Authentic spanakopita (spinach pie)

Authentic spanakopita recipe with crumbled feta cheese , mixed with spinach and spring onions, folded in homemade dough, brushed with olive oil and baked until golden. Simply delicious!

I love spinach pie and as I grew up I recognized that Popeye totally knew what he was doing.

NGREDIENTS:

For the filling

• 2-3 spring onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic

• 500g spinach, washed and roughly chopped

• a pinch of grated nutmeg

• 200g feta cheese, crumbled

• 50g halloumi cheese

• 3 eggs, beaten

• olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon dry mint

For the dough

• 450 g all-purpose flour

• 100g milk

• 130g sunflower oil

• 150 g yogurt

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp BP

• sesame seeds

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 190 C degrees

For the dough

• Beat the milk, sunflower oil and yogurt until light and fluffy

• Combine the flour, salt and BP and add it to the mixer

• Beat just long enough to combine. The flour should not be beaten for long

• The dough created will be very, very soft

• When ready, divide the dough in half and shape in to 2 balls

• Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours

• While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling

For the filling

• Place a non stick pan over medium to high heat

• Add the olive oil

• Coarsely chop the spring onions and add them to the pan, sauté until they soften

• Tear apart the spinach with your hands and add it to the pan

• Stir and sauté until all of its juices evaporate

• Add the fetta cheese and halloumi cheese and cook for 5 more minutes

• Add the eggs beaten and cook until the mixture combines

• Add some salt, dry mint and pepper and the filling for the pie is ready

Assemble the pie

• When the dough has rested and chilled, roll out each piece in to a rectangular sheet using a generous amount of flour to help you

• Spread one of the sheets on the bottom of a square baking pan, letting some of the sheet of dough hang over the edge of the pan

• Add the filling and spread it evenly over the dough

• Cover with the second sheet of dough and seal the edges

• Brush the surface of the dough with the prepared egg yolk and olive oil

• Sprinkle some sesame seeds

• Bake for 40-50 minutes, placing it on the middle rack in the oven so that the pie can bake evenly on both top and bottom

Go ahead, give this super easy and delicious spanakopita recipe a try and amaze your friends and family with its crispy and tangy flavour!