These spinach and Veta pide have golden yeast dough edges and a creamy filling of spinach, Veta and plant-based cream cheese. Spring onions, garlic and a little lemon give the boat-shaped breads a fresh, savoury flavour.
At a glance
🕒 Preparation: approx. 35–40 minutes
🌿 Rising time: approx. 60 minutes
🔥 Baking time: approx. 15–20 minutes
⏱️ Total time: approx. 1 hour 40–50 minutes (prepare the filling while the dough rises)
🍽️ Makes: 3 large pide
👩🏼🍳 Difficulty: moderate
Equipment: frying pan and oven
Ingredients for 3 large pide
For the yeast dough
- 350 g plain wheat flour (German type 550 or 405)
- 3.5 g dried yeast (½ of a 7 g sachet)
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 210 ml lukewarm water
- 25 ml olive oil
For the spinach and Veta filling
- 300 g fresh spinach leaves (or approx. 200 g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry)
- 200 g Veta (vegan feta) – find the recipe here
- 100 g plain vegan cream cheese
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2–3 spring onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- A little freshly grated nutmeg
- Optional: a little pul biber or chilli flakes
- Optional: 1 tsp cornflour if the filling is too wet
For brushing and garnishing
- ½ tbsp plant-based milk
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- Nigella seeds (or sesame seeds)
- A little fresh parsley
- Optional: a little lemon juice
Allergen information: Contains gluten (wheat). Depending on the Veta, cream cheese and plant-based milk used, other allergens such as soy or nuts may be present. Using sesame seeds as a garnish adds sesame as an allergen. Please check the ingredient lists of your chosen products.
How to make them
1. Prepare the dough
Mix the flour, dried yeast, sugar and salt. Add the lukewarm water and olive oil, then knead for about 8–10 minutes until the dough is soft and supple. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 60 minutes, until noticeably increased in volume.
2. Make the spinach filling
Finely dice the onion and cook in the olive oil until translucent. Finely chop the garlic, add it and cook briefly. Add the washed spinach in batches and let it wilt. Allow as much excess liquid as possible to evaporate, or gently squeeze it out once cooled. If using frozen spinach, add it thawed and well squeezed to the onion and garlic, then cook briefly.
Let the spinach mixture cool slightly before stirring in the vegan cream cheese. Crumble the Veta, finely slice the spring onions and fold both into the filling. Season with lemon juice, pepper, nutmeg and, if needed, a little salt and pul biber. If the mixture seems too wet, stir in the optional 1 tsp cornflour.
3. Preheat the oven and baking tray
Preheat the oven to 230 °C with conventional top and bottom heat. Leave the baking tray in the oven as it heats so the pide receive strong heat from underneath as soon as they go in.
4. Shape the pide – with a handy baking paper trick
Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll each into a long oval. As the baking tray is heating in the oven, assemble the pide directly on a separate sheet of baking paper.
Getting the size right: Before preheating, cut or fit the baking paper to the tray. Fold a narrow strip, about 2–3 cm wide, inwards along each of two opposite sides, then unfold it. Use the creases as guides: all three pide should fit entirely inside them. This keeps the pide from overhanging the hot tray or bending upwards at the edges when transferred.
Divide the spinach and Veta filling evenly between the three dough ovals, leaving a border of about 2–3 cm all around. Fold the long edges slightly over the filling. Pinch the pointed ends together and give them a gentle twist to create the typical boat shape.
5. Brush and bake
Mix the plant-based milk and olive oil and lightly brush the dough edges. Sprinkle a few nigella seeds over the edges. Carefully slide the baking paper and prepared pide onto the hot tray. Check that your baking paper is suitable for the baking temperature.
Bake at 230 °C with conventional top and bottom heat for about 15–20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the bases are cooked through.
6. Serve
Scatter fresh parsley over the baked pide and add a few drops of lemon juice if you like. Enjoy freshly baked and warm.
Tips for the next day
The pide are delicious cold the next day and make a handy packed lunch or snack for a day out. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate them, and keep them chilled when taking them with you where possible. If you prefer them warm, reheat briefly in the microwave or oven. The oven will help the edges crisp up again.
Recipes to go with your pide
You can make the Veta for the filling yourself:
For a fresh side dish, try this salad:
