Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dough
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 130 ml water, lukewarm
- 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 10 ml red wine vinegar
- 4 g fine sea salt
Filling
- 300 g spinach, fresh
- 200 g mustard greens, fresh
- 80 g scallions, trimmed
- 150 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 15 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 10 g fresh mint, finely chopped
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, freshly zested
- 1 g black pepper, coarsely ground
- ½ g ground nutmeg
Cooking and Steaming
- 30 ml water
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 493 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 55 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Water
- 181 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, coarsely chop the trimmed spinach and mustard greens, and finely slice the scallions, dill, and mint.
Place the chopped spinach and mustard greens into a cast iron skillet with 30 ml of water over medium-low heat at 100°C (212°F) and steam covered for 3 minutes until completely wilted.
Transfer the wilted greens into a colander, allow them to cool for 5 minutes, wrap them inside a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze vigorously over the sink to expel all remaining water.
In a mixing bowl, mix the squeezed greens, crumbled feta cheese, sliced scallions, dill, mint, 15 ml olive oil, lemon zest, black pepper, and nutmeg until uniformly blended.
Combine all-purpose flour, 130 ml lukewarm water, 20 ml olive oil, red wine vinegar, and fine sea salt in a clean mixing bowl until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough onto a clean counter and knead by hand for 5 minutes until soft, supple, and non-sticky.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel on the counter and rest undisturbed at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten network.
Divide the rested dough into 4 equal portions of roughly 100 g each using a chef's knife and shape each portion into a smooth ball.
Dust the counter lightly with flour and roll one dough ball out with a rolling pin into a thin circle approximately 20 cm in diameter.
Place one-quarter of the filling mixture (about 95 g) directly into the center of the rolled dough circle, leaving an uncovered 3 cm perimeter.
Gather the outer dough edges over the filling into the center like a pouch, pleating the edges together and crimping the central seam firmly to seal.
Dust the pleated packet lightly with flour, turn seam-side down, and roll gently with the rolling pin into a flat, thin round disk approximately 18 cm across.
Preheat the cast iron skillet over medium heat until the surface reaches approximately 190°C (375°F).
Brush the preheated cast iron skillet with 5 ml of olive oil using a pastry brush, lay one pie in the center, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes at 190°C (375°F) until golden with blistered spots, then flip with a spatula and cook the reverse side for 3 minutes.
Transfer the finished pie to a cutting board, brush the hot crust lightly with olive oil, repeat the rolling and cooking process for the remaining three pies, and slice into quarters to serve warm.
Chef's Notes
- Adding a small splash of red wine vinegar to the dough acts as a gluten relaxer, tenderizing the dough matrix so it can be rolled remarkably thin without tearing.
- Sheep milk feta provides the ideal moisture balance and structural integrity for skillet pies; it softens into luscious pockets under heat without melting into an oily puddle.
- Mustard greens add an authentic peppery bite (piquant pungency) reminiscent of wild foraged Greek greens such as vrouves, cutting through the richness of the cheese and olive oil.
- Do not stack cooked pies while hot. Steam released from the crust will condense on adjacent surfaces, immediately degrading the crisp blistered exterior.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cool completely and store in an airtight container separated by sheets of parchment paper. Refrigerate promptly within two hours of cooking.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap individual cooled pies tightly in parchment paper and freeze in an airtight freezer-safe bag.
Reheating: Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side or in an oven preheated to 175°C (350°F) until the center reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Dough tears or bursts open while rolling the filled pie
Cause: Greens filling contained excess liquid, or rolling pressure was too heavy
Fix: Pinch a pea-sized piece of dough from an unused portion, dampen slightly, and patch over the hole before pan-grilling
Prevention: Wring the wilted greens thoroughly dry inside a kitchen towel and roll with gentle, outward strokes
Crust scorches and turns black before the dough cooks through
Cause: Skillet temperature is above 200°C (392°F) or the heat source is set too high
Fix: Reduce burner heat to medium-low, cover the pan loosely with a lid to trap steam, and finish cooking gently
Prevention: Maintain steady medium heat and verify skillet surface temperature near 190°C (375°F)
Pies turn limp and soggy rather than staying crisp after cooking
Cause: Hot pies were stacked directly on top of each other, trapping condensation
Fix: Return the limp pie to a dry, hot skillet for 1 minute per side to drive off surface moisture and re-crisp
Prevention: Rest cooked pies in a single layer on an elevated wire rack rather than stacking on a flat plate
Cultural Context
Skillet-cooked flat pies, known variously across Greece as tiganopsomo or flat hortopitakia, are a traditional pastoral staple common throughout Crete, Epirus, and the Aegean islands. Rather than baking large trays in wood-fired village ovens, home cooks rolled scrapings of dough thin, filled them with foraged wild greens and salted sheep cheese, and charred them quickly over a hearth griddle. This technique showcases the ancient Mediterranean art of turning humble field herbs and simple pantry grains into an aromatic everyday meal.
