Filo dough: secrets of cooking at home

The most popular Greek pies and desserts, e.g. spanakopita, tiropita And baklava, are made from dough, which in its finished form is somewhat reminiscent of puff pastry in texture. However, this special dough called filo (φύλλο [philo]), which translated from ancient Greek means “leaf”. Indeed, the pastry consists of very thin sheets of dough that are layered on top of each other in a specific way. Extracted phyllo dough, made using special machines, is now sold in all Greek supermarkets and is even found here, mainly in hypermarkets.

Filo dough - photo

Almost every Greek housewife can make this dough at home. Its composition is quite simple - flour, warm water, vinegar or crayfish , salt and olive oil . Egg yolks are sometimes added to dessert dough. To prepare the dough you will need a rolling pin and a wide table. The Greek rolling pin is slightly different from the one we are used to - it is thinner, longer and has no handles. The dough is often called stretch dough because during rolling, it is stretched to the edges of the rolling pin.

Presumably, the dough comes from Hellas. It is known that the ancient Greeks baked very thin bread with nuts and honey, which may be the ancestor of baklava. True, some sources refer to the times of the Byzantine Empire, referring to the then flourishing mill business. In the seventies of the twentieth century, improved machines for making dough appeared, thanks to which it began to be sold in stores.

The basic principle of making phyllo dough pies is multi-layering. Several sheets of dough are placed on the bottom of the mold, then the filling, which, in turn, is covered with several layers of dough on top. The sheets are placed so that they do not touch each other tightly, for which they create small folds in which air remains. Thanks to this, the effect of puff pastry when baking is obtained. Each layer must be sprayed with oil. The protruding edges of all sheets are folded into the mold. You can use phyllo dough to make snail-shaped pies. Then the filling is placed unevenly on each sheet, which is then rolled into a roll so that there is air in it in places. Then the rolls are formed into a snail.

Filo dough - what is it?

The history of phyllo dough begins at the end of the 4th century AD, when recipes for pies with layers of the finest unleavened dough appeared in ancient Roman cookbooks and were filled with chicken, goat cheese and pine nuts. Filo is similar to transparent sheets of paper because it is rolled out and stretched out as much as possible during the cooking process. When phyllo is cooked correctly, you can read a book through the sheet! It vaguely resembles puff pastry, which is fattier and less thin. The undoubted advantage of phyllo is its fresh and neutral taste, thanks to which it can be used to prepare both sweet and savory dishes.

Filo dough - homemade recipe, what to make from it

Preparing dough is not an easy task. This is not always possible the first time. It often takes practice to get good results. However, it's worth it. One of the main advantages of phyllo is its bland taste. Thanks to this, it can be used to prepare both sweet and savory baked goods. Filo goes well with fruit. You can use it to make delicious sweets that do not contain many calories and are safe for your figure. No less tasty and healthy are dishes prepared with vegetables, herbs and cheese for filling. Baking with chicken and seafood is especially popular.

For the test:

flour – 410 g;
milk – 180 ml;
eggs – 1 pc.;
vegetable oil (odorless) – 50 ml;
baking powder for dough – 8 g;
salt – 0.5 tsp;
corn or potato starch - 150 g.

Attention!

You need to choose flour that is packaged in a paper bag or cardboard container. Before purchasing, you should squeeze the pack in your hands. If the product is of high quality, it will squeak slightly.

Pour 360 g of sifted flour into a clean, dry container. Add baking powder and salt there, mix everything thoroughly. Make a well in the center of the resulting mixture and pour the egg into it. Shake the last mixture with your hand until the white and yolk are mixed. Then pour milk and vegetable oil into the flour. Knead the dough. This process should take about 7-10 minutes. It is not recommended to sprinkle the surface of the table on which the procedure will be performed. This is necessary to ensure that the product is as elastic and soft as possible, and can be easily rolled out. Initially, the dough may stick to the table and hands, but after a few minutes of kneading, the stickiness will disappear.

Lightly dust a clean container with flour and place the dough into a ball. Cover the top with cling film and let the product brew for half an hour. After this time, divide the dough into 6 parts, roll them into a ball and cover with cling film. Let sit for another 5-7 minutes. Then combine the starch with the remaining 50 g of flour. Sprinkle the table with this mixture and roll out the first ball of dough on it. You should get a layer about 2 mm thick. Do the same with the remaining portions of the dough. Lay out the layers in layers. Sprinkle each of them generously with a mixture of flour and starch. This is necessary to ensure that the layers do not stick together.

