Spanakopita - Hand Made Phyllo Spinach Pie | Christine Cushing

I walk through the step by step process of making super crisp, hand made phyllo and then filling it with a delicious Greek combination of spinach, feta cheese, dill and green onions to make the world wide favourite Spanakopita or spinach phyllo (filo) pie. FULL RECIPE BELOW
Links for spinach feta filling or just cheese filling:
Spanakopita triangles - Greek Spinach Pies: • Spanakopita triangles ...
Mastering Cheese Phyllo Triangles - Tiropites: • Mastering Tiropites - ...
RECIPE: SPANAKOPITA - Hand Made Phyllo Spinach Pie
PHYLLO DOUGH :
310 gm organic bread flour ( 2 cups )
Pinch salt
25 ml extra virgin olive oil ( 2 Tbsp. )
175 ml lukewarm water (3/4 cup )
5 ml apple cider vinegar (1 tsp.
FILLING
Large handful fresh spinach, leaves only ( about 1 cup )
90 gm Greek feta cheese (3 oz.)
10 ml olive oil ( 2 tsp.)
3 green onions, chopped
30 ml freshly chopped dill (2 Tbsp.) or to taste
2 eggs, beaten
60 ml extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup )
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
For phyllo, in a medium bowl combine the four and salt and stir. Drizzle with water, olive oil and vinegar and stir to blend. Turn onto a board and knead until tender and fully smooth and gluten has developed. ( approx 10 minutes). If dough seems too sticky wait until the middle of your kneading process to add more flour or it will be too dry when finished. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes at room temp.
Meanwhile, immerse washed spinach in boiling slated water for 1 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside.
Heat 2 tsp. Olive oil in a skillet with onion, spinach and dill and toss on high for 2-3 minutes or until onions soften. Remove and cool. Combine in a bowl with feta, eggs and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 D F
To stretch phyllo, lightly flour a tea towel or table cloth . It is easier to try with 1/2 the dough , as I did in video, and you are looking for a final dimension of 21x 29 1/2 inches (53.5 cm x 74 cm) for each spiral. If you want to make one larger one, dough should be doubled in size.
Roll the dough first with a pin to get an even oval then using your knuckles stretch, as per video to start relaxing the dough to achieve a thinner dough. Left and stretch the dough until super thin and evenly stretched, as per video, moving around the entire surface, turning the towel if needed. Trim the thick edges with pastry cutter. Drizzle with olive oil and brush lightly. Spoon filling in a thin row along the horizontal edge of pastry, closest to you. Using the sheet, pull to roll the pastry.
Brush top with more olive oil and pierce a few holes to let steam escape during bake.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375 D F in middle rack of oven fro about 30-35 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Makes 2 small spirals or 1 larger one
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#spanakopita #greekspinachpie

[@spi.ro.4164]

Spanakopita is the queen of pies, but its only the tip of an "iceberg" of pies in Greece. We make pita of almost anything, from potatoes, mushrooms, leeks, eggplants, peppers, meat, cod to even nettle ! Every little place has a specialty ! Very good recipe Christine !

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you ! Yes I have had many of the other delicious pies.

[@seamus6994]

Christine, you absolutely ROCK! My Organic Grocery Store stopped selling Phyllo Dough. Obviously, not enough people make Greek foods. Or know how good it is. Now I can make my own Phyllo and many recipes that use Phyllo, like Baklava. All of your videos and recipes are easy and enjoyable. Thanks for all your tips and teaching methods. You make cooking FUN!

[@ChristineCushing]

I’m so glad you are getting my fun cooking vibe. It is such a great feeling to make your own phyllo. I hope you try

[@jeaniemc544]

Thank you for sharing how to make this from scratch 😍😍 you have opened a whole new corner if my culinary mind. This must taste so much better than machine pastry, tradition will survive thanks to great teachers like you, thank you again so much 😍

[@mahshidrav3872]

I love the way of explaining

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you so much !

[@elizabethzmetana6229]

Beautiful. I love how everything is done with such precision and care. It's fun to watch someone who knows how.

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you so much !

[@yvoisdew]

My favorite chef making my favorite Greek food 😋 😍

[@cynajoy433]

Exactly like my grandmother used to make. I can remember her stretching the dough over sheets on the dining room table. And of course we loved to eat it!

