012 / 75 · Breakfasts with Staying Power
Spinach, Feta and Chickpea Breakfast Pockets
4 filled half-moon pockets; one complete pocket per serving · Active 40 min · Cook 35 min · Total 1 hr 10 min
Print recipe · PDFA quick yogurt dough folds around a filling of chickpeas, red pepper, spinach and feta. These are substantial half-moon pockets with a tender whole-wheat crust, not a yeast-raised pizza. Cooking the vegetables before filling is the important part: the pan removes water that would otherwise soak into the bottom seam.
Make a filling that stays where it belongs
The spinach will look bulky at first. Let it collapse in the skillet, then keep stirring until the pan no longer has a watery puddle. Spread the vegetables on a clean plate for a short cool-down before adding the feta. Mash roughly half the drained chickpeas with a fork and leave the rest whole. The mash holds the vegetables together, while the whole chickpeas keep the center from becoming a smooth paste. Divide the filling into four piles before rolling the dough so every pocket receives a proper share of both vegetables and cheese.
Roll first, fill second
The dough rests while the vegetables cook. That pause helps the flour absorb the yogurt and makes the discs easier to roll. Roll between sheets of baking parchment rather than adding unmeasured handfuls of bench flour. Turn the dough frequently and aim for a disc about 7 inches/18 cm across. Keep the filling away from a clear border: a thick mound against the very edge is more likely to open the seam than a broad, even layer. Fold without stretching the dough tight, then press and crimp the edges.
Carry a pocket with a crisp base
Bake on a preheated oven's middle shelf, leaving space around each half-moon for heat to reach the sides. The top should be golden and the seam should feel dry, not rubbery. Let the pockets stand briefly before cutting; steam is still moving through the filling. A pocket can be reheated for an early meal before heading out, or carried cold with proper refrigeration. Put it in its container only after prompt cooling, since sealing a hot crust traps condensation. The nutrition estimate is for one complete pocket, including all its dough and filling.
Ingredients
- 5 2/3 oz all-purpose flour (160 g)
- 2 3/4 oz whole-wheat flour (80 g)
- About 3/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (180 g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 g)
- About 1/3 teaspoon fine salt (2 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml/13.5 g), divided
- 7 oz canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and blotted dry (200 g)
- 5 1/3 oz fresh baby spinach, washed and dried (150 g)
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed and flesh finely diced (150 g)
- 3 1/2 oz feta, crumbled (100 g)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (2 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (1 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
Set out
Kitchen scale, mixing bowl and fork, 10-inch/25 cm skillet, Clean plate for cooling filling, Rolling pin and baking parchment, Large rimmed baking tray with usable base at least 16 by 11 inches/40 by 28 cm, Thin-tip food thermometer
Allergens
Wheat, Milk, Check prepared feta and baking powder labels for additional allergens.. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a large tray with usable base at least 16 by 11 inches/40 by 28 cm with parchment. Mix both flours, baking powder and salt. Add yogurt and 1 teaspoon/5 ml oil. Stir and knead in the bowl for 2–3 minutes until cohesive. Cover and rest for 10 minutes while preparing the filling; the dough should be soft enough to roll, not pourable.
- Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons/10 ml oil in a 10-inch/25 cm skillet over medium heat. Cook the diced pepper for 7–8 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add spinach in handfuls and cook for 2–3 minutes more until wilted and the pan is dry of loose liquid. Spread on a clean plate and cool 5 minutes.
- Mash half the chickpeas with a fork. Mix all the chickpeas, cooled vegetables, feta, lemon zest, cumin and black pepper. Weigh and divide into four equal filling portions. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, about 110 g each.
- Roll each dough piece between sheets of parchment to a 7-inch/18 cm disc about 1/8 inch/3 mm thick. Put one quarter of the filling over one half, keeping a 3/4-inch/2 cm clear border. Fold the other half over without stretching, press the edges together and crimp firmly with a fork. Cut a small steam slit in the top and transfer to the tray. Repeat, leaving about 1 inch/2.5 cm between pockets.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes until golden, the seams are cooked through with no damp raw dough, and the center of the filling reaches 165°F/74°C. Rest 5 minutes. Each serving is one complete pocket; divide all filling among the four, rather than saving an undeclared extra portion.
A complete portion before a busy day
Four separately wrapped pockets make the batch easy to count without weighing cooked crusts later. One can be an early breakfast or a carried meal; choose its timing around your day rather than treating it as a required pre-workout food.
A useful detail
The filling is deliberately cooked fairly dry before it is sealed. Use plain thick Greek yogurt for the dough; thin drinking yogurt will make a different dough. The total includes mixing, vegetable cooking, filling cooling, rolling, baking and the short rest.
Another way
- Replace the 150 g fresh spinach with 150 g fresh chard leaves, finely shredded, cooking them until tender and the pan is dry.
- Replace the 100 g feta with 100 g grated mature Cheddar for a different filling. The base nutrition estimate does not cover these substitutions.
Keep it well
Cool in a single layer and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep covered at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days, within any shorter ingredient storage window. Freeze promptly for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat uncovered at 350°F/175°C until the center reaches 165°F/74°C. If carrying cold, use an insulated bag with two cold sources.