Feta and Red Onion Quick Bread

This feta and red onion quick bread has no yeast. With a denser crumb, the bread has pockets of feta, and is on the table within an hour. The bread is easily adapted and can be made with all-purpose (plain) or spelt flour. 

What is quick bread?

Simply put, quick bread is any kind of bread without yeast. So, in other words, quick to make. There’s all that proofing and hanging about with yeast breads. It can feel laborious waiting around for the yeast to work its magic and inflate the dough. Not the case with quick bread. The ingredients are mixed together, then baked. Simple as that.

Soda bread is a classic example of a quick bread, but it can be any kind of bread. Even sweet bread like banana loaf. Anything classed as bread, but without yeast.

Prior to making this recipe, I’d never heard of quick bread. Probably because I like using yeast. There is nothing that beats the taste and smell of fresh bread, so if I have the time, I will always make it that way. But you know what, when we have busy lives and hungry children, time is not always our friend, and something quick is needed. Enter this recipe.

Does quick bread taste like yeast bread?

Despite the name, this feta and red onion quick bread doesn’t really resemble traditional yeast-based bread in taste or texture. Yeast breads tend to have a soft, airy crumb and a slight chewiness, thanks to the gluten development that occurs during kneading and the long fermentation process. Quick bread, on the other hand, skips all of that. There’s no rising time, no kneading, and no yeast involved.

The result? A denser, more cake-like texture. This particular recipe reminded me of something between a savoury muffin and a cheese scone. It has a rich, slightly crumbly crumb and a beautifully golden crust, with bursts of salty feta and sweet red onion in every bite. It’s not the kind of bread you’d typically use for a sandwich. Although, if you’re feeling experimental, I won’t stop you!

Where this quick bread really shines is as a warm, comforting slice fresh out of the oven. Slathered with butter, it’s completely irresistible. Serve it alongside soup, salad, or just enjoy it on its own as a savoury snack.

Using a leavening agent in bread

As they don’t contain yeast, quick breads rely on fast-acting leavening agents to help them rise. These agents, most commonly baking powder or bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), work by producing carbon dioxide when combined with the right ingredients. This gas creates bubbles in the batter, which expand in the heat of the oven and give the bread its lift.

For bicarbonate of soda to work properly, it needs to react with an acidic ingredient, such as yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, or even vinegar. Baking powder, on the other hand, is a complete leavening agent. This means that it contains both the alkaline component and the acid needed for the reaction. This makes it especially useful in recipes where there’s no natural acidity in the other ingredients.

In a quick bread like this one, where there’s no kneading or long rising time, the chemical reaction happens as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are mixed. So, it’s important to get the batter into the oven quickly to take full advantage of that rise.

Greek yoghurt quick breads

In this recipe, I’ve used Greek yoghurt as the acidic component to activate the leavening agents. As mentioned earlier, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) needs an acid to produce the bubbles that make the bread rise. Greek yoghurt does this perfectly, adding not only the necessary acidity but also a lovely tang and richness to the final loaf.

If you don’t have yoghurt on hand, buttermilk or sour cream will work in exactly the same way. All three provide that essential balance of moisture and acidity, helping to create a light, tender crumb without the need for yeast or long proofing times.

For a deeper dive into the science of rising agents and the roles they play in baking, the MasterClass article, Leavening Agents and Baked Goods, is well worth a read. It breaks down the differences between chemical, biological, and even physical leaveners, and how they interact with different ingredients in your kitchen.

Adapting this recipe

I’ve made this recipe for feta and red onion quick bread many times. Originally I used bread flour, and now spelt flour, without noticing any real difference. You could use either of these, or regular flour. Oh, and if you’re quite new to spelt flour and wonder how it comes up against all-purpose (plain) flour, have a read of my experiment, Spelt vs Plain Flour: which makes the best cupcake. Although this is quick bread and not cake, the post highlights perfectly why all-purpose and spelt flour are most often totally interchangeable.

Sometimes, I switch the ingredients around a little (there’s even a version featured on my book, Baking with Spelt). It’s a very adaptable recipe, and I think you could absolutely add your own preferred ingredients.

Along with the feta cheese, I went for a sprinkling of mozzarella, mainly to give the lovely vibrant colour on top, but you could go with any cheese you like.

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Feta and Red Onion Quick Bread (regular or spelt flour)

Ingredients

• 50g (¼ cup) butter (melted)
• 250g (2 cups) flour (see note 1)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 small red onion (very finely chopped)
• 50g (1¾ oz) feta cheese
• 125ml (½ cup) milk (see note 2)
• 115g (½ cup) Greek yoghurt (see note 3)
• 1 egg (medium)
• sprinkling of mozzarella cheese (see note 4)

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease a medium-large loaf tin.
• Melt the butter and set to one side.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar together. Add the chopped red onion and crumble in the feta.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg and add the yoghurt and milk.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir only until justs combined (the dough will be sticky).
• Pour into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle with a little mozzarella (or cheese of your choice).
• Bake for around 35-40 minutes (start to check at the 30 minute mark). The bread is ready when an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool and then slice. Enjoy!

Notes

 

Disclaimer: I use scales to measure my ingredients but have included cups and ounces to help my readers. Because I have not used imperial measurements myself, results cannot be guaranteed if you choose to use cups and ounces. 

1. I have used both bread and spelt flour to make this recipe, with no noticeable difference. You could also use regular flour and do a straight swap (using the same amount).
2. I used almond milk, but you could use any kind you like.
3. You can use buttermilk or sour cream in place of the Greek yoghurt.
4. I used mozzarella because I wanted to use some up. Any kind of cheese would work just as well.