Green Bread

green spinach bread slices and a small bowl of jam.

5 from 5 votes

This green bread is a fluffy, savory bread perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It stays fresh for a few days at room temperature and can be frozen for longer storage.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Additional Time2 30

Total Time3 50

Course: Bread

Cuisine: German, American

Servings: slices

Calories: 205kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Food processor or immersion blender
Stand mixer
Loaf pan 12 inches/ 30 cm

Ingredients

6 oz fresh spinach
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
¼ cup butter soft, I had unsalted 60
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3¾ cups all-purpose flour Note 1
¾ cup + 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast Note 2
½ cup pumpkin seeds Note 3

US - EU

Instructions

Wash the spinach, shake it well in the sieve and pat dry with kitchen towels; it should not have too much water clinging to it. Chop roughly if the leaves are large.
6 oz fresh spinach
Blend: Place it in the food processor with salt, egg, milk, soft butter, and sugar. Blend until smooth. Or use an immersion blender.
1 tablespoon fine sea salt + 1 large egg + 1 cup milk + ¼ cup butter + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Combine: Mix both types of flour, yeast, and seeds.
3¾ cups all-purpose flour + ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour +1 tablespoon instant yeast + ½ cup pumpkin seeds
Knead: If you can knead the bread in your food processor, add the mixture to the pureed spinach. Or knead everything in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Knead the dough well until smooth and not so sticky anymore. It took me about 7 minutes in the food processor.
Let rise: Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough inside, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, between 1 ½ and 2 hours, depending on the temperature in the kitchen and the type of yeast you are using (Note 2).
Second knead: Punch down the dough. Transfer to a lightly floured working surface and knead 2-3 times with a small amount of flour to form a ball.
Shape: Press the dough into a thick rectangle, slightly narrower than your loaf tin (12 inches/30 cm), so it fits properly after folding. Fold the bottom third up to the center, then fold the top third over it, like folding a letter. Pinch the seam to help the bread stay together better.
Second rise: Butter the loaf pan and place the dough in it with the seam facing down. Cover with the kitchen towel again and let rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
Preheat the oven to 360°F/ 180°C.
Bake the green bread for 55-60 minutes until golden on top and sounding hollow when tapped. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Measuring your flour by weight will provide much more accurate results. Converting flour to cups can vary by room temperature, quality of flour, the person measuring it, etc. A digital kitchen scale is the best kitchen gadget you can own when it comes to baking. (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab)
Yeast: You can use the same amount of active dry yeast or 25 g/ 0.9 oz fresh yeast. Proof the yeast first: place in a small bowl, add about 50 ml/ 1.7 fl. oz/ ¼ cup of the measured and lukewarm milk and the sugar. Mix well and let stand for about 5-10 minutes until foamy on top. Mix with the flour and the rest of the ingredients.
Bread made with fresh yeast might rise quicker; start checking after 1 hour already.
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds without a hull; they come from specific pumpkins and don't require shelling. You can use other seeds instead; try flaxseed, sesame, or sunflower seeds.

Nutrition