Bakery Window · Spinach & Feta Pie

Spanakopita (Σπανακόπιτα)

Name: Spanakopita recipe
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6 (12 squares) servings
Ingredients: 800 g frozen leaf spinach, thawed (about 450 g once squeezed dry), or about 1.5 kg fresh spinach, wilted and squeezed dry; 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the tin; 1 large onion (about 200 g), finely chopped, and 4 spring onions, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 250 g feta, crumbled; 3 eggs, beaten; 3 tablespoons chopped dill and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; A pinch of nutmeg, ½ teaspoon black pepper and about ¼ teaspoon salt (feta is already salty); About 270 g filo pastry (a standard packet, 10–12 sheets), thawed according to the packet; 100 g butter, melted (or 100 ml olive oil), for brushing the filo; A 22 x 30 cm baking tin or dish

Spanakopita (Σπανακόπιτα) — street food from Greece

Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

During Lent many bakeries sell a version without feta or eggs, made with greens, herbs and olive oil, so fasting Greeks can still eat it.

Spanakopita is a savory pie of chopped spinach, feta, herbs, and egg wrapped in crisp, buttery layers of phyllo dough and baked until golden. Street bakeries and periptera (kiosks) across Greece sell it cut into individual triangles or squares, wrapped in wax paper for eating on the move.

Why it's made this way: Phyllo pastry traces back to Byzantine and Ottoman kitchens, and spanakopita became a practical way to stretch wild greens and cheese into a portable meal — a habit that stuck as it moved from farmhouse ovens to city bakery windows.

What is Spanakopita?

Spanakopita is a Greek savoury pie of chopped spinach, feta, herbs and egg, baked between layers of thin, buttery filo pastry until crisp and golden. Bakeries and kiosks across Greece sell it by the slice, as triangles or squares wrapped in paper, and it is a common breakfast and snack on the go.

The origin of paper-thin filo dough is debated, with the modern form generally linked to the Ottoman-era eastern Mediterranean, and savoury pies of greens and cheese have long been a way to turn garden or wild greens into a filling meal. During Lent many bakeries also sell a fasting version made without feta or eggs, using greens, herbs and olive oil.

How to make spanakopita

Serves 6 (12 squares) · prep 40 min · cook 45 min

Ingredients

800 g frozen leaf spinach, thawed (about 450 g once squeezed dry), or about 1.5 kg fresh spinach, wilted and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the tin
1 large onion (about 200 g), finely chopped, and 4 spring onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
250 g feta, crumbled
3 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons chopped dill and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
A pinch of nutmeg, ½ teaspoon black pepper and about ¼ teaspoon salt (feta is already salty)
About 270 g filo pastry (a standard packet, 10–12 sheets), thawed according to the packet
100 g butter, melted (or 100 ml olive oil), for brushing the filo
A 22 x 30 cm baking tin or dish

Method

Thaw the spinach, then squeeze it hard in a clean tea towel, handful by handful, until almost no liquid comes out. This is the most important step, because wet spinach gives a soggy bottom. Chop it roughly.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and soften the onion for 6–8 minutes without browning. Add the spring onions and garlic for 1 minute, then tip into a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
Add the spinach, feta, eggs, dill, parsley, nutmeg, pepper and salt, and mix well.
Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan, gas 6). Brush the tin with oil or butter. Unroll the filo, keep it under a damp tea towel, and work quickly.
Lay a sheet of filo in the tin, letting the extra hang over the sides, and brush it with butter. Repeat until you have about 6 sheets, brushing each. Spread the filling in an even layer.
Fold the overhang over the filling. Top with the remaining sheets, brushing each with butter, and tuck the edges down the sides. Brush the top with the last of the butter.
Score the top layers into 12 squares with a sharp knife, cutting only about halfway down. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until deep golden and crisp, covering with foil if the top browns too fast. The egg in the filling will be set and the middle hot.
Rest for 10–15 minutes before cutting through the scored lines, so the filling firms up. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

Squeeze the spinach until it is really dry. If you are unsure, squeeze it again.
Keep filo you are not using covered with a damp tea towel, because it dries and cracks within minutes in the open air.
Torn sheets are fine in the middle layers. Only the top sheet needs to look good.
Score before baking. A cold knife through baked filo will shatter the top.

Regional versions

Triangles, called spanakopitakia, are the usual street and bakery format: cut filo into strips, put a spoonful of filling at one end and fold it like a flag.
Some cooks add ricotta or cottage cheese for a milder, creamier filling, or leeks and fresh dill in place of onion.
The Lenten version leaves out the feta and eggs and uses olive oil between the filo layers instead of butter.
Hand-rolled pastry, rather than shop-bought filo, is the traditional method in many village homes, but it needs skill and a long rolling pin.

Questions

What is spanakopita made of?

Spinach, feta, egg, onion and herbs such as dill, wrapped in layers of filo pastry brushed with butter or olive oil.

How do I stop spanakopita going soggy?

Squeeze the cooked or thawed spinach very dry, cool the onion mix before adding the egg and feta, and bake until the base is golden.

Can I make it ahead or freeze it?

Yes. Assemble and keep it covered in the fridge for up to a day, or freeze it unbaked and bake from frozen, adding 15–20 minutes. Reheat leftovers at 180 °C for 10–15 minutes to re-crisp the filo.

Can I use fresh spinach?

Yes. You need roughly 1.5 kg of fresh spinach, because it shrinks a lot. Wilt it in a large pan, cool, then squeeze it dry just as you would with frozen.