Greek Spanakopita Avramidis

When Athena invited me to learn how to make the fillo dough, she had shown me some that she had in her freezer, and said she would use that to make the Spanakopita for our lunch. While it was baking, we would make another batch to replenish the batch she was using. She had taken the dough out of the freezer earlier in the day and we were ready to make the Spanakopita for lunch. It smelled so delicious as it was baking, we couldn't wait to eat it!

Greek Spanakopita Avramidis
Athena Avramidis

2 balls of homemade fillo dough
1 box of chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
2 eggs
½ teaspoon pepper
1 leek, finely chopped
6 ounces Feta Cheese

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Brush a round pizza pan with olive oil. Sprinkle a little flour on the oil.

Roll one ball of the fillo dough into a thin circle. Invert one end over a rolling pin , lift it off your work surface, and place on the prepared round pizza pan. Brush the dough with olive oil.
Place the spinach mixture on the dough and spread to the edges. Roll the second ball of fillo dough out into a thin circle. Flip the edge over the rolling pin to lift it up and place on top of the spinach mixture.

Using the tips of your fingers, pinch and pull the dough under to crimp and seal it. Do this all around the whole pie. Brush the top with olive oil. Score the pie into squares, using a knife, cutting all the way through. Bake at 400ºF for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 375º F and bake another 30–40 minutes until golden brown. If the pieces did not cut all the way through, cut into squares with a pizza cutter. Enjoy

This is what you will need for the recipe:

Greek Spanakopita Avramidis
Athena Avramidis

2 balls of homemade fillo dough
1 box of chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
2 eggs
½ teaspoon pepper
1 leek, finely chopped
6 ounces Feta Cheese

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.


Have your two balls of fillo defrosted


Defrost the spinach, and drain any excess liquid


set aside



Cut off the thick end of the leek


Cut off about an inch from the top


Wash the leek very well,
they can be very sandy


Slice very thinly


Chop very fine


Brush a round pizza pan with olive oil



Sprinkle a little flour on the oil; set aside


Put the spinach, and leeks, into a bowl;


pepper,

and eggs


mix well


Open your Feta Cheese


Place it in a bowl to drain


Crumble in the feta cheese




and mix again to blend well


and set aside


Place some flour (bench flour) on your work surface


Sprinkle Flour on the ball of dough


Roll one ball of the fillo dough into a thin circle



Once the dough starts to thin out, roll from the middle
of the dough to the outer edges


Take one end of your dough, and invert it over a rolling pin ,


and use it to lift the dough off your work surface,


and place on the prepared round pizza pan


Stretch the dough so it covers the pan


Brush the dough with olive oil


Place the spinach mixture on the dough

and spread to the edges



Place a little more flour on your work surface
and on the second ball of dough

Roll the second ball of fillo dough out into a thin circle




Flip the edge over the rolling pin to lift it up


and place on top of the spinach mixture

Stretch the dough to cover the spinach


Using the tips of your fingers,


pinch and pull the dough under to crimp and seal it










Do this all around the whole pie





Brush the top with olive oil







Score the pie into squares, using a knife
cutting all the way through






Bake at 400ºF for 10 minutes



Lower the heat to 375º F. and bake another
30–40 minutes until


golden brown


If the pieces did not cut all the way through,
cut into squares with a pizza cutter


Enjoy