back. Roll out each portion on a lightly floured work surface and don’t make the layer of filling too thick; a thin layer heats evenly and allows the edges to seal well. Cook the folded flatbreads in a dry, well-heated frying pan. A little flour on the work surface is useful, but excess flour can burn in the pan. Turn the gözleme when the underside has brown spots, then cook the other side through as well.

Serve the gözleme straight away, while the dough is still pliable and the cheese is warm. Yoghurt with lemon juice makes a cool, tangy contrast to the salty filling; use plain yoghurt or a thicker Turkish-style one. Cut the flatbreads into wedges or strips so they’re easy to share. For a light lunch, serve them with a simple tomato and cucumber salad. Let any leftovers cool, store them covered in the fridge and reheat them in a dry pan; this will give the dough some colour again.