Homemade Spinach Pie Recipe With Puff Pastry

Spinach Pie is our family’s take on a classic, savory Greek pie. Served piping hot, a velvety spinach filling is seasoned with caramelized yellow onion and melted butter, wrapped up in puff pastry. Perfect as your main course or a show-stopping side dish.

I love a rustic, easy recipe, especially when I can take basic ingredients and elevate them with delicious cheeses and lots of fresh herbs.

We’ve made spinach pie as simple as garlic, salt, and pepper, but we also don’t hesitate to toss in sprigs of fresh herbs like dill and basil, some savory sautéed mushrooms and crispy heaps of golden brown bacon. 

Our whole family loves spinach pie for dinner, especially when paired with a fresh Greek salad in the summer, making use of our garden cucumbers, bell peppers, and tomatoes. 

In the colder months, we might pair this dish with a whole, roasted chicken, or even on its own with crispy potatoes drizzled with lemon juice. 

Simple, rustic, and nourishing are key. 

The fanciest ingredient at the table is the gruyere cheese, and that’s intentional, as gruyere cheese is made from raw milk, a more nutrient rich option. Yet, that can be easily substituted for feta or even cheddar. 

All in all, we’re working with everyday pantry staples, yielding a final result that is nutritious, comforting, and purely delicious.

Why I Love This Recipe

Fermented grains: The traditional Greek spinach pie is called spanakopita, and it is made with sheets of phyllo dough. For our version, I use my sourdough puff pastry which ferments for a minimum of 8 hours, adding the delicious benefits of fermentation to this dish. This is totally optional, and you can use store-bought puff pastry as well for a faster, less time consuming recipe.

Nutrient rich veggies: Spinach is jam-packed into this pie, along with fragrant garlic and onions.

Versatile: This makes a hearty side dish, a satisfying main course, a popular holiday dish, or serve it up on a random Monday.

Family-friendly: While spinach doesn’t immediately strike you as a family favorite, the way it’s cooked up in this dish has won over my pickiest eaters. Butter and cheese (and flaky crust) go a long way in making this cooked spinach a family-friendly option.

Tips

• Prepare your sourdough puff pastry ahead of time. You can even freeze it up to 4 months, just let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before creating this recipe. You could also thaw at room temperature, but you don’t want the puff pastry to get too warm.
• Work quickly to keep your dough cold. If your dough starts to warm up, the butter layers will melt into the dough, and it’s these cool, buttery layers that accomplish the flakiness of this pastry. 
• This recipe calls for a lot of spinach, which is why I like to use frozen. Fresh spinach is wonderful, but reduces significantly when cooked, meaning you would need lots and lots for this dish.
• Thaw the frozen spinach, thoroughly squeezing out all excess liquid before mixing ingredients together.
• While baking, add a baking pan on the rack below to catch any butter or juices that might escape.

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Ingredients

Puff Pastry

​While you can make your own puff pastry, you can also use store-bought.

All purpose flour

Sugar

Active sourdough starter – bubbly and active, not discard

Whole milk

Egg

Salt

Butter for laminating

Egg wash: 1 whole egg or egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water)

Spinach Filling

Salted butter: unsalted butter will also work, you just may need add more salt to the finished dish.

Onion

Garlic cloves

Frozen chopped spinach

Eggs

Gruyere cheese: This could also be substituted for feta, cheddar, or mozzarella.

Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Tools You May Need

Stand mixer and dough hook (if making puff pastry from scratch)

Parchment paper

Plastic wrap

Rolling pin

Pastry brush 

9×13 Casserole dish or deep pie dish

Parchment paper

How To Make Spinach Pie

(Optional) Create The Puff Pastry:

In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add dry ingredients, sourdough starter, egg, and milk.

Mix on low until smooth and glossy, about 5 minutes.

Shape into a ball and place in a large bowl, greased. 

Cover and place at room temperature for about 4 hours.

Transfer dough to the refrigerator to continue fermenting 8-36 hours.

Begin Lamination Process:

Place 2 sticks of butter on lightly floured parchment paper, then fold paper around butter into a 6″x8″ rectangle so that butter will fill the entire packet after rolling it out.

Using a rolling pin, lightly tap the butter to begin flattening it inside the parchment paper packet (this makes it easier to start rolling), then roll smooth into a rectangle.

Chill in fridge for 10 minutes.

Removing the pastry dough from the refrigerator, place on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 16″x8″ rectangle.

Place the butter rectangle in the middle of the pastry dough.

Fold the butter inside the pastry dough by folding over the edges, so they meet in the middle and completely encase the butter. Pinch the seams together so none of the butter can escape.

First Fold:

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough, with the butter inside, into a 16″ by 8″ rectangle.

Fold each side into the center; then fold one side over the other to make a rectangle with four layers of dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Begin Second Fold:

Roll the dough out again into a 16″ by 8″ rectangle.

Fold each side into the center; then fold one side over the other to make a rectangle with four layers of dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2-12 hours. Set out to room temperature a few minutes prior to use.

Spinach Filling:

Thoroughly remove excess liquid from thawed spinach. Personally, I’ve found the best way to be lining a colander with a tea towel, adding the spinach, and wringing the excess water out by hand.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and add cheeses, salt and pepper.

Add strained spinach and stir to combine.

Assemble:

Lightly grease your baking dish. 

Divide pastry dough into two parts, rolling the bottom piece out large enough to fit the bottom and sides of your baking dish. 

Fill with spinach mixture.

Roll out second pastry crust to top the dish.

Seal the edges with a fork, then cut a few slits in the top.

Brush with egg wash.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes at 350 degrees, until the top layer of pastry is golden brown and bubbles appear.

Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes to set. Enjoy!

Storage

This delicious spinach pie is easily stored for 2-3 days in the fridge after baking. Keep it in an airtight container, then warm it through in the oven to serve again. It can also be frozen, reheating in the oven until warmed through.

FAQ

Is puff pastry the same as phyllo dough?

No, they are actually quite different. Phyllo dough has a lower fat content, and results in a crinkly, crispy texture when baked. Puff pastry tastes and feels much more like a typical pie crust when baked, with its flaky texture attributed to the layers of butter rolled and folded into the dough.

Can I make spinach pie ahead of time?

Sure! Assemble the puff pastry and spinach mixture in your baking dish, cover, and refrigerate up to a day before. Much longer may contribute to a soggy crust. You may need to add a few minutes to the overall bake time for a fully refrigerated dish.

Find More Delicious Recipes:

• Danish Sourdough Pastries Recipe
• Best Chicken Pot Pie Recipe With Sourdough Biscuits
• Sourdough Pie Crust
• Homemade Brioche Donuts with Vanilla Custard Filling
• Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe From Scratch

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Also, tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.

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