I should call this post ‘spanakopita revisited’ as I have already posted a recipe some time ago. This time around though it is spanakopita as my mother makes it – with homemade phyllo (or is it filo?) pastry. The difference is quite pronounced – homemade phyllo is quite different to the store-bought stuff – much less brittle and a lot tastier. It is also much easier to make than I had imagined so this week I made two large spiral pies with one batch of pastry.

I brought one of the pies to the recent ‘inherited recipes’ Band of Bakers event and I am pleased to say there was not a crumb left (although the fact that is was savoury may have something to do with that). I am sharing the recipes for both the spanakopita (spinach & feta pie) and the kreatopita (lamb & feta pie) in this post.

For the phyllo (filo) pastry

Makes enough for 2 large pies

Adapted from Vefa’s Kitchen

500g | 4 1/2 cups plain flour (or a mix of plain and strong bread flour) plus more for dusting

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar (sometimes ouzo is used or raki)

240ml | 1 cup warm water (more or less as needed)

Cornflour (cornstarch) for rolling and dusting

For each pie

115g | 1 stick melted unsalted butter for brushing or olive oil

2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

2 tbsp nigella seeds (optional)

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the water, oil and vinegar. Mix together using your hands or a wooden spoon to form a fairly stiff dough. Tip the dough onto an oiled worktop. Oil your hands and knead vigorously for 10-15 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test. Alternatively knead in a stand mixer using the dough hook for about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 balls, dust with cornflour and wrap each in cling film (plastic wrap). Rest for about an hour or put in the fridge to use later (can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days).

Using the dough

Preheat the oven to 180C | 350F for a good 15 minutes. Dust your worktop and rolling pin with cornflour (or a mix of cornflour and flour). Roll out one dough ball as thinly as possible and brush with melted butter. Set aside. Roll out a second piece roughly the same size as the first and lay it on top of the first tolled out piece of dough. Press together. Roll out the combined phyllo sheets into a large rectangle. Brush with melted butter and place the filling alongside the long edge closest to you (see pic). Roll the dough over the filling (stretching it if necessary) into a long cylinder. Roll the cylinder into a spiral and place on a tray lined with baking paper (or a large round metal pie dish – tapsi in Greek). Repeat with another 2 dough balls and rest of the filling and wind the second cylinder around the first to create a large spiral. Brush generously with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame and nigella seeds. Bake for 1h – 1h 20m until golden and crisp. Cool slightly before serving. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge and either eaten cold or reheated in the oven.

Spanakopita filling

800g | 28oz frozen spinach

200g | 8oz feta cheese, crumbled

200g | 8oz goat’s cheese or ricotta crumbled

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 large bunch fresh dill, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

8 spring onions (scallions) finely chopped

2 large leeks (white part only) finely chopped

4 balls homemade phyllo (or 1 pack phyllo)

100g | 4oz toasted pine nuts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Method