Tiropita, feta & phyllo
Found at every Greek bakery from 7am. Briny feta beaten with eggs, wrapped in butter-brushed phyllo, baked until shattered and golden. Eaten standing up, wrapped in paper, with a coffee.
Tiropita is the breakfast that Greeks eat standing up, wrapped in paper, from any bakery (fournos) in Athens from 7am onwards. It is a savoury phyllo pastry filled with briny feta beaten with eggs, sometimes with mint or dill, baked until the pastry shatters into hundreds of golden flakes. The technique looks intimidating but it is genuinely easy once you understand the rhythm: lay phyllo, brush butter, lay another, brush butter, repeat. The filling is a one-bowl job. Twelve minutes of work, thirty minutes in the oven, and you have a breakfast that feels like a proper achievement.
Method
Make the filling.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled feta, eggs, mint, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well until combined — the feta will break down slightly into a thick, creamy paste.
Layer the phyllo.
Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Brush a 20×30cm baking dish with melted butter. Lay one sheet of phyllo, brush with butter, lay another, brush again — repeat until you have 4 buttered layers. Let the sheets overhang the edges.
Add filling and top.
Spread the feta mixture evenly over the phyllo base. Fold any overhanging pastry over the filling. Layer the remaining 4 phyllo sheets on top, each brushed with butter. Tuck the edges in or trim neatly.
Score and bake.
Using a sharp knife, score the top layers of phyllo into squares or diamond shapes — this prevents the pastry shattering unpredictably when cutting. Bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
Rest and serve.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting along the scored lines. Serve warm or at room temperature — both are correct.
Frequently asked questions
- Where do I find phyllo pastry?
- Frozen aisle of most supermarkets, usually near puff pastry. Thaw in the fridge overnight, not at room temperature, sudden warmth makes it tear. Once opened, work fast and cover unused sheets with a damp cloth.
- Can I use a different cheese?
- Real Greek feta from sheep's milk is best, it has the right salt and tang. A 50/50 mix of feta and ricotta makes a milder version. Avoid cream cheese; the texture is wrong.
- Why does my phyllo tear?
- Three usual reasons: not thawed slowly enough, dried out from being uncovered, or thawed too long (it gets brittle after about 4 hours at room temp). Buy fresh, work fast, and keep it under a damp cloth.
- Can I freeze tiropita?
- Yes, assemble fully, freeze unbaked. Bake from frozen at 190°C for 45 minutes (15 minutes longer than fresh). Excellent for batch-cooking.
- Is this breakfast or lunch?
- Greeks eat it for both. Breakfast version is smaller (one square per person with coffee); lunch version is larger (with a salad). The recipe is identical.
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