[@ChristineCushing]

The eating is for sure the best part but the process is so magical to me. Thank you

[@michelleluster9723]

Oh that looks very delicious, and I am going to try it eventually, my grandma could make it, she was good with the doe thing and that's where I make something difficult for me, she never messed up. I used to help her make stuff she had me learn but I'm a mess trying and that's why I love your videos! Thank you very much and keep safe God bless you all!!!!

[@therenaissanceredneck8825]

Love this video!!! Thank you Christine for giving us a lesson on making filo. I can’t wait to try this.

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you so much. It takes some practice but the process is so rewarding.

[@ZukiGrL1]

Oh, happy day....!! You've given us, the entire Greek experience tonight!! Music, language and of course, the amazing food! *Bravo!*

[@ChristineCushing]

My pleasure! So glad you loved it.

[@paulapierce8359]

I learned to roll phylla from my mother when I was 6 yrs old - she used a thin dowel and rolled 12 small dough balls to make ένα μεγάλο σπανακόπιτα - the size of a golf ball roughly - I like your method -and it looks less time consuming but I am used to my way . Great recipe and great video Christine . Κάλι Αναστάσιε

[@jjpp2216]

Yes! There’s such an emphasis on Italian food right now. As great as it is, I welcome a chance to explore the rest of the Mediterranean.

[@ChristineCushing]

Glad you enjoyed it !

Just like how my mom makes it! This is so well done. Kudos!

[@ChristineCushing]

Thanks so much !

[@user-zi7yx9uc3t]

I agree, this is absolute magic, I am afraid to try doing it, but I will. 👍❤️

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you! I hope you try it. It will take some practice but it's so cool.

[@zubyhoussain3768]

Wow. Thank you Mam. I am excited. You are such a fun teacher. My first roll is ready and I'm so excited . I had to share with. I'm going to do the second roll now. Yeah. I can't wait to hear my crunch. Yours is super great. God Bless

[@ChristineCushing]

thanks so much . I hope you try/ have tried it. It is such a great feeling of accomplishment.

[@nathalieguiragossian6981]

Thank you so much for this recipe! I love spanakopita and tiropita! 🙏🤗🤗

[@ChristineCushing]

My pleasure !

[@opaman7518]

Bravo Chef Christina! I'm drooling again!

[@ChristineCushing]

Sorry to make you drool 😎

[@opaman7518]

@@ChristineCushing That's O.K.. I don't drool that often anymore. I'm a GEEZER. I drop dishes now instead of throwing them on the ground. OPA.

[@antoncaldwell6726]

Oh!!!! is so great to see you cooking again!!!!!

[@ChristineCushing]

Many thanks

[@scottydog6539]

Omg. That is really magic. Wow. That is beautiful. Delicious looking too. I always buy phyllo dough for my spanakopita. I will definitely have to try your recipe with homemade phyllo. My transparent dough will probably rip. Gently done.

[@longsha]

A thing of beauty ! Corks on the cutting board - haven't seen that before.

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you ! The cork board was made by my sister-in-law . I love it

[@barbaraeulayne]

OMG this video is fabulous! My family lives up north in Orestiada. My mother-in-law used to make hers with just feta and eggs, no spinach. And they called it Melina. That area celebrated 100 years of freedom this year from Turkey. So I'm not sure if the word Melina as of Turkish influence or not. But I loved watching you make this and when you cut into it it looks exactly like the inside of what my mother-in-law used to make and I today make. Thanks for bringing good memories back.

[@ChristineCushing]

It is my pleasure ! I'm glad it brought back some memories and that you enjoyed it .

[@julietsiktsiry4119]

Christine - I love you and have been watching yoou for years. I finally took the plunge and tried this phyllo recipe - I was so pleasantly surprised - it worked! I made phyllo dough. Beautiful. Thank you! .....

[@ChristineCushing]

That is so amazing! You definitely have some skills if you succeeded on your first try. Thanks for watching

[@cathysfetsos9210]

Christine you make this look too Easy! I will have to give it a try. I like the idea of rolling it and ‘building up’ the phyllo layers in a very smart and easy way. Big Thumbs up! Thankyou Cathy x

[@ChristineCushing]

My pleasure. ! I hope you try it

[@Chris-gh3hg]

Thanks for the comprehensive explanation on making Phyllo dough. I recently tried it and think my next efforts will improve the quality. Thanks.

[@ChristineCushing]

You can do it! It does take some practice , so I'm happy that the details were helpful.

