Greek Spanakopita is a traditional savoury pie filled with spinach and cheese. The plain cheese version is called ‘tyropita’ and is equally delicious. My mum is known as the ‘queen of spanakopita’, a deserving title given her perfect unison of golden hand rolled pastry and melt in your mouth cheese filling.
I have recreated mum’s spanakopita with my gluten free rough puff pastry – one of the most daunting baking techniques for a gluten free cook. My quick and easy gluten free rough puff pastry recipe delivers a beautiful, buttery, flaky pastry so your biggest hurdle is now resolved.
The addition of dill to the cheese and spinach filling adds a fragrant anise flavour to this Spanakopita. You can substitute swiss chard and dandelion for spinach if you wish, most leafy greens work well here.
It is very important to use a good quality feta made in Greece for a beautiful creamy texture and salty feta flavour. Ensure the feta you purchase is white (not yellowish) and it only contains sheep’s/goat milk, rennet and salt. It should not contain anything else. My preferred brand is Dodoni but I also love other peppery varieties known as ‘piperati’ feta.
In this recipe I have rolled the pastry into a traditional coil shape. A simpler way of filling the pastry is to make single serve pies. Just cut pastry rounds using a small plate as a guide, spoon a dollop of filling in the centre and fold over to seal. Remember to press the edges to seal the pastry, you could even use a fork to create a ridge pattern on the seal. This is also very Greek!
- Cheese & Spinach Filling
- 300g ricotta
- 200g Dodoni fetta
- 1 cup silverbeet or English spinach, chopped
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- Pinch of cracked pepper
- Rough Puff Pastry Gluten Free Recipe
- Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Combine filling ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly with hands.
- Remove pastry from fridge and place on a dusted surface. Slice into three long strips and roll each strip out thinly between two sheets of baking paper. A thinner pastry will deliver a crispier texture.
- Place a strip of cheese filling along edge of pastry. Brush long pastry edges with beaten egg.
- Use a pastry scraper to gently lift the long edge of the pastry and roll it over the filling. Pinch each end to seal. Twist into a coil.
- Generously brush top of pastry coil with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Place coil on lined baking tray. Cook for 40-45 minutes in 200C oven or until golden brown.
- For the filling add spinach and herbs to mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 5. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix 5 sec/speed 3.
- Remove pastry from fridge and place on a dusted surface. Slice pastry into three long strips and roll each strip out thinly between two sheets of baking paper. A thinner pastry will deliver a crispier texture.
- Place a strip of cheese filling along edge of pastry. Brush long pastry edges with beaten egg.
- Use a pastry scraper to gently lift the long edge of the pastry and roll it over the filling. Pinch each end to seal. Twist into a coil.
- Generously brush top of pastry coil with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Place coil on lined baking tray. Cook for 40-45 minutes in 200C oven or until golden brown.
HI – if the flour I am using as xanthum gum do you still need to add the extra gum? This looks really good, cannot wait to try this!
Hi
Probably not, but it depends on how much they have added. I would make it without on my first attempt and perhaps add some extra gum the second time and see what you prefer. Good luck.
This looks delicious! How long does keep fresh?
Hi Sara,
Thank you. There is no meat in it so you could store up to 3 days in the fridge. Just reheat to serve. Enjoy!!
Hello I made this the other day and i must say they work out fabulously. Pastry turned out great. This was something I never thought I would eat again. Thanks for a great recipie.
Anna I am so glad you enjoyed it. I missed spanakopita for years and years until I finally figured out gluten free rough puff pastry, now there in no looking back!!
You are absolutely right Helen it is all in the pastry. I had tried so many combinations that I finally gave up. I used Doves Farm GF flour cannot get it in Australia but I ordered it in on Brits online shop and they posted it across to me. It has a more pleasant flavour than some of the flours we get in Australia.
Thank you again Helen for another delicious recipe that my family loved. I made the pastry in the morning, and then it was easy to make the pastries later with a salad for dinner. There was enough leftover for school lunches the next day. Yum!
I’ve never made spanakopita…yet…and am bringing it to our Greek Christmas dinner this year (2018). I assume I can use the dough to make the casserole rather than the individual servings? Any advice?
Yes you can make one big pie that is fine or you can make them into long pides, just roll dough into rectangular shapes (cut into three first) and fold over edges. Merry Xmas!
Is the egg for the filling or just for brushing the pastry edges?
Just for the filling