Spinach leek flatbread

This spinach leek flatbread with mozzarella makes a perfect lunch, especially when served with a salad. The thin, tender dough is seasoned with soy sauce and topped with sweet caramelized leeks and spinach. Cheese holds it all together and makes it so, so good.

I always seem to go back to spinach. Whatever I cook, spinach is bound to pop up soon enough. And for the past few days I’ve been really thinking about my love for it and where it comes from. I don’t remember a specific time, I just know I’ve always loved it. My immediate association is always Popeye, I used to watch that, but as much as kids can be influenced by stuff on TV, I don’t think I ever liked spinach because of him.

I do remember my mom’s creamed spinach and so I guess that was what made me love it so much; along with Swiss chard and I thought for a long time (as a kid) that spinach and Swiss chard were one and the same.

My mom’s aunt had a garden and for years she grew insane amounts of Swiss chard, so we always got bags of that in the summer. I still remember sitting behind the kitchen table with my mom, with bags of Swiss chard on the floor and bowls on the table, watching TV while ripping the stems out of the chard. Once everything was trimmed, my mom rinsed it and bagged it for later use.

This spinach leek flatbread is a cross between a flatbread and a regular pizza. The dough is made just like pizza dough with an addition of soy sauce. It’s topped with sautéed spinach and leeks that are perfectly sweet.

Mozzarella brings it all together, along with a sprinkling of Parmesan that is nutty and salty, a great contrast to the sweeter toppings underneath.

If I had to pick a winter brunch or holiday dinner dish, I’d go with the leek and spinach tart. It’s richer and fits the cold weather better I think. But I’m welcoming Spring into my home and so spinach leek flatbread is my choice at the moment. And not that it needs any additions, but I love to put a tiny dollop of sour cream on top of each square. The cold  sour creaminess is the perfect counterbalance to warm and slightly sweet leeks and flatbread.

Ideally, I would serve this with my elderflower blueberry and lime mocktails.

More spinach recipes to explore

• Golden spinach cheddar muffins (Wonderful savory muffins for breakfast.)
• The best spinach lasagna (This is hearty, filling and a family favorite.)
• Spinach tart with pine nuts and cheese (This is like a quiche. Incredibly flavorful and great warm and cold.)
• Creamiest creamed spinach (Just like how my mom always made it.)

Recipe

Spinach leek flatbread

A thin, flavorful flatbread topped with sautéd spinach, leeks and melty cheese. Perfect with a salad.

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 30 minutes mins

Rest 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 4

Rating

5

Ingredients 

US | M

Dough

• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour plus more for kneading
• ▢ 1/2 cup warm water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dry instant yeast
• ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Tamari soy sauce

Toppings

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 10 oz spinach roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 large leeks trimmed and sliced into rounds
• ▢ 7 oz aged mozzarella sliced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the dough

• Place flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the water and stir in yeast. Allow it to dissolve, then stir it into the flour. Add the sunflower oil and soy sauce. Whisk the ingredients and start kneading the dough.
• Once the dough comes together in a sticky blob, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it until you get an elastic, soft, but not sticky ball of dough. Add flour as needed.
• Put it back into the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and keep in a warm place until it almost doubles in size; at least 30 minutes.
• Turn on your oven to 392°F (200°C) and grease a large baking sheet with oil. Set it aside.

Prepare the spinach

• Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped spinach, sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted. This should take a few minutes tops.
• Transfer the spinach to a sieve, placed over a bowl, to drain the excess liquid.
• Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, once it warms up toss in the leeks and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover with a lid and let cook for a few minutes until they are tender and golden (to golden brown) in color. Set aside.

Assemble

• When the dough has almost doubled in size, transfer it to a floured surface and roll it out in a square or rectangular shape that fits your pan. Transfer it to the baking sheet and lightly brush it with olive oil.
• Scatter the drained spinach over the dough, add the sliced mozzarella, top with leeks and lastly sprinkle Parmesan over that.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Once baked, let it sit for a few minutes, then serve cut in squares.

Notes

Aged mozzarella is the dry sister of classic mozzarella. It’s usually sold tightly wrapped in plastic and shaped like a log. It isn’t as moist as classic mozzarella and therefore won’t add extra water to whatever dish you’re cooking.

March 23, 2015 – Updated on March 8, 2024

Main courseBreadSpringWinter

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