[@eggjoe122]

Spanakopita just might be my favorite meal. My first experience was at a wedding reception with little triangles as an appetizer. Then later like the lasagna with Phyllo on top and bottom. The most recent and favorite is the strudel style. I have always wanted to make it and your recipe seems to be a winner. It does look beautiful and I bet it smells amazing. Thank you so much Christine!

[@ChristineCushing]

My pleasure ! I hope you try it.

[@jump_ohio]

I made it!! And it was delicious! And so much easier than I expected since I watched you do it!! Thank you soooo much! Your recipe is perfect!!❤️❤️

[@ChristineCushing]

That is so great to hear. Sorry for the delayed response.

[@linky71]

Ευχαριστώ παρά πολύ Χριστίνα. I am going to make this spanakopita.

[@ChristineCushing]

Many thanks ! Please try it.

[@Duschbag]

One of my all time favorites at a great Greek Restaurant in my home town. I must try and make these..! 😋

[@ChristineCushing]

They are really delicious. Thank you

[@panoszafeiriou]

Thank you Christine, making filo from scratch is an advanced technique that yiayia always makes it look so easy. Also please dont compare filo pita with strudel. Strudel IS a type of sweet pita. In Greece you can find sweet pies with apple, pumpkin or rice quite commonly. Sweet pumpkin pita with raisins and spices is actually very good for the season!

[@ChristineCushing]

Yes I agree. The comparison is just because most people know strudel. I have had sweet pumpkin pita in Greece and love it. Thank you for watching

[@andreaskotsos]

But strudel filo is similar. So you can compare it.

[@micheleforgione150]

Drooling . You’re the best Christine as always 🙏🏻♥️

[@ChristineCushing]

Ahhh Michele ! Grazie. 😍

[@CattVanDo]

I made Bruschetta tonight because of your 3 ways to serve it video. Sooooo good. Thank you!

[@ChristineCushing]

You are so welcome!

[@joeduca8582]

Hi Christine, I loved you on Confucius Was A Foodie. So glad I found you on You Tube, thanks for all the good eats!

[@ChristineCushing]

Awesome that you found my KZbin channel . Confucius was truly an adventure of a lifetime. Happy that you enjoyed it.

[@christinagreen5299]

This is what I’m making for thanksgiving for my family!!!🌹ty for sharing!!!

[@ChristineCushing]

That is exciting. !

[@ghyslainebelanger8777]

Awesome!! I have to try this.

[@ChristineCushing]

Yes please do. There is magic in the process !

[@bachi2012]

Looks super yummy

[@avrevs]

Girl, you did not just make that phyllo dough! OMG you did! I love you already... and the music ain't bad either.

[@ChristineCushing]

Oh yes I did 😜thank you

[@chrysostomoschasiotis1815]

excellent you are very good thank you συνχαρητηρια

[@ChristineCushing]

Ευχάριστο ! 🇬🇷👏👏

[@cathejones3412]

YES!! THATS HOW I MAKE IT..SOOOO GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THE GREAY VIDEO. I THINK I LL MAKE IT ON THANKSGIVING WITH A LEG OF LAMB.

[@ChristineCushing]

Fantastic ! Thank you

[@rena6895]

Wow!!! I cannot wait to try this!!! I love your pitas I make them all the time and freeze them. I make your pizza out of them. Sometimes I eat with hummus and sometimes just with butter!!! My family loved them too. I make them as gifts too.

[@ChristineCushing]

Great idea!! That pita pizza is such a good alternative when you want something quick. Thank you

[@rena6895]

@@ChristineCushing it is my favorite pizza crust!!

[@ChristineCushing]

@@rena6895 I love it !

[@tzamiko1]

This sounds like a great recipe! I've only used commercial filo. I like using butter for the rolling of the spirals. Efcharisto para poli!

[@ChristineCushing]

You are most welcome. Butter is also great but olive oil has a certain something I love.

[@msbeaverhausen7226]

That looks and sounds so delicious! I will definitely try this recipe!

[@ChristineCushing]

Hope you try it.

[@awbinn3377]

Wow. That looks delicious! Difficultl but worth trying. So glad to see new videos on your channel 🥳

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you ! Yes it is in the advanced category but so worth it.

[@user-tb9yg6wg2x]

👏 👏 👏 👏 Bravo!!!

[@geomondiale1768]

My favorite!

[@ChristineCushing]

Here too ! Thank you

[@evapages-oliver1538]

Beautiful Video from a 2nd generation Croatian .. Bravo !

