Lebanese Spinach Pies
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer/Entree
Cuisine: Lebanese
Serves: 12 - 14
 
Delicious and Savory Lebanese Spinach Pies! Great for a crowd or snack on the go!
Ingredients
  • DOUGH*
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 packet active-dry yeast, ¼ ounce (21 g)
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • SPINACH AND FETA FILLING
  • 10 ounces baby spinach, stems discarded*
  • ¼ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup feta
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • tzatziki to serve, optional
Instructions
  1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1 cup of warm water (105-110 degrees F). Allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
  2. Add the flour to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast mixture, salt, and olive oil. Start the mixer on low. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5-6 minutes on medium speed. The dough should be elastic and slightly tacky.
  3. Remove the dough from the mixer. Form into a ball and add to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
  4. To make the filling, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, then drain and rinse under cool water. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible (if you have a potato rice - it also doubles as a great way to squeeze out the water)*. Once you think you've squeezed enough, squeeze some more. Finally, between several layers of paper towels, squeeze the last little bit of of excess liquid that you can. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop. In a medium-sized bowl, add the chopped spinach, onion, feta, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the salt and pepper just before you're ready to use the filling (mixing the salt with the onions at the last minute prevents the onions from releasing additional moisture into the mixture).
  5. Once the dough has risen, divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or large glass, cut out the rounds (don't discard the scraps).
  6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly brush with olive oil. (Remember to add the salt and pepper to the filling, if you haven't done so already). Working with one round at a time, gently stretch the dough to give you a little more working surface, much like you would if you were stretching dough for a pizza. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center - be sure to keep the edges free of any stray pieces of filling. Form a triangle by raising three sides of the dough up and over the filling. Pinch each seam, securing the filling. Place each completed triangle on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush the triangles and leftover dough scraps with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds.
  7. Bake for 16 -18 minutes until golden brown.
  8. Serve warm or at room temperature with tzatziki on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
* If you don't want to make your own dough, you may use a good quality pizza dough.

* If you would prefer to use frozen chopped spinach - that's ok too! I use a 12 ounce bag and just squeeze out the excess moisture. If you have a potato rice, it doubles as a fantastic way to squeeze out the excess water (tip from reader, FoodGeekGraze).

* If you want to freeze any of these for future use, place them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, you can put them into a zip-top bag and store for up to a month. Once you're ready to eat them, simply allow them to come to room temperature on a prepared sheet pan and then bake until golden-brown.
Recipe by at https://hapanom.com/lebanese-spinach-pies/