Community Corner
Learning The Finer Points Of Spanakopita
Baking Coach April Bier gives Sayville Library patrons insight on how to make this popular Greek spinach pie.
Baking Coach April Bier came to the Sayville Library recently to teach a class on making spanakopita (Greek spinach pie). Attendees were able to get involved, rolling their own mini pies to take home and bake.
April is one of six different baking coaches who work for Smithtown-based The Baking Coach. They travel to libraries all over Long Island and teach adults, teens and children about cooking.
Making the filling for the spanakopita is the first step. Here’s what you need to get started: two large bags of frozen spinach; ¼ cup finely chopped dill; salt and pepper to taste; ½ pound of feta cheese, crumbled; one to two eggs, lightly beaten; 1 cup of unsalted butter, melted; and 1 pound of filo pastry sheets.
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The spinach needs to be defrosted and all the excess water has to be squeezed about before getting started. Then all the ingredients (except the butter) are combined in a large mixing bowl.
Working with the filo dough is where the process gets a little tricky. “The filo dough is very thin and delicate and it dries out quickly,” April said. “To keep it moist while you are rolling it, keep it covered with a damp towel.”
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Unroll the filo dough on a flat surface and cut it into 3 x 11 inch strips. Brush the filo dough with melted butter. Place a small spoonful of the mixture on to the pastry dough and fold it over to form a triangle. It’s done exactly how you would fold an American flag. After each closure, brush the dough with more melted butter. Place all the triangles on a greased baking sheet and keep them covered with a damp towel until they are ready to bake.
Brush the triangles with melted butter and bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees. If you want to freeze your triangles and bake them at a later time, just separate them with wax paper and increase the baking time by 10 minutes. April brought samples of the spanakopita for the chefs to try. Instead of making mini pies, another variation is to make a full pie and cut it into pieces. You can also use different cheese instead of feta for variety.
