Say hello to phyllo dough
Use the store-bought, frozen pastry to amp up any number of dishes
There are plenty of times when I’m inspired enough by The Great British Baking Show to say, “I want to make that.” (And then I have!)
Then there are the challenges that do exactly the opposite. “I will NEVER make that.” As in, phyllo dough.
Thankfully, not wanting to make phyllo (or fillo, as you might see it spelled in some places) does not mean not using it.
That’s because this staple, often associated with such Greek fare as baklava or spanakopita, is easy to buy at the grocery store. It’s also quite easy to use, assuming you keep the following tips in mind.
THE DETAILS
“It’s just a very basic, extremely thin pastry dough,” says Lauren Bellon, creative and media manager for the brand Fillo Factory.
It’s a pretty simple product, consisting of flour, water, salt, oil and, depending on the specific brand,
additional starch or preservatives. Because it’s an unleavened dough, it bakes up thin and crispy.
PREPPING
Most phyllo sold at the supermarket is frozen in sheets that are rolled up into a cylinder and packaged in a thin, long box.
It has to be thawed before you use it. Bellon says she often lets the dough thaw on the counter for a few hours, but if you want to be bythe-book, let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Because it’s so lean, phyllo can dry out very quickly. Keep a damp towel draped over the sheets you’re not using while you’re working with it. You can even layer a piece of plastic wrap below the towel for extra insurance.
Bellon also suggests having all your other ingredients ready to go “so you don’t have to turn your back on it.” She says extra sheets can be stored in the refrigerator or refrozen, as long as they’re tightly wrapped.
Cookbook author and Washington Post Food section contributor Cathy Barrow likes to line her counters with plastic wrap for easy cleanup and organizing the inevitable torn or split (but totally salvageable! see below) sheets.
WORKING WITH IT
Always brush butter or oil in between your layers. “If phyllo is the building block, butter is the mortar,” Barrow says. “The stretched dough is made of nothing more than flour and water, and butter brings it to life.”
It can also bring cracked phyllo back to life. All you have to do is pat the pieces back into shape and use a pastry brush lightly dipped in butter (or oil) to glue them together.
The fat brushed in between the sheets of phyllo is also crucial for allowing the sheets to bake up distinct and crisp.
If you are shaping your phyllo into rolls, triangles or other packets, Barrow recommends “a comfortable, easy fold.”
Too tight and the filling might explode while the pastries bake.
No matter your shape, cut the dough with a sharp knife or pastry
or pizza wheel for neat edges.
Phyllo can easily burn during baking. You don’t want the oven too hot, Bellon says, suggesting 375 F (190 C) as a maximum temp. The colour of the finished bake should be a “nice, healthy golden tone,” she says. Frequently check while baking because even a short amount of extra time can scorch the dough.
START CREATING
The possibilities with phyllo are almost limitless. Shape it into rolls, triangles or purses.
Try it as the shell for a strudel. Alternate large sheets and filling for a layered pie, use a stack of sheets as the crust for a sweet or savoury pie, or include a bottom and top for a pot pie.
One great example is the Moroccan bastilla, a pie that mixes sweet and savoury.
Phyllo dough can be turned into a base for tartlets, too. If you don’t want to buy separate phyllo cups, you can make your own by baking stacks of squares in mini or standard muffin tins.
Stuff or layer phyllo with just about anything you like, assuming it’s not too wet.
Take inspiration from all over the world, whether it’s an Indian samosa, Turkish borek or British beef Wellington.