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you so much !

[@tracya6702]

omg i love spanakopita! that looks fantastic!

[@ChristineCushing]

Many thanks !

[@lightfighter540]

You made this look easy and delicious ! The layers of the dough with the olive oil looked like there is so much different texture in there... I really want this right now !! Thank you so much.

[@ChristineCushing]

You are so welcome!

[@kiranmistry8262]

How to make the spanich filling

[@k.c.bikermom]

Christine, all I can say is mmmmmmmmm yummy!!!!!

[@ChristineCushing]

Opa ! 😀🇬🇷

[@exbronco]

I learned how to make spanakopita triangles from Christine's video.

[@ChristineCushing]

yeah! We made them for Easter and they were a huge hit. Thank you

[@exbronco]

@@ChristineCushing I made your mushroom soup once. I was less successful at that. I only made it once. I've made the triangles for others and they liked them.

[@hanedrejaj913]

Very good job bravo

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you !

[@topaz7762]

This looks amazing, need to try this 😋 🍽

[@ChristineCushing]

I hope you do. It’s amazing !

[@duchessofst.andrew7210]

This is my favorite!!!❤❤❤

[@ChristineCushing]

Perfect timing ! Thank you

[@redhousepress]

Fabulous!

[@artxagoraris3525]

Thank you you are great

[@ChristineCushing]

You are most welcome

[@tiacho2893]

Phyllo is the reason why two of my favorite things exist: spanakopita and baklava.

[@ChristineCushing]

Haha ! So true. Both amazing recipes

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

@@ChristineCushing I think you could demonstrate more vividly how you handle the dough when stretching, you clearly used a few different techniques, and I so often find how you handle things is the most important part of a recipe, but often skipped over, like anything that needs filling and closing.

[@DeactivatedAlmonds]

Youre killing me how are you this good

[@ChristineCushing]

Well thank you .

[@luisabalko4288]

Τέλεια 😍

[@ChristineCushing]

Ευχάριστο!

[@Raul28153]

That's a lovely board. Who made it? You were discussing the elasticity component. I wonder if glutathione would be a good thing to use. It's the stuff I use to make hand-pulled noodles.

[@ChristineCushing]

Thanks. This board is handmade in Quebec by wood worker named Arbol. He is phenomenal. I wouldn’t add anything to dough , except bread flour. Thanks

[@dionf3858]

I’m salivating….

[@ChristineCushing]

It's such a favourite in our house. Thank you

[@sues5693]

Wow

[@linamizzi6268]

Hello! love your videos I would like to give it a try. Can you freeze the dough please?

[@ChristineCushing]

Yea you can freeze it but best way to do it , is to make the spiral , wrap is well and freeze like that. You would bake it from frozen when you are ready. I hope you try it. Thanks

[@edzmuda6870]

Rather than laying the filling in a thick tubular wad, try spreading it out by sparsely dotting it evenly across the bottom 2/3 of the dough sheet before rolling it up as shown. In the end It will have roughly the same size and shape but the texture is much nicer with the filling between the dough layers.

[@ChristineCushing]

That can definitely work but you do lose some crunch in the layers that way. Thanks for watching

[@vukicaradomirovic8696]

Bravo Kristina savrseno❤❤❤

[@ChristineCushing]

Hvala !

[@S7S7820]

Thanks for the recipe.Is it easier to open the dough with oil?

[@virginiafilitsis8277]

Delish 😋

[@ChristineCushing]

Thank you

[@dratiniegg5492]

That looks magical, but i sadly only have all purpose white flour. Is it still possible to make without bread flour, or would there just not be enough protein to interact with the other ingredients and make the spiral?

[@ChristineCushing]

If your all purpose flour has a protein level of about 12 % - you can look at the nutritional table to find it, it should be work. I might remove the vinegar from recipe, which softens the gluten of the bread flour. I think it will work. I have not made it this way though.

[@berjukkarapetyan3651]

Bravosu❤

[@cizoriomarques1542]

❤🌿spinach

[@ChristineCushing]

So delicious . Thank you

[@greghackenberg1209]

Hate to say it, but filo seems is very close to German strudel dough. The classic version involves slamming the dough down on the counter 50+ times. But I did witness a traditional filo stretching between broomstick like things in Greece in the 80's.

[@ChristineCushing]

of course there are similarities . The broomstick is definitely old school but I thought this method would be ideal for a beginner to try. Thank you

[@darleneprice3492]

Those hands swinging in all directions cracks me up.