Airy kefir donuts with powdered sugar

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Then sprinkle the table with starch and flour again. Place the folded layers on it. Powder them generously on top as well. After this, you can start stretching the dough. The stack needs to be rolled out with a rolling pin so that the layers are as thin as possible. Finally, separate all layers. Excess powder can be removed from them using a brush. If cooking is planned for the next 2-3 hours, the phyllo should be covered with a damp towel, and if it is planned for a later time, place it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer.

How to make your own phyllo dough

To knead the phyllo dough, you will need warm water and vegetable oil, preferably olive oil, which can be slightly warmed. You will also need an egg or yolks, salt and sifted wheat flour. Sometimes apple or wine vinegar is added to the dough. It is best to mix the ingredients in a bread machine using the “Dough Kneading” mode or in a food processor. If you prefer to do this by hand, you need to knead very intensively and twice as long as using kitchen gadgets.

The dough turns out soft, and you need to beat it on the table about 50 times to make it more elastic and elastic. After this, the dough is wrapped in cling film and left for an hour at room temperature.

Then pieces are plucked from the phyllo, which are rolled out very thinly, then greased with vegetable oil and stretched until they become thinner than paper.

Useful properties and contraindications

Due to the presence of an extensive complex of vitamins and minerals, phyllo dough is considered a healthy product for the body. In addition, the olive oil included in its traditional recipe has a beneficial effect on intestinal motility, improves metabolism, and also helps restore strength during exhausting long-term work.

However, due to its high calorie content, the product is not recommended for consumption:

People who are overweight and on a diet.
Those who have been diagnosed with diseases of the digestive system, including the pancreas and liver.
If you have diabetes mellitus and high blood cholesterol levels.

Secrets of making phyllo

Every housewife has her own secrets for making phyllo dough. Some mix it only with warm water, vinegar and always egg yolks, while others need enough water at room temperature and regular eggs, without any vinegar. One recipe recommends rolling out the dough in one layer, while another may suggest rolling out several layers at once. Sometimes recipes contain advice to sprinkle the layers of dough with starch when rolling. After kneading, some people put the “bun” in the refrigerator, while others leave it on the table, covered with film. There are as many recipes as there are chefs. However, there are general tips that will help you prepare wonderful thin dough. You may not be able to read books through it, but you can definitely see the letters!

After kneading, the dough should be soft, smooth and not sticky, and to achieve this, add flour not immediately, but gradually. You may need less flour. It all depends on its properties and the size of the egg.

It is important to stretch the dough as much as possible so that it becomes very thin. If the dough breaks a little, do not despair, because in multi-layer pies or strudel the crack will hardly be noticeable. And remember that phyllo dries very quickly, so work with it quickly and cover the finished layers with cling film or a towel.

Filo dough: a simple step-by-step recipe

Do you want to learn how to make filo dough using a simple recipe at home? This way you will diversify the menu and be able to pamper your loved ones with new dishes and delicious pastries.

Cooking method:

Mix warm water, vegetable oil, salt and egg.
Add flour to the liquid.
Knead the dough in the bread machine for 10 minutes, turning on the “Dough Kneading” program. You can also use a food processor with a dough attachment. Drop the dough onto the counter several times to firm it up.
If you knead by hand, you will need 20 minutes for this. After kneading, drop the dough on the table 50 times.
Wrap the phyllo in film and place it in the refrigerator for an hour.
Divide the bun into pieces and sprinkle the table with starch.
Roll out each piece with a rolling pin until the dough is very thin.
Grease the layer with vegetable oil and stretch it directly on the table until transparent. You will be surprised how soft and pliable it is!
Trim the edges with a knife to make an even rectangle. Cover the dough with a towel.
Do the same with the other pieces of dough.

If you want to freeze the phyllo, cover each layer with parchment paper, roll it up, and place it in the freezer. It stores well, and baked goods from it are as amazing as fresh dough.

Calorie content and chemical composition

Filo dough cannot be called a dietary product: its energy value is 441 Kcal per 100 g of product. The composition of nutritional components is as follows: 7 g of protein, 20 g of fat and 48 g of carbohydrates.

Chemical composition

Saturated fatty acids	1.5 g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids	0.9 g
Monounsaturated fatty acids	3.1 g
Alimentary fiber	1.9 g

Vitamins, macro- and microelements

Sodium	483 mg
Potassium	74 mg
Calcium	11 mg
Iron	3.2 mg
Magnesium	15 mg
Phosphorus	75 mg
Selenium	23.3 mcg
Vitamin K	2.5 mcg
Niacin	4.1 mg
Folates	88 mcg
Pantothenic acid	0.3 mg
Kholin	6.9 mg

Green inside!

