Simplicity at its best. A batter, a few cheeses and a baking pan are all you need for a pie I had been making for years, especially on those evenings when we’d say, “There’s nothing to eat,” even though the fridge was fit to burst. It was delicious and always disappeared in no time. Then I went to Epirus and tasted Anna’s kourkoutopita. That was when I realised how much difference there can be in such a simple recipe.

Anna’s kourkoutopita was very thin, about one centimeter thick, and incredibly crisp. She used no baking powder, self-raising flour or eggs. There was plenty of olive oil in the pan to help it turn golden and crisp, yoghurt instead of milk, and anthotyro alongside goat’s milk feta to balance the saltiness. Every bite made that wonderful little crunch I can still hear when I think about it.

The cheeses and yoghurt were homemade, and the pie was baked in a wood-fired oven. We enjoyed it one morning outdoors in Epirus, beneath the cool shade of the trees, with dear friends. Beauty, peace and wonderful food: everything that made it a morning I’ll never forget.

🛒Ingredients

• 🌾 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 💧 3 cups water
• 🥣 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 🫒 ½ cup olive oil
• 🧀 500 g feta, or 250 g feta and 250 g anthotyro cheese
• 🧂 Salt

👩‍🍳Instructions

In a bowl, mix the flour, yoghurt, water, salt and half the olive oil until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the remaining olive oil into the baking pan, then add the batter. Choose a pan large enough for the pie to stay very thin, about 1 cm thick.

Crumble the cheese and scatter it over the entire surface. Bake at 200°C using the top and bottom heat setting until the pie is golden and crisp.

Enjoy!

Nanà…✍️