Middle Eastern Spinach Pies

Ok, so I am realizing now that the picture above is not the most flattering picture of spinach pies ever. I just got so excited when they came out of the oven that I forgot to properly "stage" them in a better dish and better light.  It's funny what a little "stage makeup" can do for food pictures...but good picture or not, believe me, these are awesome. We make these a lot(probably not quite as much as my husband and kids would like, but a lot nonetheless.) And we go through them very quickly too. They're a great alternative to a sandwich for lunch or a bagel in the morning. Just throw a few in a ziploc and you're ready to go. They are delicious straight from the oven, cold, or reheated in a toaster oven or microwave.  They freeze really well. And they are really healthy. Loaded with spinach, and you can use whole wheat flour in your dough(I didn't today because we ran out, but I usually do)  There are many different versions and fillings/toppings for these pies, but spinach is my favorite and so today I just made that one. 

SPINACH PIES
For the dough I used the breadmaker but this can definitely be done by hand too.
3 cups white bread flour (or 2 cups white, 1 cup whole wheat)
2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup warm water

For the breadmaker, put the ingredients in the machine in the order listed.  If too dry add a little water 1 tsp at a time. If too wet, add flour 1 tsp at a time.  The dough should be sticky and tacky but not sloppy and messy.  Set to dough setting and let the machine work.

By hand, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Once it forms a ball, knead it for 5-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.   If too wet, add flour 1 tsp at a time. The dough should be sticky and tacky but not sloppy and messy. Coat lighly with olive oil to keep it from drying out.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap and a towel and set it in a warm place to rise for an hour or so until it has doubled in size.

Spinach Filling
Make this while youre dough is rising

3 blocks frozen chopped spinach, you can use fresh but it's usually more expensive and i notice no difference in taste.
1 medium onion(I used 1/4 of a large red onion this time because it's what I had on hand)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp ground sumac (you can find this in middle eastern stores, or sometimes the bulk section of a health food store)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for sauteeing

Thaw and drain spinach.  Sautee onions until they begin to soften.  Add spinach and cook until it becomes less bright green and most of the moisture as cooked off.  Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and sumac. Cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Before(I ran only had 2 blocks ove frozen spinach so I added some fresh too)

After

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Pich off golf ball size balls of dough.  Make balls by stretching the outer skin and bringing it down to the bottom of the ball to create a nice smooth outside(Im gonna post a video of this technique really soon. Noorah took one of me while I was making them, she just kind of forgot to point the camera at me) Have a lightly oiled baking sheet ready. When you finish each ball, roll it on the sheet to coat it in oil so it won't dry out. Do all the dough this way.

Ignore the rolling pin in the picture. I actually flatten them out by hand, using the tips of my fingers, almost like a tiny pizza crust.  Put a heaping tbsp of spinch mixture in the middle of the dough when its flat.  Be careful not to let the spinach touch the edges of the dough, it will lose its stick if you do that.  Pull two side up and pinch them together, leaving the bottom open.

Bring the bottom up and seal, creating a triangle.

Pinch all your seams tightly, lay on your baking sheet seam down. Gently press to shape.  Do all your pies this way.   Lightly brush olive oil over the top of all of the pies. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown. You may have too much spinach mix. It's a great quick addition to an omelet.  Or you may not have enough, this was the case with me.  I finsihed my last few dough balls with feta cheese and tomatoes and just left them flat like a pizza.