Spinach & Cheese Filo Pastry Parcels

I adapted this recipe up from the SBS wesbite, recipe by David Tsirekas. The filling was delicious! Maybe it was the gluten free flour but I found the pastry very hard, not like filo at all. Next time I might use store bought vegan gluten free pastry or use a different recipe. (Served here with pickled cabbage)
Note: Pastry should be made the day before.

Spinach & Cheese Filo Pastry Parcels
Makes 4 large

Ingredients

Pastry;300g (2 cups) plain gluten free flour, sifted, plus extra, to dust
3½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
165ml water

Cheese and spinach filling;25g vegan butter (I used Nuttalex)
1 tbsp gluten free plain flour
125ml (½ cup) warm rice/soy milk
250g vegan fetta (I used Vegusto No-Moo Piquant)
250g vegan ricotta, crumbled (I used Tofutti)
4 silverbeet leaves, stalks removed (I used frozen)
2 tsp olive oil
½ bunch spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp dill, chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped



Method

Day before;
Combine flour and 1 tsp salt in a bowl.
Stir in 165ml water until mixture comes together; add more water if necessary.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until mixture forms a stiff dough.
Add 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp at a time, kneading between each addition for a further 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
Coat with 2 tsp oil and place in a bowl.
Cover with a tea towel and stand in a warm, draught-free place for 2 hours.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 6 rounds.
Flatten each round to 1cm-thick and brush with remaining 1 tbsp oil.
Place 3 rounds on top of each other, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight until cold.

Day of baking;
Preheat oven to 200°C.
To make filling, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until starting to change colour.
Slowly add milk and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Add fetta and ricotta and stir to combine.
Blanch silverbeet leaves in a pan of boiling water for 45 seconds or until wilted, then drain and refresh in iced water.
Drain, squeeze to remove excess water, and chop.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add spring onions, dill and parsley and cook for 2 minutes or until onion is softened.
Add to cheese mixture with silverbeet and stir to combine.
Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool completely.

Working with one stack of dough at a time, using a rolling pin, roll out on a large floured rectangular table to as thin as you can.
Then, place your hands under the dough, palms facing down, and gently stretch the dough using the back of your hands until it reaches 60cm x 1.2m. Cut dough into 3 x 40cm x 60cm pieces and brush each piece with extra oil.
Leaving a 4cm border, place one-sixth of the filling along the short edge in three portions.

This will help prevent the coil from bursting.
Fold pastry border over filling and roll up into a log.
Roll pastry into a coil and trim the end.
Repeat with remaining filo and filling.
Place each coil side-by-side on a greased oven tray with cut-ends touching.
Brush over top of pastry with some olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.