Πριν ανοίξω τη ζύμη με τον πλάστη, βάζω λαδόκολλα στο ταψί.

That’s a very common question. Ανοίγω literally often means open, but with ζύμη it has a cooking-specific meaning: to roll out or spread out the dough.

So:

• ανοίγω την πόρτα = I open the door
• ανοίγω τη ζύμη = I roll out the dough

Greek often uses the same verb in a broader way than English does, and the exact meaning depends on the object.

After πριν meaning before, Greek normally uses the subjunctive, and here that gives ανοίξω.

So:

• πριν ανοίξω = before I roll out

This is the aorist subjunctive, which is commonly used for a single, complete action. Rolling out the dough is viewed here as one whole step in the process.

So even though ανοίξω may look like a past form to learners, it is not past here. It means something like before I roll out.

Yes. You can say:

• Πριν ανοίξω τη ζύμη...
• Πριν να ανοίξω τη ζύμη...

Both are possible. In everyday Greek, πριν without να is very common and natural. So the sentence as given sounds completely normal.

Because Greek often uses the present tense for:

• habitual actions
• instructions
• recipe steps
• describing what someone generally does

So βάζω here means:

• I put
• I am putting
• I put as the next step

In recipe-style language, English often does this too: First I put the paper in the tray, then I roll out the dough.

Greek usually drops the subject pronoun when it is clear from the verb ending.

Here:

• ανοίξω = I roll out
• βάζω = I put

The -ω ending already tells you the subject is I, so εγώ is not needed.

If you said εγώ, it would usually add emphasis, like I do it or as for me, I do it.

Because ζύμη is the direct object of ανοίξω.

Dictionary form:

• η ζύμη = the dough

But as a direct object, it goes into the accusative:

• τη ζύμη

So:

• η ζύμη = subject form
• τη ζύμη = object form

This is very common in Greek articles.

This is about the final -ν in την.

In Modern Greek, that final -ν is often dropped before certain consonants. So τη ζύμη is the normal form here.

You will often see:

• τη ζύμη
• τη μέρα
• τη φωτιά

But before a vowel or some consonants, the -ν is usually kept:

• την ώρα
• την κόρη

So τη ζύμη is correct and natural.

Because με means with, and it is used here to show the tool/instrument.

So:

• με τον πλάστη = with the rolling pin

Also, με takes the accusative, which is why you get τον πλάστη.

Compare:

• ο πλάστης = the rolling pin (subject form)
• τον πλάστη = the rolling pin (object form / after με)

Ο πλάστης is a rolling pin.

It’s the kitchen tool used to flatten or roll out dough.

So:

• με τον πλάστη = using the rolling pin

Λαδόκολλα is baking paper, parchment paper, or greaseproof paper, depending on the variety of English.

It’s a compound word:

• λάδι = oil
• κόλλα = paper / sheet / glue-related word historically

In modern usage, though, you should just learn λαδόκολλα as the normal kitchen word for baking paper.

Yes, literally στο ταψί means in the tray or into the tray, because:

• σε + το = στο

And ταψί means baking tray / pan.

In cooking Greek, βάζω λαδόκολλα στο ταψί is the normal way to say that you put baking paper in the tray, meaning you line it. English often says in the tray or on the tray, depending on context, but Greek naturally uses στο ταψί here.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English.

Here the speaker is talking about specific things involved in the cooking process:

• τη ζύμη = the dough
• τον πλάστη = the rolling pin
• το ταψί = the tray

In English, some of these articles may sound optional depending on style, but in Greek they are very natural and usually expected.

The nouns here are:

• η ζύμη = feminine
• ο πλάστης = masculine
• το ταψί = neuter
• η λαδόκολλα = feminine

That affects the article forms:

• feminine accusative singular: τη
• masculine accusative singular: τον
• neuter accusative singular: το

So in the sentence you get:

• τη ζύμη
• τον πλάστη
• τη λαδόκολλα
• στο ταψί = σε + το ταψί

The word order is natural, but Greek is more flexible than English.

This sentence starts with the time clause:

• Πριν ανοίξω τη ζύμη με τον πλάστη

and then gives the main action:

• βάζω λαδόκολλα στο ταψί

This order makes sense because it highlights the sequence: before doing X, I do Y.

You could sometimes rearrange parts of the sentence in Greek, but the given version is clear and idiomatic.