If you have 8-9 layers of phyllo dough the size of store-bought crusts, you can make a tender spinach pie.

Grind 200 g feta, 200 g cottage cheese and 80 g mozzarella directly into a bowl with your hands. Boil 1 kg of fresh spinach for 5 minutes and squeeze lightly. Heat 50 ml of olive oil in a frying pan and fry 1.5 finely chopped medium onions until golden brown. Chop the spinach, add to the onion and fry for another 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and add cottage cheese and cheese to the pan. Lightly beat 2 eggs and pour them over the future filling. Mix well and remove from heat.

Brush a sheet of phyllo dough with butter using a brush and place a strip of filling along one edge. Roll into a loose roll, which in turn twist into a spiral. Do the same with the next sheets, continuing to increase the size of the “snail”.

Place the pie in a baking dish or on a baking sheet, and grease the top with oil as well. Bake the pie for about 45 minutes at 180°C. You can make the filling to your taste and decorate the pie with sesame seeds or poppy seeds.

Lenten baklava recipe with walnuts

Lenten baklava with walnuts

Dish Dessert

Cuisine Eastern

Ingredients

16 pcs. sheet of phyllo dough
500 g walnuts
3 tbsp. l. breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. l. dry cinnamon, ground
1 tbsp. l. dry cloves, ground
300 g olive oil

For syrup

500 g sugar
200 g water
1/2 pcs. orange
1 tbsp. l. cinnamon

Instructions

Syrup

Pour sugar into a ladle or small saucepan, pour in water, add half an orange, cinnamon and boil for about 5 minutes, then let cool.

Filling

Grind the walnuts in a food processor and add breadcrumbs, cinnamon and cloves. Mix.

Baklava

Take two sheets of dough, spray each with oil and place on top of each other.
Place a small layer of filling along the edge of the sheets in a strip. Carefully roll it up so that the filling is inside.
Make filled rolls from all the pastry sheets in the same way, then place them in a baking dish. If necessary, trim the ends with a knife. Then cut the rolls into small pieces - about 3 - 4 cm long. and grease with oil.
Bake for half an hour at 200 degrees - the rolls should turn light brown. Remove from the oven and pour over the syrup. Let it brew.

Notes

Bon appetit! Καλή σας όρεξη!

"Bags" with a secret

“Bags” made of the thinnest and most delicious phyllo dough, filled with mushrooms, cheese and garlic, are an excellent appetizer for any buffet or banquet. However, this dish can be prepared at least every day with different fillings.

For this you will need phyllo dough, frozen butter, mozzarella, garlic and all kinds of seasonings. Fry 400 g of thawed mushrooms along with chopped garlic - about half a head. It is garlic that gives mushrooms their sharpness and piquancy. Salt the mushrooms and season the filling with your favorite spices. Separately, grate 120 g of mozzarella and melt 100 g of butter in the microwave.

Place a sheet of phyllo dough on the table, brush with butter, cover with another sheet and brush again - there can be from 5 to 10 such layers. The more of them, the crispier and more refined the “bags” are. Cut each leaf into 4 parts and place a little mushroom filling in the middle of each, sprinkling cheese on top. Gather the dough to form pouches and bake them in the oven at 180°C for 20 minutes. As soon as the “bags” are browned, take them out of the oven, brew tea or pour a cup of aromatic broth and enjoy the unusual taste of filo pastry!

What can be made from Filo dough - several recipes

So, we are great and managed to make real Greek dough at home. Now let's think about what to make from Filo dough at home. We suggest trying a couple of main courses and some appetizers.

Filo dough baked goods

Ready-made Greek Filo dough is perfect for making Austrian strudel. The product turns out crispy, appetizing and literally melts in your mouth. And the combination of apple juice with the creamy-sugar flavor of the dough leaves a delicate aftertaste. Let's look at the recipe!

Filo dough strudel Servings – 8, cooking time – 1.5 hours
Ingredients
Phyllo	Apples	Raisin*	Cookie	Butter	Powdered sugar
5-6 sheets	6 pcs., medium-sized, sweet and sour	150-200 gr.	100 gr., with ordinary taste	1 pack	1 tbsp. l.
*It is better to pre-soak the raisins in cold water and leave to settle overnight.
Cooking technology
1. Apples should be washed, peeled and cored. Then chop into thin slices. Place in a deep plate. 2. Using a blender, grind the cookies to fine crumbs. 3. Add infused raisins and crushed cookies to the apples. Mix everything. If the apples are too sweet, you can add a little lemon juice. 4. Place a sheet of dough on a table or cloth sprinkled with flour and brush it with melted butter. Take the next layer of Filo and cover the previous one with it, while moving the second layer 2-3 cm below the first, coat with oil. Repeat the steps with all sheets, not forgetting to lubricate them. 5. Place the filling on the dough, wrap it in a roll and grease it again with butter. Place in the oven preheated to 190 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Crispy homemade strudel made from phyllo dough is ready! All that remains is to sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve.

