Spinach & Cheese Yeast-free Flatbread
Try my super simple, spinach & cheese yeast-free bread. Based on Turkish savoury cake, this is a quick cheesy bread, packed with spinach & its associated goodness!
Spinach & Cheese Yeast-free Flatbread
Step-By-Step Tutorial
**Click to jump to section**
What Is This Yeast-free Spinach & Cheese Bread?
This is a yeast-free spinach & cheese bread. Essentially a savoury type of cake, its also likened to a quick, no yeast flatbread. Filled with spinach and white & cheddar cheese, it is tastier than regular bread.
Why Make This Quick Bread?
- Quick & easy
- ideal for beginner bakers or kids
- Make in the air fryer or oven
- Money & energy-saving method
- Tastes amazing!
- Butter-free & yeast-free
- Full step-by-step instructions
- Video tutorial
- No special equipment
- Only 1 gram sugar per slice*
- *see nutrition label on recipe card
Ingredient Notes
This yeast-free savoury bread is made from the following ingredients:
- Eggs
- Salt
- Seasoning
- Spinach pureed
- Feta Cheese
- Mature Cheddar Cheese
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Oil
*See notes below
Eggs
UK medium to large-sized eggs are used in this recipe, which is US equivalent large to extra large size. Make sure to have your eggs at room temperature too if you store them in the fridge in your country.
Spinach
Spinach features prominently in this savoury bread. The spinach is cooked, drained and pureed. Which is really easy to do, but you could use ready pureed spinach, or even spinach you might have pureed and frozen.
Flour
The recipe is made using Plain (All Purpose) flour, with a little baking powder. If you want to use UK self-raising flour, just omit the baking powder.
Oil
Oil is used to add moisture & to bring the batter together. I use either Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or Olive Oil.
Cheeses
This bread is fantastic tasting partly due to the choice of cheeses. In Turkey, traditionally spinach and cheese quick bread is made with a white cheese. They have many types of white cheese and the easiest to find in other countries is Feta cheese or Feta style cheese.
But being a lover of our Scottish extra mature cheese (extra sharp cheddar), I often like to add this to bring an even better taste to the bread.
You could certainly add some mozzarella for the cheese pull, but you might need to up the seasoning.
Seasonings
As well as salt, I like to add garlic or onion powder/granules, smoked paprika, dried rosemary and dried parsley.
The rosemary and parsley are optional, but the onion and in particular the smoked paprika bring a lot to the bake. Smoked paprika is particularly good in bringing out the cheddar cheese taste in bakes and in cooking. An alternative to this, if you happen to have it, is mustard powder. **Mustard powder also works well in cheese scones and also in dishes like homemade macaroni cheese sauce.
Equipment
No special equipment needed for this spinach cheese bread. It’s like a flatbread so baking in a round 9″ (23cm) cake pan is ideal.
You can bake in a smaller say 8″ (20cm) round tin, or 8″ square cake tin. Round or square ceramic baking dishes of the same size would work too. Just make sure to paper line that too for easy removal.
You can bake in a regular oven (all temperatures given in the recipe card), but I have also tested during development, using my Tefal open-front air fryer oven. Detailed list of utensils, listed in the Recipe Card too.
Recipe Yield
Using the same 9″ round cake pan as I used, you will get 8 triangle slices.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Puree The Spinach
1.Start by cooking & pureeing the spinach. Go ahead and wash the spinach if yours isn’t already washed. No need to dry.
2. Add to a large microwave safe bowl, with about 120ml (4 fl oz, 1/2 cup) of boiled water. Cook for about 7 minutes until cooked down, & soft.
3. Drain off the remaining liquid (and reserve for something else if you want). Place the spinach in a sieve suspended over a bowl or jug & leave to drain off any more liquid for at least 30 minutes. You can even do the day or night before.
4. Once drained, add to a food processor (or use a stick blender), to reduce the cooked spinach to a puree. See Photo collage 1.
Prepare The Batter
1.Pre-heat the oven (or open-front air fryer) to: 180c/160c Fan Oven/350f/Gas Mark 4.
2. . Add the eggs to a mixing bowl with the salt. With an electric mixer, on medium speed, whisk till frothy.
