Spinach and Feta Pie
This pie is made from flaky golden pastry with a creamy spinach and feta filling.
About Spinach and Feta Pie
Spinach and feta pie is a classic savoury pastry made using yufka (a super-thin pastry) that is filled with spinach and feta cheese. It is best enjoyed with a glass of Turkish tea. It’s flaky, light and delicious. You don’t need many ingredients to make this dish and it goes a long way. That’s why it’s perfect for parties. You can also make spinach and feta pie in advance and freeze it for later use.
MAKES 12 PIECES
PREP TIME: 30 MINS + 2 HOURS IN THE FRIDGE
COOK TIME: 35-40 MINS
Special yufka pastry sheets can be found in Turkish and Middle Eastern food shops. In this recipe, I have used filo pastry, and it works as good as yufka. One thing you need to be aware of is, filo pastry is much thinner and more delicate. So I use two filo sheets to have the same effect as one yufka.
Some Tips & Suggestions for Making Great Spinach and Feta Pie
- Make sure spinach leaves and spring onions are washed and dried beforehand. When they are not, the pie ends up with a soggy bottom.
- If filo sheets are stored in the fridge, then it’s best to leave them at room temperature for 30 min before using.
- Filo sheets can dry out very quickly. Keeping them under a slightly moist cloth while making this recipe will help keep them moist.
- For the filling, we usually use Turkish white cheese called “böreklik beyaz peynir. If it is difficult to get hold of this cheese, you can substitute it with feta cheese. Please note, feta cheese is drier than Turkish beyaz peynir. That’s why in this recipe I add some grated mozzarella to add some creaminess.
- Börek (pie) takes different names according to its shape and ingredients: Gül böreği, kol böreği, tepsi böreği, muska böreği, etc. In this börek recipe, I use spinach and feta cheese filling. However, you can replace it with other fillings like mince, cheese & parsley, potatoes or other vegetables as well.
I usually make spinach and feta pie when I invite my Turkish friends around. We have it with our afternoon Turkish tea along with other delicious Turkish food. Not only my Turkish friends, but also my English husband loves this dish too. When I made it last time to take some photos, he told me that waiting for the photoshoot to finish was like torture. Yet, it was worth the wait, he said. But hey, there is no reason for you to wait. You can make it and dive into it immediately.
Enjoy the recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil + extra for greasing
- 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
- 250 g baby spinach leaves
- 150 g (1 cup) feta cheese, crumbled (see note)
- 100 g (1 cup) grated mozzarella cheese
- 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
- Pinch of salt, depending on the saltiness of the cheese
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (see note)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk for the egg wash
- 10 filo pastry
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp nigella seeds
Sauce
-
1/4 cup Turkish or Greek-style plain yoghurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Step by Step Instructions
The Pattern Between Step 4 – Step 12:
Baking tray -> 2 filo -> sauce -> 2 filo -> sauce -> 1 filo -> spinach & feta mix -> 2 filo -> sauce -> 2 filo -> sauce -> 1 filo -> sauce -> fridge -> egg yolk -> sesame & nigella seeds
Step 1
First prepare the sauce by whisking olive oil and yoghurt in a bowl. Leave this to the side for now.
Step 2
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Sauté the chopped onions for 5 minutes until they turn a golden colour. Take the pan off the heat.
Step 3
In a big mixing bowl, put the spinach leaves, chopped spring onion, crumbled feta cheese, grated mozzarella cheese, the sautéed onion and lightly beaten 1 egg. Once you have seasoned it and added the red pepper flakes to this mix, stir it well and set aside.
Step 4
Lightly brush or spray a rectangular baking tray (mine is 30 cm x 38,5 cm / 11 inch x 15 inch) with oil. (Round tray was only used for photography purposes.)
Step 5
Place 2 sheets of filo pastry on to the baking sheet and brush it with the sauce you have prepared earlier on.
Step 6
Add another 2 sheets of filo pastry and again brush it with the sauce.
Step 7
Add a single sheet of filo pastry and this time spread the spinach and feta filling evenly over it.
Step 8
Cover the filling with 2 sheets of filo pastry and brush it with the sauce.
Step 9
Add another 2 sheets of filo pastry and again brush it with the sauce.
Step 10
Lay a final filo pastry on top and brush it with the sauce for the last time.
Step 11
Cover it with a cling film and then leave it in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
Step 12
When it’s ready to be baked, first brush it with egg yolk. Then, after pre-cutting the pastry into equal pieces, sprinkle it with some sesame and nigella seeds.
Step 13
Transfer it into a pre-heated oven at 180°C/ 350°F / gas mark 4 and bake it in the mid shelf for about 30 minutes or until it’s golden brown. Remove from the oven. Crunch & dampen greaseproof paper to fit the size of your baking tray. Then cover the pastry loosely and bake on bottom shelf for 5 more mins to brown base.
Step 14
After baking, let it cool slightly for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before serving with a side salad and Turkish tea or ayran.
Goes Well With
Turkish Tea
Ayran (a cold Turkish yoghurt drink)
Salad
Notes
Feta cheese: Normally we use Turkish white cheese called “böreklik beyaz peynir” for this pie which. It has a creamy texture. To obtain similar creaminess with feta cheese I add mozzarella to the filling. Make sure to use grated mozzarella, not the fresh one.
Red pepper flakes: These flakes have a moderate heat. You can find them in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. Ground cayenne powder can be used as a substitute.
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