[@Javaman92]

You already did! You should have something directing people to this newer video.

[@nancyk-z1817]

This looks amazing. Thanks! How far in advance can we make this recipe? Can I freeze it or refrigerate it for a day or 2?

[@ChristineCushing]

The best way to make this in advance is to make and freeze before baking. It has to be wrapped well . Then you bake it from frozen at a slightly lower temperature. I hope this helps.

[@nancyk-z1817]

@@ChristineCushing thanks so much for the reply! ❤️

[@audreymorris2076]

This is a great recipe I'm trying it today, and your videos are entertaining. I just want to say that you look so much like Tina Fey I'm not trying to say that all Greek women look alike but... 😂

[@ChristineCushing]

I hope you love it ! Yes, I get Tina Fey all the time.

[@audreymorris2076]

P.S. you're both beautiful ❤️

[@erichenderson6515]

Christine, what's your favorite cuisine to cook in?

[@ChristineCushing]

It’s hard to pick just one. It depends on how I am feeling : French , Greek Italian are among the top.

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

Love this. Okay, so do you always eat it by slicing across it, or do you eat it following the coil around? Do you also make other shapes than the coil?

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

I have phyllo shells in my freezer, and I intended to fill them with pastry cream, custard, something like that. What would you do?

[@erichenderson6515]

Ah Spanakopita, it's a Greek Taverna favorite. 😤😤😤

[@ChristineCushing]

It certainly is !

[@leecaptis5865]

Is that a Reading blue star oven ?

[@ankursingh6999]

olive oil k end m kya dala h

[@LindaCasey]

Τι θα φάμε? ΣπανακοΤΥΡΟπιτα (Spinach CHEESE pie) ... mmmmm

[@ChristineCushing]

We have to know right ? Thank you

[@LindaCasey]

@@ChristineCushing 💞

[@emandaniel1058]

Can I use kitchen Aid machine?

[@ChristineCushing]

Yes you can use the Kitchen Aid with the dough hook and then finish it by hand to makes sure it’s smooth and gluten is developed. I hope you try it

[@HopeLaFleur1975]

I want to make a bigger pie so can I double this recipe, I was used to pan spanokopita, large portions from my Greek neighbours...so this might not be enough.

[@hlynnkeith9334]

1967 Central League All Stars?

[@ChristineCushing]

Who knows ? Just like it. 💥

[@Sarah-zg5qs]

I really want to try making phyllo but it is so intimidating. You have to roll it out so thin. I'll have to watch you make this a few more times and maybe I'll get the courage to try

[@ChristineCushing]

It does take some practice to get the exact texture right but I hope you try it.. because when you get it right, it's sooo rewarding.

[@kaiti7879]

🇬🇷🙋🥇

[@cookingwithrada]

you dough is little to hard , you have to do little softer and to give you a tip , take that dough and put it in the zip lock beg to rest for 30 min , then you roll the dough a little then you put some oil on it and wait a 10 to 15 min then stretch , after that you add little oil and then add spinach ....when you roll take some whipping cream and oil mix it together and spray that on pita and bake on 425 f , also put that in around pen and oil the pen and then put pita in to bake

[@harveywallbanger2899]

I you lost me at making my own dough.

[@SorrentoShore]

Dear Chef, Enjoying, Confucius Was A Foodie, in San Diego, on KPBSCreate. You're in Sandwich, England and tasting Whiskey or Scotch somewhere else...haa!! PS, I think the Persian's invented the noodle. I'm Sicilian, so I give!

[@ChristineCushing]

So glad you discovered Confucius. It has been the culinary adventure of a lifetime. It's just fun going on the journey of discovery of food origins. Between the Sicilians, Greek, Persians and Chinese, we have quite of few inventions and we'll be arguing them for years to come. Thanks for watching

[@SorrentoShore]

@@ChristineCushing I didn't just discover your show I've been watching it for years... I just wanted to let you know that it's airing here on the West Coast 👩‍🍳 All the best Chef! 🍴

[@SorrentoShore]

@@ChristineCushing it was probably the Greeks!

[@therenaissanceredneck8825]

Christine check your Instagram and tell me what you think.

[@ChristineCushing]

I did see the pics ! Great job 👏👏

[@therenaissanceredneck8825]

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoyed stepping outside my comfort zone. It takes patience, lots of patience. ❤️