Recipe: Greek Spinach Pie (with yeast dough lattice crust)

GREEK SPINACH PIE
"This is a traditional vegetarian pastry from Greece with a filling of spinach and feta cheese."


FOR THE CRUST:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 ounces yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 egg yolk, for glazing
Butter, for greasing

FOR THE FILLING:
3 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 1/4 pounds fresh spinach, trimmed, washed and dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Dash ground nutmeg
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
2 cups diced feta cheese

Sift together the two flours. Make a well in the center, crumble in the yeast and mix with 1 1/4 cups tepid water. Cover with a little flour and leave for at least 15 minutes, until cracks develop in the surface.

Add the eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup of the oil and knead thoroughly. Put the dough into a bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Saute the onion and garlic in the remaining oil until translucent.

Add the spinach leaves, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook until the spinach has wilted. Drain in a colander and cool.

Stir in the chopped dill and the feta cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
Knead the dough again. Roll out two-thirds and use to line a greased jelly roll pan. Prick the base at regular intervals with a fork and spread the spinach filling evenly over it.

Roll out the remaining dough, cut into long strips, and arrange over the filling in a lattice pattern.

Beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush over the pastry.

Bake the pie in a preheated oven at 350 degree F for 40-50 minutes.

Makes 4 servings
Source: The Vegetable Bible by Christian Teubner