Spanakopita with Homemade Phyllo (Horiatiko)

Juicy spanakopita with rustic homemade phyllo!

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Did you even know that you could make spanakopita with homemade phyllo dough? The homemade dough is known as horiatiko dough in Greece, and it’s a village-style, hearty and rustic pastry dough. It’s so easy to make, and it only has five basic ingredients. Everyone who tried this spanakopita while I was recipe testing said it was the best they had ever eaten. So I can’t wait for you to try it!

You have to try this homemade phyllo

• Rustic thick phyllo
• Juicy herb spinach
• Creamy feta
• The most delicious and hearty phyllo with the best spanakopita filling!

Spanakopita ingredients

For the Phyllo:

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Lukewarm water
• White vinegar
• Olive oil

For the Filling:

• Spinach leaves –coarsely chopped
• Dried dill
• Scallions –thinly sliced and swirled in a bowl of cold water to release dirt, then scooped out
• Ricotta cheese
• Feta cheese –crumbled from a block to avoid low-quality pre-crumbled feta
• Eggs
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Toppings:

• Olive oil or melted butter
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Do I need a stand mixer?

No, you don’t need a stand mixer to make your homemade phyllo. All you need to do is mix the ingredients together in a large bowl and knead them until soft and elastic dough is formed. If the dough is dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it comes together, but no more than 3 tablespoons of water because you don’t want it to be sticky. If it gets sticky, add a little flour and knead it until it comes back to soft and elastic dough.

Pan substitutes:

• 13-inch (33 cm) round
• 9 x 13-inch (33 by 23 cm)
• 10-inch (25 cm) round deep pie pan

How to make Spanakopita with Homemade Phyllo

Make the Phyllo Pastry:

• Combine all of the phyllo ingredients in the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the dough hook attachment.
• Knead for about 5 minutes on medium speed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough is dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it comes together, but no more than 3 tablespoons of water because you don’t want it to be sticky.
• Next, divide the dough into eight portions and roll each piece into a ball.
• Lightly flour the bowl and place the balls inside, then lightly flour the dough balls and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Allow it to rest at room temperature for about an hour or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Make the Spinach Filling:

1. In the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the ricotta cheese, dill, salt, pepper, olive oil, and scallions.
2. Then, add the spinach in a few batches until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
3. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, and then add them to the spinach mixture. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
4. Crumble the feta cheese into the spinach mixture, and mix until combined.

Assemble the Pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F, 190 °C.
2. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out each piece of dough to about a 12-14-inch (35 cm) circle.
3. Line the bottom of a 13-inch (33 cm) round pan with 4 phyllo sheets (see video), allowing about 1/3 of each sheet to hang outside the pan, and brush each layer with olive oil or butter.
4. Next, add all of the spinach filling to the pan and fold the phyllo hanging outside of the pan over the filling.
5. Brush the top of the phyllo edges with oil.
6. Layer the remaining four pieces of phyllo on top and brush each layer with oil.
7. Score the pie into about 16 pieces.
8. Then, brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
9. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40 minutes, and then raise the temperature to 400 °F, 200 °C. and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Allow the pie to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Spinach released too many juices?

I like the bottom of my spanakopita to be nice and crispy, just like the top. However, the spinach releases juices and can prevent that. There are two ways to help with this. The first way is to sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs in the bottom of your pan before adding the bottom layers of phyllo. They will soak up the extra juices and help the bottom to get a little crispy. The second way is to move your pie to the bottom rack of your oven for the last 10 minutes of cooking. It will give the bottom of your pie the extra heat it needs to dry and crisp. Just make sure you don’t leave it on the bottom rack longer than that, so it doesn’t burn.

Serving

The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for the pie to cool. Once it is, cut through the bottom of all the places you scored, and serve each piece with a bit of tzatziki sauce on the side. My mom still makes her spanakopita this way, and it’s so delicious that you may not be able to go back to spanakopita with store-bought phyllo. Let me know which one is your favorite. Kali Orexi!

Serve the Spanakopita with:

• Tzatziki Sauce
• Roka Salata
• Eggplant Salad

Continue to Content

Spanakopita with Homemade Phyllo (Horiatiki)

Yield: about 16 pieces

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Ingredients

For the Phyllo:

• 3 and 1/2 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
• 1 heaping teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Filling:

• 1 pound spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 teaspoons dried dill
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 eggs
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Toppings:

• about 3/4 cup olive oil or melted butter
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the Phyllo Pastry:
2. Combine all of the phyllo ingredients in the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the dough hook attachment. Knead until the dough comes together and is smooth and elastic. About 5 minute on medium speed. If the dough is dry, add 2-3 tablespoons water and knead until it comes together.
3. Divide the dough into 8 portions and roll each piece into a ball. Lightly flour the bowl and place the balls inside. Lightly flour the dough and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow it to rest at room temperature for about an hour or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
4. Make the Spinach Filling:

In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that is fitted with the paddle attachment add the ricotta cheese, the dill, salt, pepper, olive oil, and the scallions. Mix until combined.

Add the spinach in a few batches until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Combine the eggs ina small bowl and whisk them together. Add the eggs to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until incorporated. Crumble the feta cheese and add to the mixer and mix until combined.

Assemble the Pie: Preheat the oven to 375 °F, 190 °C.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out each piece of dough to about a 12-14-inch (35 cm) circle.

Line the bottom of a 13-inch (33 cm) round pan with 4 phyllo sheets (see video). Let about 1/3 of each sheet hang outside of the pan. Brush each layer with olive oil or butter.

Add all of the spinach filling to the pan and fold the phyllo that is hanging outside of the pan over the filling. Brush it with oil.

Layer the remaining 4 pieces of phyllo on top and brush each layer with oil.

Score the pie into about 16 pieces.

Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Raise the temperature to 400 °F, 200 °C. and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow the pie to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with tzatziki sauce. Kali Orexi!

Notes

The dough can be made without a stand mixer. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and knead them until a soft and elastic dough is formed.

Pan substitutes:

13-inch (33 cm) round

9 by 13-inch (33 by 23 cm)

10-inch (25 cm) round deep pie pan

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