# My Spanakopita Was Flat :(



## Saphellae (Mar 16, 2011)

I have made spanakopita before, but I've always rolled it up into longer rolls and made a snail in a decorative dish.  This past weekend I tried making just a flat ol' spanakopita but it ended up like REALLY flat, nothing like what my fiance's family makes, theirs is big and fluffy. It could have been I skimped on the butter for some of the layers.. but the layers I didn't skimp on didn't even stick to each other after cooking.  It was so strange.

What did I do wrong?  How do you make this pie in just a regular pan, flat?


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## Andy M. (Mar 16, 2011)

It's a question of how many layers you used and how much butter you put on every layer.

When we make spanakopita or paklava we use a whole package (40 layers-20 layers in the box cut in half to fit the pan=40 layers).  Each layer is buttered.


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## taxlady (Mar 16, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> It's a question of how many layers you used and how much butter you put on every layer.
> 
> When we make spanakopita or paklava we use a whole package (40 layers-20 layers in the box cut in half to fit the pan=40 layers).  Each layer is buttered.



I've never tried making spanakopita or baklava. I have enjoyed eating them. I remember seeing lots of layers with baklava, but I don't remember a lot of layers of phylo pastry with spanakopita.


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## Andy M. (Mar 16, 2011)

taxlady said:


> I've never tried making spanakopita or baklava. I have enjoyed eating them. I remember seeing lots of layers with baklava, but I don't remember a lot of layers of phylo pastry with spanakopita.




They're actually alike except for the filling.  Paklava (baklava) is layers of buttered filo with a filling of nuts, sugar cinnamon, etc. with a simple syrup or honey syrup.  Spanakopita is a spinach and cheese, etc filling with layers of buttered filo.


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## taxlady (Mar 16, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> They're actually alike except for the filling.  Paklava (baklava) is layers of buttered filo with a filling of nuts, sugar cinnamon, etc. with a simple syrup or honey syrup.  Spanakopita is a spinach and cheese, etc filling with layers of buttered filo.



I'll have to pay better attention the next time I order pikilia.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 17, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> It's a question of how many layers you used and how much butter you put on every layer.
> 
> When we make spanakopita or paklava we use a whole package (40 layers-20 layers in the box cut in half to fit the pan=40 layers). Each layer is buttered.


Andy mate this is a Pita I made for the easter festival in Kendal Miami my wife makes the Baklava the Greek way with plain honey syrup, the nuts are walnut and almonds, sorry no pics I eat it to quickly


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## Andy M. (Mar 17, 2011)

This is spanakopita as I described.


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## Andy M. (Mar 17, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Andy mate this is a Pita I made for the easter festival in Kendal MiamiView attachment 10250 my wife makes the Baklava the Greek way with plain honey syrup, the nuts are walnut and almonds, sorry no pics I eat it to quickly




I haven't seen one like this before.


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## taxlady (Mar 17, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> This is spanakopita as I described.



Ahhh, now I understand. I was thinking that you meant there was spinach filling between all of those layers.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 17, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> I haven't seen one like this before.


Andy Pita a you probably know means pie in Greek, Serbian, Croatian in fact everywhere the Turks conquered, Greeks like to argue, one of the big debates is about the vegetables to be used in moussaka or is the grill to hot or not hot enough, the biggest prob is the Cypriots who think they are the best cooks so the shapes of pita are regional.the pita in the pic was Kalamata farmer shape. The pics are grilling pig for lunch outside the office in Piraeus, me being mistreated by 4 greeks in some port somewhere, and my favorite sausage shop across the road from the Agora Athens


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 17, 2011)

Ps the best Kreme pita/ mille feuilles in the world are from Despina's in Athens unless you are from Creta or you are a Spartan both are trouble makers


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## Andy M. (Mar 17, 2011)

Thanks for the pics.


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## Saphellae (Mar 17, 2011)

Thanks guys. I did use the entire pack of phyllo however it may not have been enough.

I think I will stick to my way, of buttering each sheet and rolling it up, into a snail form in the pan.  I made tiropita tonight that way and it just cooks so nicely... you can just tear a piece off rather than cut it all up.


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