Homemade Lebanese Spinach Pies
Homemade spinach pies
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 1.5 cups or 9.75 oz all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Laban room temperature (Laban is Middle Eastern yogurt)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup of warm water 105°F
- 3/4 teaspoon instant dried yeast
- small pinch of granulated sugar
FILLING
- 1 very large red onion processed finely
- 8 oz spinach washed, dried, and chopped roughly
- 1 heaping tablespoon sumac
- 1 heaping tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste if you'd like
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Instructions
DOUGH:
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water and the instant yeast. Add a small pinch of sugar. Stir to combine until the yeast is dissolved. Set aside for a few minutes. If the yeast mixture bubbles up, proceed. If not, dump it out and use newer yeast.
- Combine all the dough ingredients, including the yeast mixture, in a large bowl. Use your hands to gently stir until the mixture forms a shaggy dough. Once it becomes more dough-like, you can knead on your table surface for about five minutes or until the dough ball is smooth and uniform.
- Pour a little olive oil into your bowl and place your dough back in it. Pour a bit on top as well. This is a sticky, soft, and wet dough, so don't be alarmed. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and place in a warm area so it can rise for an hour.
Filling:
- In the meantime, work on your filling by washing and drying your spinach. You can also use pre-washed spinach. Roughly chop the spinach and set it aside in a large bowl lined with paper towel or a cheesecloth.
- Cut your red onion into quarters and place it in a food processor. Pulse until the onion is finely chopped. Dump the onion into the spinach bowl and wring out the excess liquid of the onion-spinach mixture.
- Add in your seasonings, lemon juice, and oil, and mix to combine.
- Note: Taste your filling and make sure it's to your liking. We like our filling very tangy, so if you don't, add less sumac and lemon juice.
- Pour into a colander so the excess liquid can drain while the dough is still proofing.
Shaping, Assembly and Baking:
- After an hour, the dough is ready to be cut and shaped. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare your parchment-lined sheet tray.
- Start by flouring the table surface a bit. Pour out your dough onto the surface and use your rolling pin to roll out a large round with about 1/2 to 1/4" thickness, depending on what you like. Use a 3" round cutter to cut out rounds. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle of the round. Bring together the left and right edges of the circle and pinch them together in the middle. Bring the bottom edge to meet the middle and begin to pinch out the sides so it forms a triangle. Make sure your hands are not wet so the dough will adhere properly, and use flour if needed!
- Place the filled triangle onto your prepared tray and continue working until they're all filled and formed. This way, the spinach pies have some time to rest, and the oven has a chance to preheat properly.
- Note: You don't want to shape them too far in advance, as the liquid in the filling may cause the dough to weep.
- Bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown and the dough is cooked. After 15 minutes, turn the broiler on high for a minute to cook the tops of the pies.
- Once they are cooked, move them to a wire rack to cool slightly. You can enjoy them warm, room temperature, or even cold. My favorite is room temperature. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- These can be eaten warm, room temp, cold, or warm.
- Best the day they're made.
- Taste your filling!