Description
A classic Greek spanakopita recipe featuring a homemade phyllo dough layered with a flavorful filling of fresh spinach, aromatic herbs, sautéed onions, and optional feta cheese, baked to golden, crispy perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Spanakopita Filling
- 700 grams fresh spinach chopped
- 1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 150 grams red onion finely chopped
- 90 grams spring onions greens and white parts separated and finely chopped
- 50 grams leek finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra splash for sautéing
- 3 tablespoons dill or fennel greens minced
- 5-6 spearmint leaves (use only 2-3 if using peppermint)
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Optional: 250 grams ripened feta cheese crumbled
Phyllo Dough
- 450 grams all-purpose flour
- ⅔ tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 240 ml water
To Roll The Phyllo
- 80 grams all-purpose flour
- 80 grams cornstarch
To Brush The Phyllo and The Pan
- 180 ml extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare The Spinach: Add the spinach and coarse sea salt to a large bowl. Rub and massage the spinach until it decreases by half in volume. Set aside.
- Make The Phyllo Dough: Combine flour, salt, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a bowl. Gradually add the water until a soft bread-like dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes, then shape into a round ball. Cover with a dampened tea towel and rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare The Filling: Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over moderate heat. Sauté onion, leek, and the white parts of the spring onions until soft and translucent. Add the green parts of the spring onion and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Squeeze excess water from the spinach by handfuls and add to a large bowl. Add sautéed vegetables, dill, spearmint leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and optionally feta cheese. Stir to combine.
- Roll The Phyllo Disks: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Combine the 80 grams flour and 80 grams cornstarch in a bowl for dusting. Place the dough on a floured surface, knead lightly, form a cord, and cut into 10 equal pieces. Shape each into a round ball. Dust working surface and dough balls with the flour-cornstarch mixture. Roll each dough ball into a 10 cm round disk. Place disks on a floured pan with flour in between to avoid sticking. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Assemble The Pie: Brush a 31 cm (12-inch) round pan generously with olive oil. Roll one small phyllo dough disk big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan, dusting frequently with flour. Brush the dough with olive oil. Add two more phyllo disks the same way, brushing each layer with oil. Add one-third of the filling over the phyllo layers. Roll and brush another phyllo disk just big enough to fit inside the pan. Layer two-thirds of the filling. Add another phyllo disk and the remaining filling. Finally, add 5 more phyllo disks on top, brushing each with oil and ruffling the top layers to create texture. Overlap and trim edges for a neat pie border.
- Cut And Bake: Cut the assembled pie into 16 pieces without cutting through the bottom phyllo. Bake in the middle-low rack of the oven for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the top is honey brown and very crispy.
- Rest And Serve: Let the spanakopita rest out of the oven for at least 30 minutes before cutting through completely and serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- When rolling phyllo, always dust both the surface and the dough top with the flour-cornstarch mixture to prevent sticking.
- Optionally include crumbled feta cheese for a more traditional flavor and creaminess in the filling.
- Resting the dough and rolled disks ensures easier handling and better elasticity.
- Ruffling the top phyllo layers adds a crispier texture to the finished pie.
- Massaging the spinach with coarse salt reduces excess moisture, preventing soggy phyllo.
- Ensure to remove as much water as possible from the spinach to keep the pie crisp.
- The pie can be reheated gently in the oven to restore crispiness if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
