Red pepper and feta pie with buttery phyllo

This recipe comes from Germanos Christianopoulos, the owner of the Syntrofia tavern in Megali Prespa, just a few meters above the small harbor in the village of Psarades.

Total Time: 2 hours
Prep: 1 hour | Bake: 1 hour
Servings: One 28 cm (11-inch) pie

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 500 gr yellow wheat flour (for pies and bread)
• 150 ml high-quality sunflower oil (or light olive oil)
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 300 ml lukewarm water
• 200 g melted cow’s butter, for brushing

For the Filling:

• 1 kg Florina red peppers, finely chopped
• 60 ml olive oil
• 200 gr feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the Dough:

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the flour, oil, vinegar and salt. Mix well.
2. Gradually add the water while kneading by hand or with a dough hook, until the dough becomes smooth, slightly elastic, and medium-firm. If needed, adjust with a bit more flour or water.
3. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Make the Filling:

1. In a pot, boil the chopped peppers in about 1 liter of water over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain and discard the water.
2. In the same pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the peppers over medium heat until they begin to brown slightly.
3. Remove from heat, add the feta, eggs, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Let the filling cool completely.

Assemble the Pie:

1. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them into small balls.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 4 dough balls into round sheets, each about 15-20 cm in diameter.
3. Brush each sheet with melted butter and stack them. Roll the stacked layers out again into a single large sheet, slightly larger than your baking pan.
4. Butter a 28 cmround bak ing pan and place the first phyllo layer inside, covering the bottom and sides, with some overhang. Spread half of the filling evenly over it.
5. Repeat the layering process with another 4 dough balls to create a second phyllo sheet, this time matching the size of the pan. Lay it over the filling and spread the remaining filling on top.
6. Roll out the final 4 dough balls to form the top layer and place it over the filling.
7. Fold the overhanging bottom phyllo inward to create a thin decorative border around the pie.
8. Brush the surface with melted butter and score into portions.

Bake the Pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Bake for about 1 hour, until golden brown.
3. Let cool slightly before serving warm.

This article originally appeared in Gastronomos, Kathimerini’s monthly food magazine.