3. Increase the speed to high and beat the eggs for about 3 – 4 minutes, till thick & creamy. The eggs will have changed from a bright orange colour, to a pale creamy colour. The volume will have increased, & possibly doubled.
You can check it is mixed enough, by doing the trail test. Lift the beater(s) up and let the mixture drip back into the bowl. If it leaves a trail that does not disappear immediately, it is ready. You can read my Ribbon Stage lesson for more details or watch the video below.
4. Add the seasonings to the eggs, followed by the cheddar cheese & the feta cheese. Make sure the cheddar is grated (shredded) and roughly break up the Feta cheese by mashing with a fork.
5. Add the pureed spinach & very gently fold these ingredients into the whisked eggs. Use a plastic, rubber or silicone spatula or spoon (but not a metal utensil). ‘Folding in’ in baking involves gently incorporating the ingredients while trying not to deflate the eggs. Think of the spatula as a pen and the mixture the paper, & fold in as if writing a number 8. Since we are adding flour too, mix until about 90% all mixed through. (See Photo 2 & the video).
6. Sieve over the flour & baking powder, mixing them together while in the sieve, lifting the sieve as high as possible, to incorporate as much air as possible.
7. Mix in by hand briefly for about 5 seconds, before adding in the oil.
8.Gently fold the ingredients together, until a moist thick batter is produced, with no dry patches remaining. If it is too dry, you can add a touch more oil or even the drained spinach water till resembles as shown in Photo collage 4.
Prepare The Cake Tin
1. . Grease and paper line the 9″ (23cm) round cake tin. Use cake release-spray, homemade Lining Paste, or something like FryLight cooking spray, & grease the bottom and up the sides of the cake pan.
2. . Cut baking/parchment paper in a circular shape to fit the bottom of the tin. So much better to cut to fit (or be a little smaller), as when the paper is too big or not fitted properly, the paper can end up baked into whatever you are making. See my cutting parchment rounds lesson, or watch my Cutting Parchment rounds video for how easy it is & keep the excess paper for other times.
Bake The Spinach Bread
1. Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin. Spread out to make an even layer.
2. Sprinkle on some dried parsley (optional), before popping in the centre of the oven to bake. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until a cocktail stick comes out clean of crumbs.
3. Remove from the oven & sprinkle on some dried rosemary (optional), as well as about 15g (0.5 oz) grated/shredded cheddar.
4. Put back into the oven and bake for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
5. Leave to cool in the tin, on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
6. If using a spring-release or loose-based tin, turn out the bread & leave to cool on top of the rack.
For standard cake tins, place a large plate on top of the tin, hold altogether & flip over. Lift off the tin and gently peel back the paper. Place the cooking rack upside down, on top of the spinach bread, hold together & flip the right way up.
7. Leave to cool on the rack for at least 15 minutes.
Serving & Storing
1.Slice the cooled bread into 8 triangles.
2. Serve as a light savoury snack or alongside some soup. Perfect hand food for picnics or at parties.
3. Store left-over spinach bread in food bags. If your kitchen is hot, place in the fridge. Otherwise room temperature is fine for 2- 3 days. Note that if storing in the fridge, it will cause some condensation, and I recommend warming the slice(s) before serving. You can take the cold edge off or heat a little, by placing in the microwave for about 10 seconds, or in an air fryer for about 3 minutes @180c/160c Fan/350f/Gas Mark 4.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: easy, beginner
Recipe Card
Yeast-free Spinach Cheese Flatbread
Equipment
- Digital scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Microwave-safe large bowl
- Sieve
- Food processor or blender
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Spatula (Silicone, plastic or rubber, not metal)
- Baking/parchment paper
- Spray oil, Cake release etc (I use either FryLight or homemade lining paste)
- Scissors
- 9" (23cm) Round Cake Tin (see note)
- Cocktail Stick
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 240 grams Spinach (8½ oz*)
- 120 ml Boiled Water ( 4 fl oz, ½ cup)
- 2 Medium – Large Eggs (US large – extra-large*)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 100 grams Feta Cheese (3½ oz, cubed & roughly mashed*)
- 65 grams Extra/Mature Cheddar Cheese ( 2¼ oz, ⅔ cup, Extra/sharp cheddar*)
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Onion or Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 155 grams Flour (5½ oz, 1¼ cups. Plain, A.P. flour*)
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- 60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 oz, ¼ cup*)
- ½ tsp Dried Parsley
For The Top:
- 16 grams Mature Cheddar Cheese (½ oz, ⅛ cup)
- ½-1 tsp Rosemary
* see notes
Instructions
Prepare The Spinach
- Wash your 240 grams Spinach if not already pre-washed & add to a large microwave-safe bowl with 120 ml Boiled Water. Heat on full powder for about 7 minutes until reduced, soft & cooked through.
