KO’s Fried Tiropita

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 one 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 (or you hear a slight squelchy sound) stop adding water. I usually use about 1 ¼ cups to 1 1/3 cups of water in total. The dough should be soft and not too 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. Whatever you don’t use, store it away for the next time you make pita. 

After the dough has rested, knead it for 1 minute and then divide it into 6 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 the rolling pin, roll out the disc one way and then the other, so it forms a larger disc of approximately 15-20cm in diameter.  

Wrap the fillo tightly around the centre of the rolling pin, leaving a small section of the disc 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.  

Raise the rolling pin into the air, rotate it 45 degrees anticlockwise, then lower it and unravel the fillo sheet onto your work surface. 

Wrap your fillo sheet snuggly onto the rolling pin, remembering to leave a small section hanging out. 

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. 

Sprinkle the feta evenly across the fillo sheet 

Fold the side of the fillo about 8-10cm inwards twice and repeat on the other side 

Gently draw the two folded sides closer to each other and then scroll to form a coil 

Using a small pizza paddle/lifter transfer the tiropita to a frypan with 1-2cm of EVOO heated on medium high (until a little flour sprinkled into the oil fizzes and bubbles) 

Fry till brown on the bottom 

Turn the tiropita over and fry till golden brown on the other side too 

Transfer to a serving plate 

Serve as is or drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon 

Kali Orexi!