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Spanakopita (Σπανακόπιτα)
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5 from 2 votes

Spanakopita

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, meze
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 40 pieces
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

Ingredients

NOTE: You can easily halve the recipe below for the filling and dough; using a 3 quart pyrex pan

    Spinach filling

    • 64 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
    • 8 green onions, chopped
    • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
    • 1/4 cup chopped dill
    • 1/4 cup chopped mint
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 ½ cups grated feta, divided
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • 1/2 cup bread crumbs

    For the phyllo dough:

    • 6 ½ cups all-purpose flour (plus another 1/4 cup if needed)
    • 2 cups lukewarm water
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/3 cup milk
    • olive oil for brushing on top of pita, and for greasing the bottom of your pan
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Prepare the filling for the pita.  Wash your greens well (spinach, green onions and herbs) and plunge them into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds.  Drain and set aside to cool.  When the greens are cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible. It is often helpful to use a piece of cheesecloth or fine tulle to do this.  Otherwise, you can simply use your hands.  Removing as much water as possible is very important.
    • Place your greens in a large bowl and add 1 cup of grated feta, 4 beaten eggs, the olive oil, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.  Set aside while you prepare your filo.
    • In a large bowl sift the flour and add in the water, olive oil, red wine vinegar, beaten eggs, and milk.  Knead well until your dough comes together; this will take several minutes.  You may need to add a bit more flour so that your dough is malleable but not too stiff.
    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Divide your dough in half and begin to roll out one of the halves with a rolling pin. (See detailed hints in the post.) Your phyllo should end up being thin enough that you can almost see through it, but not so thin that it tears.
    • Grease the bottom of your pan and place your dough into your pan, being sure that it overlaps the sides.   Pour the filling into your pan, on top of your phyllo.  Crumble the remaining 1/2 cup of feta over the spinach filling.
    • Take the remaining phyllo dough and roll it out so that it is large enough to cover the top of your pan.  Press down gently so that the phyllo dough sits directly on the spinach, and crimp the edges so that the top and bottom layers of phyllo are pressed together.
    • Cut off any excess phyllo around the edge of the pan.
    • Using a sharp paring knife, score the top layer of phyllo in a diagonal pattern in order to mark the serving size pieces you will cut when your spanakopita is done.  Brush the top of the phyllo dough with some olive oil.
    • Place in the middle rack of your oven and bake for 60 minutes, or until your phyllo is a nice golden brown colour.
    • Cool, and then cut into pieces using the scoring as a guide.
    • Enjoy!