Spanakopita Spiral with Homemade Filo

Crispy, flaky, delicious filo pies are a big part of Greek cuisine.  A handful of simple ingredients, often staples in most  Greek households, are enclosed in many layers of delicate filo, and baked to golden perfection. Filo pies are considered a rather frugal way to feed and sustain a family. They are served for lunch, they are served for dinner, they are a portable snack and are easy to bring to work or pack for school and, of course, they can be made ahead of time.

Filo pies come in many shapes and sizes and their fillings are open to improvisation. There are the mini filo triangles filled with spinach (spanakopitakia) that are served as appetizers, the traditional Greek spanakopita squares, and, of course, this spanakopita spiral.  Whereas nobody can deny the ease and convenience of ready-made filo pastry, homemade filo is a real treat that is worth learning to make! There is nothing intimidating about a dough that consists of just flour, olive oil and water. These simple ingredients are mixed into a soft and subtle dough which is then rolled out into thin–almost transparent–sheets.

The filling for this recipe is exactly the same one that I use for my traditional Greek spanakopita baked in a larger pan and cut into squares, so the ingredients should be familiar to readers of this blog. If you are attempting this for the first time, I can assure you that it is not hard to make; it just requires a little time and little patience.  I made an easy step-by-step photo tutorial to help you along (or, you can also refer to the short video that I posted about this technique on Instagram, shown on the right column of this post). This spanakopita spiral with homemade filo is a fun weekend project and I really hope you will give it a try!

Ingredients for the Spanakopita Spiral:

Spanakopita Spiral with Homemade Filo

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

A delicious version of the classic spanakopita

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Vegetarian Main Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Serves: 2 large spirals

Ingredients

• 1 med. onion, finely diced
• 4 --- green onions, finely diced
• 5 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1½ lbs. fresh baby spinach, washed, rinsed well and chopped
• 2 cups Greek Feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup mizithra or ricotta cheese, at room temperature (optional)
• 5 TBSP. fresh dill, minced
• 5 TBSP. fresh parsley, minced
• --- pinch sea salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
• For the homemade filo:
• 2 cups AP flour
• 4 TBSP. olive oil
• 1 TBSP. vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• ⅔ cup water
• --- --- extra virgin olive oil (for brushing on the filo)
• --- --- coarse sea salt
• --- --- sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a small skillet, cook the onions in the olive oil until tender and golden. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl and let it cool.
2. Place the chopped spinach in a colander, sprinkle with some salt, and let it sit for about twenty minutes. Squeeze the spinach between the palms of your hands to drain the water. Add the spinach to the bowl with the onions, along with the crumbled Feta cheese, ricotta (if using), dill, parsley, pinch of salt and ground pepper. Mix well and set aside.
3. To make the filo dough: Place all the ingredients in a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook. Miix until the dough starts to pull down from the sides of the bowl and is soft and pliant. Let it rest covered for 30 minutes.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
5. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Using a thin rolling pin, roll out one of the portions of the dough as thin as possible, into a big circle. Brush it generously with olive oil. Place half of the filling at one end and roll it up as shown in the photos below. Shape the stuffed dough into a spiral. Repeat with the second portion of dough and the remaining filling. Brush each spiral with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt (and sesame seeds, if desired) and bake until golden brown. Cool and serve. Makes two spirals.

Notes

You can also make this spanakopita spiral using frozen filo dough. Defrost the package overnight in your refrigerator and thaw it at room temperature for two hours. Using one filo sheet at a time, brush it with olive oil. Place a second filo sheet on top, brush it as well with olive oil and then repeat with a third one. Proceed with filling and rolling as with the fresh filo. You might find, the the store-bought filo is not as flexible as the fresh one and might tear a bit as you roll it. This however, will not affect the taste of your spanakopita spiral.

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