Spanikopita
Σπανακόπιτα
Like most Greek classics, there are endless variations and methods of the Spanikopita (spa-ne-ko-pi-ta), but Yiayia’s version is a true labour of love: making her own dough from scratch. If you don’t have the time (or patience), store-bought filo pastry does the job, but Yiayia swears it’s worth the effort to try making it yourself. Just be warned—it takes practice, and probably a few failed attempts, before you get it perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold water
- Salt and pepper
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups plain flour
- 80g unsalted butter, melted
- 45g lard(optional)
- 1 small bag spinach (80g) or a large fresh bunch
- Handful of fresh parsley
- Handful of fresh mint
- 1 small brown onion, finely diced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 250g feta, crumbled by hand
- A splash of feta brine
- 250g ricotta
- 2 eggs, brought to room temperature
Method
Tap, click or hover over a highlighted ingredient to see its quantity.
- For the dough
- In a large bowl, add 1 cup of and generously. Add and stir
- Stir in the first cup of until well combined. Add in the second cup of flour bit by bit, stirring after each addition. Stop adding the flour when the batter holds its shape but is not firm. Combine the dough into a rough ball and place on a floured surface
- Cut the dough into two equal pieces and roll each thinly into a large circle. Melt and together on a low heat over the stove or in the microwave. Brush the mixture once melted all over the dough to give it a golden coat, you can be generous with this.
- Use a sharp knife to cut out a smaller circle in the centre, about the size of a plate, or about 20cm in diameter. Then, cut the remaining outer ring of dough into wide, triangular segments, like slicing a pizza. Next, layer each slice on top of the centre circle to create a pile. Fold the top side of the base layer over the pile, then fold the bottom side over the pile to make a log. Brush this over lightly with the melted butter mixture. Fold the right side and the left side together now, forming a square. Repeat for the second batch of dough. Roll both dough balls flat into thin circles, one slightly larger than the other
- For the filling
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees on fan bake
- Heat a large saucepan over a low heat and add in your with a splash of oil. Let it slowly wilt until it is reduced significantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and then strain the spinach. Try to get as much water out of the spinach as possible, wringing with your hands if needed
- Finely chop the cooked spinach and add to a large bowl
- Add to the bowl the , , , juice, pepper, , , , and . Mix well to combine all ingredients together. If the mixture is too saucy, you can add breadcrumbs to achieve the desired texture
- Butter a large circular baking dish and put the first sheet of dough (or filo) in the dish, making sure to let it fold up on the edges to create walls. Fill with the mixture making sure to spread it evenly. Add your smaller, second sheet of dough (or filo) on top to act as a lid
- Brush the top with butter to give it a golden finish
- Cook for about 20 minutes in the oven. Watch the pita closely in the oven to ensure it doesn’t pass the stage of golden
From Yiayia's Fridge · page 79