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5 from 7 votes

Cretan Spinach Pie with Yeast Dough

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Rest Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For a 28-cup casserole or springform pan:

    For the yeast dough:

    • 320 g Wheat flour type 1050
    • 120 g Orange juice
    • 6 g Mushroom bouillon, grainy
    • 1 tbsp Sugar, fine, white
    • 12 g Dry yeast
    • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp Honey, light yellow honey, light yellow
    • 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
    • Flour for the work surface

    For the filling:

    • 400 g Spinach leaves, frozen or fresh
    • 8 g Salt
    • 80 g Onion (noun)
    • 3 medium sized Cloves of garlic, fresh
    • 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
    • 200 g Feta cheese
    • 2 Eggs, size M
    • 2 tbsp Sugar, fine, white
    • 3 tbsp Spice Mix, Crete, (Gemista)
    • 4 tbsp Breadcrumbs
    • Salt and pepper, black, freshly ground

    Also:

    • Extra virgin olive oil for coating the dough

    To garnish:

    • Sesame seeds, white
    • Walnuts

    Instructions

    • Mix the dry yeast with 1 tablespoon of the wheat flour, the orange juice and a pinch of the sugar and let rise for 5 minutes in a warm place. Process all ingredients for the dough, except for the olive oil, into a crumbly dough, then add the olive oil and knead until a semi-firm, smooth dough is formed. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

    In the meantime

    • Grease the casserole or springform pan with the margarine. Briefly knead the dough (approx. 540 g) and flour the work surface. Divide the dough into 2 portions (325 + 275 g) by weight. First roll out the larger portion into a plate approx. 2 mm thick so that the casserole dish can be covered by protruding 3 cm at the bottom and at the edges. Put the pastry sheet in the baking dish and thinly coat the base with olive oil. Spread the filling in the baking dish and smooth it out.
    • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
    • Roll out the 2nd portion of dough to a thickness of approx. 2 mm so that the plate can completely cover the filling. Poke a hole in the middle (see photo) so that the steam can escape. Place the plate in the baking dish. Brush the raised edges of the lower plate with water, then place the edges over the upper plate and press down a little. Brush the top cover with olive oil and place on top with the sesame seeds and walnuts.
    • Put the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown. Bake after 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 170 degrees. Serve the finished spinach pie well warm in the baking dish with white bread. A full-bodied red wine or a cold beer goes well with it.

    Annotation:

    • Recipe source: Mr. Olympios, Armonia Hotel, Crete.