Warm spanakopita pull-apart bread rolls with gooey cheese!

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These spinach and feta pull-apart bread rolls are amazing! They are soft rolls stuffed with spinach, feta, and herbs. Basically, like a spanakopita filling with a little extra to make it extra cheesy. It’s the same filling that I use for my spanakopita grilled cheese recipe, so it makes a little too much filling. However, it just gives me an excuse to make my grilled cheeses! You can make these pull-apart bread rolls for an appetizer, a brunch, or even use them as a different kind of roll on your holiday table. No matter how you use them, they’re usually aren’t leftovers.
These won’t last long
- Pillowy soft roll
- Gooey cheese
- Juicy herb spanakopita type filling
- Warm cheesy spanakopita style pull-apart bread rolls everyone will love!

Spanakopita roll ingredients
For the Bread Dough:
- Active dry yeast –be sure it’s active
- Granulated sugar –regular or natural work
- Lukewarm water –it is important that the water be warm
- All-purpose flour –Bread flour would be even better, but use what you have
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Semolina flour for pan (optional)
The Spinach & Feta Filling:
- Olive oil
- Onion –shallots, leeks, or you can leave it out altogether
- Garlic cloves, grated
- Scallions -thinly sliced
- Spinach –roughly chopped
- Salt
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Dried dill –if using fresh dill, use about a tablespoon or so
- Feta cheese –from the block to avoid tasteless pre-crumbled feta
- Mozzarella cheese –any gooey cheese will do, like gouda or gruyere
The Topping:
- Butter, melted
- Salt
- Dried oregano or thyme
- Granulated garlic powder

Activating the yeast
Rarely do I end up with inactive yeast, but it can happen, and I always like to share how to check it. If you don’t make sure your yeast is active, it could result in your bread not rising. You’d have to throw out your entire dough with all the ingredients you used to make it! So, always check your yeast. You do this by combining the lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Set it aside for about 8-10 minutes. At the end of the time, you should see a puffy, bubbly cloud on top of the liquid. That means your yeast is active, and you’re ready to make your bread dough!

How to make Spinach & Feta Pull-Apart Bread Rolls
Make the dough:
- Combine the yeast, lukewarm water, and sugar in the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the dough hook attachment.
- Whisk them together and set aside to proof for about 8 minutes.
- Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk them together.
- Then, add the flour mixture to the mixer with a quarter cup of olive oil and knead on low for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been greased with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss the dough to coat.
- Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and set it aside for the dough to rise –about 2-3 hours.
- The dough should double or triple in volume for best results.
Make the Filling:
- Add the onion and olive oil to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until soft and golden -8-10 minutes.
- Then, add the garlic to warm through, then add the scallions with a pinch of salt and cook until soft –about 2 minutes.
- Add the spinach in a few batches while seasoning each batch lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook the spinach mixture over high heat so that the liquid can evaporate and you don’t have a watery filling
- When most of the water has evaporated, remove from the heat and add the dill, crumbled feta cheese, and stir it together.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then add the mozzarella cheese and stir until combined.
Assemble the Rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, 200 °C.
- Divide the dough into 16 pieces and flatten each piece into a round disk. The flatter you’re able to make the dough pieces, the more filling you’ll be able to get in them.
- Next, place about a tablespoon of the filling on the center of each disk.
- Gather the edges of the dough towards the center to cover the filling and pinch them together. Then, roll each piece of stuffed dough into balls to help shape and seal them.
- Place the bread rolls into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 9×13 pan that has been sprinkled with semolina flour if you’d like a little crunch on the bottom.
- Brush the tops with two tablespoons of unseasoned melted butter, not the topping, and set aside to rise for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Bake on the center rack for 30 minutes or until golden.
Make the topping
- Combine the ingredients in a bowl and set aside. As soon as the bread rolls come out of the oven, brush them with the topping.
- Allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow the steam to settle down. This will keep them soft and not doughy.