- Drain off the spinach water and reserve if you like. Place the spinach in a sieve, suspended over a jug or bowl and let it drain off more liquid for at least 30 minutes or leave overnight.
- Add to a food processor or blender and puree the spinach. Leave to the side.
Prepare The Batter
- Pre-heat the oven to 180c/160c/Fan Oven/ 350f/Gas Mark 4. Crack the 2 Medium – Large Eggs into a mixing bowl and add the 1 tsp Salt. Beat together until the eggs are pale cream coloured, doubled in volume & leaves a trail with the ribbon test.
- Add the ½ tsp Smoked Paprika, 1 tsp Onion or Garlic Powder & 1 tsp Dried Rosemary, followed by the 100 grams Feta Cheese & 65 grams Extra/Mature Cheddar Cheese, & then the pureed spinach. Carefully fold into the eggs, until about 90% incorporated, being careful not to deflate the eggs. **Use a plastic, silicone or rubber utensil and not metal.
- Sieve over the 155 grams Flour and ¼ tsp Baking Powder & start to fold into the mixture before adding the 60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add a little more oil or reserved spinach water if needed, but check the process photos and video for the thick consistency it should be.
Prepare The Cake Tin
- While the oven is heating, prepare the cake tin by greasing the bottom and up the sides, before adding a circle of baking/parchment paper to the bottom. See my Cutting Parchment rounds video for how to do like a pro.
Bake The Bread
- Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared tin and spread out to a thin level layer. Sprinkle on some ½ tsp Dried Parsley , then pop in the centre of the oven to bake for about 25-30 minutes.
- The bread will be set and a cocktail stick will come out clean of crumbs. Sprinkle on 16 grams Mature Cheddar Cheese & some ½-1 tsp Rosemary (optional), before putting back in the oven for about 3 minutes, till the cheese has melted.
- Leave to cool in the tin on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then turn out of the tin & leave to cool on The rack for 15 minutes.
Serving & Storing
- Serve the spinach bread by cutting into 8 triangles. Enjoy as it is a nice savoury snack or with some soup. Great along with breakfast too
- Store spinach bread in food bags or a metal cake or cookie tin at room temperature for up to 3 days. If storing in the fridge, it is recommended to heat the bread as the fridge causes condensation. Heat in the oven for about 3 minutes @ 180c/160c/Fan Oven/ 350f/Gas Mark 4 or in the air fryer.
Video
Notes
Cheese – white cheese (Feta) & mature/extra mature cheese (sharp/extra sharp cheddar) is used.
Seasonings – dried Rosemary & parsley is optional. Alternative to smoked paprika is mustard powder.
Equipment – recipe using a 9″ (23cm) round cake tin or 8″ (20cm) square tin. For a little thicker flatbread, use a 8″ (20cm) round tin.
Yield – 8 triangle slices.
Oven Or Air Fryer – this has been tested in an oven and also a larger open-front air fryer.
Try some other bread recipes like 90 minutes tear-&-share dinner rolls or 30 minute yeast-free cheesy bread (see below).
Nutritional Information – I am not a qualified nutritionist & all values are approximate. Where 1 serving is one slice from a yield of 8 slices, using the listed ingredients. Values calculated on MyFitnessPal.com.
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Caro x
Spinach & Cheese Yeast-free Flatbread
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Caroline’s Easy Baking Lessons
Nice texture, very filling and you feed your kids some green
Thank you, glad you liked it. Yes a great way to use greens & looks cool to kids.
What a great recipe and so easy to follow the instructions. Love the way each stage has a picture. Thank you
Thank you, so pleased you found it helpfull.