Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie Tutorial) | The Mediterranean Dish (2024)

FAQs

Why is my spanakopita soggy? ›

Let's face it, nobody wants to eat a soggy spanakopita. But this doesn't have to be your fate if you follow a few simple tips. Firstly, making sure you squeeze all the excess moisture out of your spinach. This is the case with fresh and frozen spinach.

Spanakopita is a traditional Greek dish where spinach, feta, olive oil, herbs are baked in a golden, crispy phyllo dough. It is a favorite appetizer, meal, and snack not only in Greece but around the globe. Go into any bakery in Greece and you will find this wonderful pie!

Spanakopita is one of Greece's signature dishes. It is ubiquitous all over the country, but some of the most famous versions come from the northwestern region of Epirus. Historically master foragers, Greeks in that region and beyond, have used wild greens as the backbone of their diet.

Spanakopita makes a great side dish for large holiday dinners next to lamb or lemon chicken. But it can easily stand alone as the main dish. Serve it with a big salad like Greek salad; Balela; or this Mediterranean chickpea salad, and favorite dips like Greek Tzatziki or Roasted Garlic Hummus.

Sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs between each layer of pastry as you go – this will help to keep the pastry crisp. When you get to the final layer, brush with a little extra oil and scrunch the edges together to create a pretty border.

You will want to keep the stack of unbuttered dough sheets covered with a slightly dampened dish towel at all times, because phyllo dries out very quickly. Tip: Always butter the top layer of pastry before baking in a hot oven to create a nice golden-brown top.

Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie typically containing cheese such as feta and/or ricotta. Our version is low in calories while high in fibre, iron and calcium. It's also diabetes-friendly and suitable for vegetarians.

Greeks also love eating pies for breakfast !

All kind of pies : tiro pita (cheese pie), spanakopita (spinach pie), kreato-pita (chicken meat pie), served in triangular pieces.

Phyllo consists of tissue-thin sheets of dough. Phyllo, also spelled filo or fillo, means "leaf" in Greek, and the pastry dough is widely used in the Balkans and Middle East.

What Is Tiropita? Like spanakopia, tiropita is also a savory Greek pie that's wrapped in a phyllo crust, but its filling is different than spanakopita. Instead of spinach, herbs, and feta, tiropita is filled with a mixture of cheese and eggs.

What food is similar to spanakopita? ›

Tiropsomo is similar to spanakopita and tiropita as they use cheese as their main ingredient. But what differentiates this Greek street food is that the cheese is baked into light bread instead of filo pastry. Apart from feta cheese, tiropsomo uses unkneaded dough made from flour and milk.

Spanakopita freezes very well, just wrap the uncooked dish in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil (alternatively, make the spanakopita in a disposable baking tray). You can also freeze spanakopita after it's cooked. Cut into portions and place on a tray in the freezer until partially frozen.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat slices on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 -13 minutes, or until heated through. Freeze baked Spanakopita in a freezer-safe dish for up to 2 months.

Turkish borek and Greek spanakopita come from the same family of pastry. However, the two often differ in preparation and texture, with Greek spanakopita often having a flakier, puffier crust. Is it burek or borek? Both spellings of this pastry are technically correct, depending on the country.

Use a dry filling: Wet fillings, such as those with high water content, can seep into the pastry and make it soggy. Try to use a filling that is as dry as possible. Pre-bake the pastry: Pre-baking the pastry, also known as blind baking, involves baking the pastry shell for a short time before adding the filling.

It will start to wilt down quite quickly, once it has wilted (about 1-2 mins) drain it through a colander and allow all the excess water to run out, pressing it with the back of a spoon or underside of a ladle will help force excess water out of the spinach through the colander.

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Adding a layer of corn syrup or a slightly beaten egg white before pouring in the filling will form a seal between the pie dough and the filling and will help make the crust crisp and flaky.

Problem: Your Pastry is Soggy

Pastry being soggy in the middle is a result of the pastry being undercooked. Don't place the pastry on too high a shelf in the oven. One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling.