Filo Dough
Phyllo (pronounced Filo) comes from the Greek word for Leaf. The cookbook seems to use the English name or spelling of common Greek food. Interestingly, Phyllo is Filo in Spanish. Spell it anyway you’d like, but it’s pronounced fee-low, and is an extremely thin pastry dough, paper thin. Commonly used in Greek favorites Baklava and Spanakopita, phyllo is much easier to work with than most people imagine. This recipe was submitted by Mrs. Karaberis.
Servings
14-16 fila
Ready In:
???
Good For:
Petas and Desserts
About this Recipe
I’ve only made my own phyllo once. when I was around 12 or so. It was incredibly easy, but time consuming, and my leaves were uneven at best. As I discovered from a newspaper clipping, the cookbook came out a few years before phyllo was available in the grocery store. I recommend buying it rather than making it, but here is the recipe for you to try.
Ingredients
- 5 cups flour
- 1 egg
- 1.25 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt
Bold ingredients listed on original ingredient list. Italicized found in handwritten notes. Others found in recipe text.
Mix flour, egg, olive oil, and water to form a dough. Work about half an hour until it is the consistency of bread. Let the mixture stand about one hour then roll out with a rolling pin as thin as paper.
This recipe if rolled thin enough should make 14-16 fila.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Mise en Place (prepare ingredients for cooking). Measure out flour and olive oil while your egg comes to room temperature. A room temperature egg will mix more evenly and help the dough rise more quickly.
Step 2
Mix all ingredients. Add flour, egg, olive oil, and water to bowl or stand mixer. The recipe calls for salt but fails to mention an amount or when to add. I would add one teaspoon of salt to the flour before mixing in egg, olive oil, and water.
Step 3
Work the Dough. Either knead the dough for 30 minutes by hand or use the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer for 3 minutes on low and then switch to medium until the dough is smooth and pliant. The dough will be sticky at first, but kneading it should smooth it out.
Step 4
Let Dough Rest for one hour minimum. Everyone has their favorite way to rest dough (let it rise). Personally, I just place it in a bowl (or leave it in the mixing bowl) and toss a tea towel over it to keep bugs off. You can also cover in cling wrap. Some people like to transfer the dough to a oil-rubbed or flour-dusted bowl. The choice is yours, but it must sit for a minimum of one hour.
Step 5
Roll out dough. While this recipe simply says roll out the dough. I find it easier to separate the dough into several even balls and roll each individually. Keep rolling until the sheets are paper thin. Flour your countertop for easy rolling. (You can also use a pasta press, but I don’t have one, so have zero advice.)
Step 6
Use or Store Phyllo. When you’re phyllo is paper thin, it’s ready to use in the recipe of your choice. Phyllo also freezes well when separated by parchment paper.
Tips and Thoughts
Use Bread Flour. You want all the gluten in this recipe for the most flaky texture. Cake flour will produce a softer puffier dough.
Vinegar? I’ve seen plenty of recipes that use vinegar, lemon, or raki. All of those things help make the dough crispy. In this recipe, the egg handles that. If you’d like to use make an eggless version, then sub in 2 tsps of vinegar (white or white wine vinegar).
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My grandmother included notes about not using mint leaves, substituting garlic salt and oregano instead. There are a few “staple” ingredients not listed in the ingredient list, which makes me wonder how common that will be in the cookbook. This recipe is not attributed to anyone.
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