Spinach, Feta & Pine Nut Parcels

These triangular pasties are based on a Lebanese speciality called fataya and use soft bread dough, rather than pastry, to enclose the filling. I prefer frozen spinach for this recipe - it's very easy to use and actually produces a less watery mixture.

Serves 4 Cook 12-15 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough

• 250g strong white bread flour

• 1 tsp fine salt

• 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for kneading

• 125-150ml water

For the filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves crushed

• 500g frozen whole-leaf spinach

• 125g Yorkshire Fettle cheese, or feta, crumbled

• 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted

• 3 tbsp chopped mint

• Salt and black pepper

Equipment

• Baking tray

• 18cm plate

Method

1. To make the dough, put the flour into a large bowl and add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other. Add the olive oil and pour in 125ml of the water. Start to mix with the fingers of one hand, adding a little more water as you go, gradually incorporating all teh flour from one side of the bowl until you have a rough dough. It should be soft and slightly sticky. You may not need to add all the water or you may need a bit more (depending on the absorbency of the flour).

2. Trickle a little olive oil onto your work surface and knead the dough on it for a good 5 minutes until it becomes smooth and is no longer sticky. Return to the bowl and cover with cling film. Leave it in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in size and puffy.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over a low heat, add the garlic and cook gently for a minute or until just starting to colour. Transfer to a large bowl. Now add the frozen spinach to the pan and turn the heat up high. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach is soft and all the liquid released has evaporated. Add to the bowl with the garlic and season with pepper and a pinch of salt (remember that the cheese will be very salty). Leave to cool, then add the cheese, pine nuts and mint. Mix thoroughly.

4. When you are ready to assemble the parcels, heat your oven to 220°C/gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

5. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface and deflate it gently, then roll it out to a 5mm thickeness. Using a plate as a guide, cut out 4 circles, 18cm in diameter.

6. Divide the filling between the circles, forming it into a pyramid shape in the centre. Dampen the pastry margin with water. Bring the dough up over each side of the triangle of filling, forming a pyramid shape. Pinch the edges of the dough together with your fingers to seal. Trim off any excess and press together again.

7. Put the spinach parcels on the prepared baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Eat hot, warm or cold.

Taken from Paul Hollywood’s Pies & Puds, published by Bloomsbury

Photograph © Peter Cassidy