Jason’s Patatopita Iou

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar and rub it into the flour – it will have the texture of oily, clumpy flour.  

Add ½ a cup of warm water and combine it with the flour mixture. At this stage there will be unincorporated flour. Add about 1/8 cup of water at a time to the bowl and mix it in well. Once all the flour is incorporated stop adding water. The dough should be soft and pliable and not sticky. 

Turn your dough onto your work surface and knead it for 1-2 minutes (no need to knead any longer!). It will look a little ragged, lumpy and uneven in texture and colour – that is okay!  

Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a clean damp towel (wet the towel completely and wring it out) and leave it to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours (3-4 hours is even better). 

Combine the plain flour with the corn flour well - this ‘flour - corn flour’ mixture is used to dust the fillo whenever it gets a little tacky, as you are rolling it out 

Boil the potatoes until they are just cooked 

While the potatoes are boiling, sauté the leeks and capsicum in some EVOO until slightly softened 

Add the drained potatoes and gently fork mash them 

Add the salt and pepper and some more EVOO and mix together 

Set the filling aside while you make the fillo 

After the dough has rested, knead it for 1 minute and then divide it into 3 equal portions (~135-140g each). Roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on your clean work surface and cover them with the same damp towel. 

Take a large pinch of the dusting flour and place it in the centre of your work area. 

Take one of the balls of dough and roll it into an even, rounded sphere between the palms of your hands. Flatten the sphere between the palms of your hands, so it forms a small, round disc. Place the disc on the dusting flour on your work surface. Turn the disc over so both sides are coated well with the dusting flour. Using a plastri, roll out the disc one way and then the other, so it forms a larger disc of approximately 15cm in diameter.  

Wrap the fillo snugly around the centre of the rolling pin, leaving a small section of the disc unwrapped (like a little tongue hanging out). Then, starting with both hands in the middle of the rolling pin, press down lightly on the fillo while simultaneously moving your hands away from each other. You can use your fingers or the palms of your hands or the junction between your fingers and palms to lightly and evenly press down on the fillo as you move your hands away from each other. Repeat this action of gently pressing down while moving your hands towards the outer edges of the fillo 3-4 times.  

With the fillo still wrapped around the rolling pin, raise the rolling pin slightly into the air, rotate it 45 degrees anticlockwise or clockwise, then lower it and unravel the fillo sheet onto your work surface.  

Wrap your fillo sheet snugly onto the rolling pin again, remembering to leave a small section unwrapped.  

Again, starting with both hands in the middle of the rolling pin, press the fillo lightly with your fingers and/or palms, while moving your hands away from each other – repeating this pressing/outward-moving action 3-4 times. 

Continue to perform the last two actions until your fillo sheet is about 50-60cm in diameter. 

If/when the fillo becomes tacky as you roll it out, dust it liberally with the dusting flour. As you reach the desired fillo diameter of 50-60cm, make sure most of the dusting mixture has been absorbed by the fillo sheet. 

After rolling out your fillo sheet, generously drizzle it with EVOO and fold it in half to make a double-layered semi-circle. 

Drizzle some more EVOO onto the filling. Add and gently mix in the dill 

Along the straight edge of the semi-circle, place 1/3 of the filling in a straight line (approximately 2-3cm away from the straight edge and 4-5cm away from the curved edge). 

Starting from the straight edge, roll the filled fillo into one long log, ensuring the open seam of the log is at the bottom 

Line a baking tray with baking pan and generously drizzle with EVOO  

Cupping each end of the log with your hands, scrunch it up and transfer it carefully to the pan. 

Repeat with the 2 remaining dough balls and filling 

Ensure the logs are not touching each other and they have enough room to expand on the baking tray 

Drizzle the top of the logs with EVOO and sprinkle some water on top too. Very gently massage the oily-water into all the nooks and crannies. 

Bake the logs at 180℃ fan-forced for about 50-60 minutes, until the logs are a deep, golden-brown.  

The patatopita logs are best eaten cooled, when the flavours brighten and harmonise – but that may be a challenge – so I suggest you make a double batch to enjoy them straight out of the oven AND cooled!  

Kali Orexi!