Tiropita Ipeirou (Τυρόπιτα Ηπείρου)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •round metal tapsi, 34cm, or rectangular baking pan, 23 x 33cm
• •wide pastry brush
• •clean tea towel for covering phyllo

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven

   Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 190°C, 375°F, or 175°C fan. Brush a 34cm round tapsi, or a 23 x 33cm baking pan, with a little of the melted butter and olive oil. Keep the phyllo sealed until the filling is ready, then work without wandering off.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Crumble the feta into a bowl in pieces no larger than peas. Whisk the eggs, milk, and black pepper until even, then pour them over the feta and beat with a fork until the cheese looks wet and creamy, with small curds still visible. This is the step that decides the pie: the egg has to surround the feta so it bakes into a tender custard, not separate dry crumbs.

   If your feta is very salty, use it as it is and do not add salt. If it is mild and flat, the answer is better feta next time, not more pepper.
3. 3

   Build the base

   Mix the remaining melted butter with the olive oil. Lay one phyllo sheet in the pan and brush it lightly, letting the edges climb the sides. Lay the next sheet at a slight angle and brush again. Continue with half the phyllo, brushing each sheet. Let the wrinkles stay where they fall; those folds bake crisp.

   Keep the phyllo you are not using under a clean towel. Dry phyllo cracks before it reaches the pan, and then it teaches you patience in the most annoying way.
4. 4

   Fill and close

   Spread the cheese filling evenly over the phyllo base. Fold the overhanging edges over the filling, brushing them as you go. Lay the remaining phyllo sheets on top one by one, brushing each with the butter and oil, then tuck the edges down around the inside of the pan. A neat pie is pleasant. A sealed pie is the point.

5. 5

   Score and bake

   Score the top into 8 or 10 pieces, cutting through the top sheets but not dragging through the filling. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep gold, the edges pull from the pan, and the underside is colored when you lift a corner with a spatula. If the top colors too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the tiropita rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting through the score lines. Straight from the oven, the filling is loose and the phyllo crushes under the knife. Warm or room temperature is better: the cheese settles, the pieces lift cleanly, and the pie is ready for the table or a picnic.

Chef Tips

• •Buy feta in a slab, sitting in brine, not pre-crumbled. A dry packet of crumbs gives you a dry filling. Λίγα και καλά: one good cheese does more work here than five decorations.
• •If you can find horiatiko phyllo, the thicker village sheet, use it for a more Epirote bite. If thin supermarket phyllo is what you have, layer it generously and brush each sheet. The pie will still be honest.
• •Tiropita is better after it has settled. For picnics, cool it completely, pack it loosely, and eat it within 4 hours at room temperature. Reheat leftovers in the oven, not the microwave, unless soft phyllo is somehow your ambition.

Advance Preparation

• •Thaw frozen phyllo overnight in the refrigerator, then let the sealed packet stand at room temperature for 1 hour before opening.
• •The filling can be mixed up to 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir it once before filling the pie.
• •The assembled unbaked pie can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours, covered tightly. Bake from cold and add 5 to 8 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked tiropita keeps for 2 days refrigerated. Re-crisp at 170°C for 10 to 12 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)