Greek tiropita: the classic golden, crisp feta cheese pie

Tiropita is Greece’s national pie — thin phyllo sheets brushed with butter, filled with feta cheese and baked until golden. Served warm for breakfast, as a meze or a light dinner, the classic recipe below is the simplest way to make it at home.

INGREDIENTS (6–8 servings):

• Thin phyllo pastry sheets — 500 g (1 pack)
• Feta cheese — 400 g
• Soft creamy cheese (ricotta or cottage cheese) — 200 g
• Eggs — 3
• Yogurt — 150 ml
• Milk — 100 ml
• Melted butter or olive oil — 80 g (for brushing the sheets)
• Ground black pepper — 1 teaspoon
• Nutmeg — a pinch (optional)
• Finely chopped fresh dill or mint — 2 tablespoons (optional)
• Sesame seeds — 1 tablespoon for the top (optional)
• Salt — sparingly, feta is salty on its own

PREPARATION STEPS:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a round baking pan (about 30 cm).
2. In a large bowl, crumble the feta with a fork; add the soft creamy cheese, beaten eggs, yogurt, milk, black pepper, nutmeg and fresh herbs. Mix well until homogeneous.
3. Line the pan with half the sheets, laying them one by one and brushing each with melted butter (or olive oil). Let the edges of the sheets hang over the pan.
4. Pour in the cheese filling and spread it evenly.
5. Cover with the remaining sheets, brushing each again with butter, and fold the edges inward.
6. With a sharp knife, score the top into triangles (like rays) without cutting all the way through.
7. Brush the top with the remaining butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
8. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the pie turns golden and crisp.
9. Remove from the oven and let it rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

TIME AND SERVINGS: Preparation: 20 minutes. Baking: 35–40 minutes. Total: about 1 hour. Servings: 6–8.