Greek Spinach Pie

4.60 from 20 votes

Delicious spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) with fresh spinach, crumbled feta cheese, fresh herbs, and crispy homemade phyllo dough!

Prep Time1 45

Cook Time1

Additional Time10

Total Time2 40

Course: Greek Appetizers

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: spanakopita, spinach and feta, spinach pie

Servings: pieces

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Ria Mavrikos

Equipment

1 Pastry brush
1 strainer or colander
14"x10" baking dish

Ingredients

Homemade Phyllo Dough

2 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil for the dough. Plus a few extra tablespoons for brushing the dough with olive oil as you prepare the spanakopita
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 cup lukewarm water

Sautéed White Onion

1 medium-sized white onion approximately 1 1/4 cup diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Spanakopita Filling

1 package pre-washed baby spinach large package (312 grams / 11 oz)
2 bunches of green onions approximately 3 1/2 cups chopped
one bunch flat leaf parsley 1/2 cup chopped
one bunch fresh dill 1/2 cup chopped
2 eggs room temperature
2 ½ cups feta cheese crumbled feta
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons short grain white rice
1-2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Prepare the dough:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Create a small opening in the middle of the flour and pour in the extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar. Use your hands and squish the dough into small lumps. Slowly add 1 cup of lukewarm water. Mix the dough with your hands and form it into a dough ball. You can rub some olive oil on the inside and outside of your hands so that the dough doesn't stick to your hands. Knead the dough for a few minutes, then allow the dough ball to rest in the bowl for 10-15 minutes, and cover the dough with plastic wrap.
Sauté the white onion: Peel and dice a medium-sized white onion. Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a small pan and cook the onions on low to medium heat for a few minutes or until translucent. Keep the heat on low so that the onions don't burn. When the onions are ready, remove them from the heat and set them aside to cool.
Prepare the spanakopita filling: Remove the baby spinach from the package and chop it into smaller pieces. Wash the green onions really well and pat them dry. Wash and dry the flat leaf parsley and fresh dill. Cut off the end of the stems and chop the green onions, parsley, and fresh dill. Add the chopped spinach, green onions, and fresh dill to a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk two eggs together. Add the whisked eggs, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and white rice to the spinach mixture. Use your hands or a large spoon to mix the ingredients well in the large bowl. Add in the cooled sauteéd onions and crumbled feta. Stir together and set aside.
Roll out the dough:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F on bake. Clear and wipe down a large surface like your kitchen counter or kitchen table. Lightly flour the surface with all-purpose flour. Keep a small side dish of olive oil beside you because you'll need it for your hands and to brush the dough. Knead the dough with your hands and roll the dough into a log. Cut the log with a sharp knife into four pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a circle. Brush one side with oil and then stack the second piece of dough on top. Continue to flour the surface and your rolling pin. Repeat this process again. You will end up with two large flat pieces of dough. Continue to roll out the dough pieces until the final size for the bottom piece is approximately 16" x 12". The top piece can be 14" x 10". As you roll out the second piece, cover the first piece of rolled-out dough with a clean kitchen towel so that it doesn't dry out. The larger piece will go on the bottom of the pan, and the other will be placed on top of the spanakopita filling.
Prepare the spanakopita:
Lightly grease the bottom and the sides of the pan of a 14" x 10" baking dish. Carefully place the large flat piece of dough on the bottom of the pan. The dough will roll over on the sides, that's ok - it's what we want! Brush the dough with a generous amount of olive oil. Use a large spoon to spread the spanakopita filling into the baking dish. Spread it out evenly. Roll over the sides of the dough on top of the spanakopita filling. Brush the rolled-over sides with olive oil. Carefully place the second piece of flat dough on top of the spanakopita filling. If the dough is too big for the pan you can cut the excess dough with a sharp knife. Brush the top of the dough will olive oil. Score the spanakopita with a sharp knife, only cutting through the top layer of phyllo dough.
Bake the spanakopita at 375 degrees F:
Sprinkle the spanakopita with a dash of cold water, place the spanakopita in the preheated oven. Bake for 60 minutes or until the spanakopita is golden brown. Baking the spanakopita on the bottom rack will bake the phyllo underneath so it doesn't become soggy. If the spanakopita gets an air bubble at any point during the baking process, you can just pierce it with a knife so the steam can escape. Use oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven, and if you move the pan and spanakopita slides, it's ready!
Allow the spanakopita to cool slightly: When the spanakopita is ready, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on an oven-safe surface in the baking dish for 10-15 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut along the score lines. Enjoy!

Notes

Wash the green onions well to ensure there's no dirt on them. Pat dry really well or allow them to air dry before adding them to the spanakopita mixture. If you'll be washing the spinach or herbs, it's important to ensure they are completely dry before making the spanakopita filling. This will prevent any excess moisture in the filling.
When rolling the dough, flour the surface and rolling pin so that the dough doesn't stick to the surface.
One piece of dough should be larger than the other. Use the larger piece for the bottom of the pan since it will need to cover more surface area and roll over the sides. The bottom piece should be larger at approximately 16" x 12". The top piece can be smaller at approximately 14" x 10" since it's only covering the inside of the pan.
If the top piece of dough is too large, then you can cut the sides with a knife and remove the excess dough.
Sautéing the white onions will bring out their sweetness. Allow the onions to fully cool before adding them to the spinach mixture.
Cover the rolled dough with a clean kitchen towel so that it doesn't dry out. Sprinkle the table with flour before placing the rolled-out dough on top of it so that the dough doesn't stick to the surface.
Bake the spanakopita on the very bottom rack so that the heat bakes the spanakopita phyllo from the bottom. This will prevent it from becoming soggy.

Nutrition