🥬 Spanakopita – Greek spinach and feta cheese pie – a flaky, golden Mediterranean delight, filled with creamy feta and fresh spinach! 🇬🇷🥧
🌟 Nutritional Benefits: Spinach is rich in vitamins A, C, K, folate, and iron, supporting immune function and reducing oxidative stress. Feta cheese adds calcium and protein, promoting bone health.
💡 Quick Tip: Add fresh dill or green onions to the filling for an extra burst of flavor! 🌿
📌 Serving Suggestion: Serve warm with a fresh tomato and cucumber salad or a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt. Perfect for lunch or a light dinner! 🍅🥒
💡 Explore more Mediterranean-inspired recipes: Appetizers.
🔗 Read more: Discover the health benefits of spinach in this article: Spinach: Nutrition and health benefits – Medical News Today
Dough
Filling
Dough preparation method
Prepare a large baking tray (approx. 35 x 40 cm) and grease it with oil.
Place all the ingredients for the dough, except the butter, in a mixing bowl and mix until combined. Knead the dough by hand for about 3 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough onto a non-stick silicone mat or a lightly floured work surface. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 10 minutes. Wash and dry the mixing bowl.
Place the butter in a saucepan and heat gently over low heat (or microwave) for about 2 minutes, until fully melted. Pour the melted butter into a bowl and set it aside.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, then divide each portion into 5 equal pieces to form 10 balls (approx. 160 g each). Keep 5 of the portions covered to prevent drying. Roll out the 5 portions of dough on a lightly floured surface or non-stick silicone mat into circles (approx. 15 cm each). Brush 4 of the circles generously with melted butter, then stack them on top of each other, finishing with the 5th circle (the one without butter) on top.
Roll out the stacked circles into one large, thin rectangle. Place the first sheet of dough in the prepared baking tray. Repeat the process with the remaining dough portions for the top layer, when needed.
Filling
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place a large bowl on the scale and weigh in the spinach, then add the salt.
Finely chop the onion using a knife or food processor. Add the chopped onion to the bowl with the spinach and mix well to combine.
Place the feta cheese and the egg in a bowl, then mash them together with a fork until you get small, crumbly pieces.
Place ⅓ of the spinach mixture over the dough in the tray, sprinkle with ⅓ of the feta mixture, and repeat with two more layers of spinach and feta. Cover with the second thinly rolled-out sheet of dough, score the top layer into 25 portions, and brush with the remaining melted butter.
Bake for 45–50 minutes at 180°C (356°F), or until golden and crispy.