Serving
The hardest part about making these pull-apart rolls is waiting for them to cool so you can take a bite. They make the house smell so good. Make these for Thanksgiving or a holiday party. If there are any leftover rolls, they can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days, and then toasted in the oven before serving. Kali Orexi!
More Delicious Bread Recipes:
- Loaded Halloumi & Olive Bread
- Horiatiko Psomi: Greek Country (Village) Bread
- Ladenia Kimolou: Ancient Greek Pizza
- Koulouria Thessaloniki’s: Greek Bread Rings

Spinach & Feta Pull Apart Rolls
Ingredients
For the Bread Dough:
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons (6g) active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons (10g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (375ml) lukewarm water
- 4 cups (630g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons semolina flour for pan (optional)
The Spinach & Feta Filling:
- 3-4 tbs olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 pound (455g) spinach, roughly chopped
- salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 11 ounces (300g) feta cheese block
- 6 ounces (150g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
The Topping:
- 2 ounces (57g) butter, melted
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
Instructions
Make the dough:
Combine the yeast, water, and sugar in the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the dough hook attachment. Whisk them together and set aside to proof for about 8 minutes.
Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk them together.
Add the flour mixture to the mixer along with a quarter cup of olive oil. Knead on low for 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been greased with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the dough to coat. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside to rise. The dough should double or triple in volume for best results. About 2-3 hours.
Make the Filling:
Add the onion and olive oil to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until soft and golden. 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and warm through.
Add the scallions and a pinch of salt and cook until soft. About 2 minutes.
Add the spinach in a few batches and season each batch lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook the spinach mixture over high heat so that the liquid can evaporate.
Remove from the heat and add the dill, crumbled feta cheese and mix it all together. taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add the mozzarella cheese and mix until combined.
Preheat the oven to 400°F, 200 °C.
Assemble the Rolls:
Divide the dough into 16 pieces and flatten each piece into a round disk.
Place a tablespoon of the filling on the center of each disk.
Gather the edges of the dough towards the center to cover the fillinga nd pinch them together. Roll into balls.
Place the bread rolls into a (10-inch) cast-iron pan that has been sprinkled with semolina flour (optional).
Brush the tops with 2 tablespoons of melted butter (not the topping) and set aside to rise for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
Bake on the center rack for 30 minutes or until golden.
Make the topping by combining the ingredients together in a bowl. Mix together and set aside. As soon as the bread rolls come out of the oven brush them with the topping.
Allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and then serve.
Kali Orexi!
Notes
Leftover rolls can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Toast in the oven before serving.
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Γειά σου, Δήμητρα! I love your recipes!
Please tell me, is your oven fan assisted? Thank you.
Hi Zoe!! My oven does not have a convection fan. It’s a very simple oven that heats from the bottom. Hope that helps!
I use King Arthur Flour and one cup equals 120 grams. What flour are you using since it indicates that a cup weighs more than what I am using?
Hi Cheryl,
I use different brands.Sometimes King Arthur, other times the organic all-purpose flour sold at my local Costco. The measurements that I use have been tested so, you can trust them 🙂
Can any of this made the night before. pop in fridge and then put in oven the next day? They look so delicious!
Yes, they can be assembled and refrigerated then, baked the next day. However, they do taste best as the recipe recommends 🙂 Please let me know what you decide to do and how they turn out.
Oh my god – these might be the best bread product I’ve ever made! These are AMAZING! They reheat very nicely in a cast iron pan in the oven with a foil hat. These are definitely going into high rotation here. Thank you!!
This recipe is absolutely delicious.! I have a bread maker machine and made my dough in that to start. I make all my doughs in that machine as it’s so very easy. Mine turned out PERFECTLY . So tender and the bottom a slight crunch which made it even more flavorful. Thank you so much for your recipes and videos. It made it so much easier to make in the process. I’m now watching more of your videos. You’re awesome. God bless you!