Feta cheese pie (not) baked in embers

When we witnessed this feta cheese pie baked in embers during filming for My Greek Table, we were transfixed! This ancient way of baking over hot coals using a copper or steel dome as a makeshift portable oven is something that the shepherds of Epirus have been doing for hundreds of years, if not longer. It is one of the many feta cheese filo pies, aka tyropita, made in Epirus and, indeed, all over Greece. This recipe is a version you can make at home.

Feta cheese pie from Greece Credit: My Greek Table

• serves

  8

• prep

  35 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• 3 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup water

Filling

• 4 cups Greek feta
• 1½ cups extra virgin Greek olive oil, plus more for topping the pie

Cooling time: 30 minutes.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (350°F). Combine the flour, vinegar, olive oil and salt in a large bowl. Knead for a few minutes.
2. Add water to the flour mixture incrementally. Start kneading until the dough is soft and pliant but not sticky, about 10 to 12 minutes. During the mixing process, add additional water or flour as needed; water if it’s too dry, and flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.
3. Divide the homemade filo (phyllo) into 10 equal balls. Lightly oil a 38 cm (15 inch) round baking pan.
4. Roll out the first ball to a circle slightly larger than the circumference of the pan so that 5 cm (2 inches) of the dough’s edges hang over the periphery.
5. One by one, roll out each of the next 8 balls to a circle about the size of the inner periphery of the pan – there shouldn’t be an overhang on the interior layers. Layer them one by one inside the pan, brushing each with olive oil and sprinkling each with a half cup of crumbled feta. Only the bottom and the top layers don’t get sprinkled with cheese.
6. Roll out the final, 10th ball to a circle about 5 cm (2 inches) larger than the circumference so that there’s an overhang. Using scissors or a knife, trim excess dough. Then join the top and bottom layers together and roll inwards to form a rim around the inside periphery of the pie. Sprinkle some water on the final layer of the pie.
7. Score the pastry into serving-size pieces, brush the top layer with olive oil, and bake for about 1 to 1½ hours, or until the filo (phyllo) is firm, set and beautifully browned. If the interior layers aren’t fully baked, place a piece of aluminium foil loosely over the top of the pie to prevent further browning while allowing it to bake until completely done. Remove and let cool for at least a half hour before serving.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.