Recipe For Gyro Rolls

I have been meaning to make homemade pitas. Really, they have been on my list for over a year. As I was contemplating making them this week, I started thinking about making gyros to go into those pitas. I had some ground lamb in the freezer and all the makings of tzatziki in the fridge. It was going to be fabulous.

Then every single person in our house got sick.

New plan. I didn’t want to spend time attempting a new bread. So, I came up with these rolls using my regular bread recipe. I still put a gyro flavored meat mixture inside. I still made the tzatziki. And, yes, pitas are still on my list of things to make.

1. Info for Gyro Rolls

• Cook Time: 30 min
• Total Time: 55 min
• Servings: 6
• Calories: 323 kcal

2. Ingredients for Gyro Rolls

• bread
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2¼ cups warm water
• 5 cups flour
• filling:
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 Tbsp marjoram
• 1 Tbsp rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• Tzatziki:
• 1 tsp finely minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and grated without seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 16 ounces of plain yogurt drained in a sieve with cheese cloth OR Greek style yogurt
• 5 leaves fresh mint, minced fine

3. Directions:

1. To make the bread: Combine the yeast, sugar, oil and salt in the warm water.
2. After the yeast has bubbled, add the flour and mix well.
3. Knead (with mixer or by hand), cover and let rise until doubled (about an hour).
4. Roll out on a floured counter into a rectangle.
5. Cut into 16 squares.
6. To make the filling: Put all the filling ingredients into a food processor and mix together until smooth.
7. Place 2-3 Tbsp of meat mixture in the middle of each square.
8. Fold the corners up to meet in the middle.
9. Pinch to seal.
10. Bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees.
11. Brush with butter when they come out of the oven.
12. To make the Tzatziki: Let the cucumber drain in a sieve for 20 minutes.
13. Pat dry with a paper towel.
14. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend.
15. For best flavor, make a few hours before serving to let flavors meld.