You can also make a quick and tasty Filo pie with chicken and rice. This simple dish only takes 1 hour to prepare. Here is the prescription.

How to make chicken pie with filo dough
Ingredients
Dough	Chicken fillet	Rice	Cheeses	Fill	Spices
8 sheets	600 gr.	200 gr.	Feta – 100 gr. Hard cheese – 100 gr. Parmesan – 50 gr.	Chicken broth – 150 ml. Cream – 200 ml. Eggs – 2 pcs.	Parsley – 1 tbsp. Green onions – 1 tbsp. Sweet paprika – 1 tbsp. Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation
1. Boil and cut up the chicken, leaving the broth. Blanch the rice. Mash the feta with a fork and finely grate the hard cheese. Place all ingredients in a deep plate, add spices, mix thoroughly. 2. Place baking paper on a baking sheet. Lay out 2 sheets of dough. cross over cross, coating each layer with oil. 3. Place the filling in the center of the dough. Grate the Parmesan and sprinkle generously around the edges of the dough. Roll the edges with a roller, wrapping the cheese in them (tighten to the filling). You will get an open pie with the edges turned in. 4. Carefully pour broth and cream over the filling. Proportions should be carefully observed so that the filling does not turn out too liquid. 5. Break 2 eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Pour the egg mixture over the filling and place the pie in the oven for 30 minutes (180 degrees). Bake until golden brown. The dish is ready!

As you can see, unleavened Philo makes very tasty sweet and savory baked goods. Let's see how things stand with snacks.

Fillings for Filo dough

Not only pies and pastries are prepared with Greek dough, but also other products. For example, delicious and original snacks, which, thanks to their beautiful design, are perfect for the holiday table.

The basis for preparing snacks is any form made from Phyllo. These can be rolls, “roses”, “bird’s nests”, etc. Depending on the purpose, Filo sheets are rolled, cut into layers or thin strips. Thus, in appetizers, Greek dough is used not only for taste, but also for beautiful presentation of the food.

As for the filling, here too everything depends on the imagination of the hostess. On the Internet you can find many recipes for appetizers made from Filo dough with cottage cheese, cheese, vegetables, seafood, poultry, etc. There are even whole appetizer salads with Phyllo. Here is one of the most popular recipes.

Curd nests made from Phyllo dough
Ingredients
Dough	Butter	Chees Feta	Cottage cheese	Egg
500 gr.	1 pack	200 gr.	200 gr.	1 PC.
We will also need a narrow wooden stick: approximately 40 cm in length and 0.5 - 1 cm in diameter.
Preparation
1. Knead the Feta in a deep bowl, add cottage cheese to it and pour in the egg. Stir until a homogeneous mass is obtained. 2. Take a sheet of dough and place the smaller side facing you. Lubricate with oil. 3. Roll the sheet onto the stick, leaving a layer 2-3 cm wide at the end. 4. We collect the dough rolled onto a stick with our hands into an accordion. We press a little so that the structure holds its shape. We remove the stick. 5. Now we connect the ends of our “tube”. In the middle, where the unrolled layer remains, we make neat folds and press lightly so that there are no holes. 6. Place in prepared filling. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Place the prepared cheesecakes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. The treat is ready to eat!

The dish prepared according to the given recipe will amaze guests with both its aesthetics and wonderful taste. Don’t forget to experiment with the filling, replacing cheese and cottage cheese, for example, with meat, potatoes, vegetables, etc. You can also replace Filo dough, if you suddenly don’t have it on hand, with puff pastry without yeast. But remember that in this case the calorie content of the food will increase significantly.

With pepper

Do you know how delicious pizza is made on phyllo sheets? Tender, buttery, flaky and melts in your mouth... Eight sheets will be enough. You will also need 6 tbsp. l. butter, 8 tbsp. l. chopped parmesan, 100 g grated mozzarella for pizza, 3 tomatoes, a can of olives and half a small chili pepper.

Grease a rectangular pan, line the phyllo dough, brush with butter and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. l. parmesan Do this with all layers of dough, and top with sliced tomatoes, olive slices, shredded mozzarella and finely chopped chili.

Bake the pizza at 190°C until crispy. This will take you about half an hour. Then leave the pizza to cool for 5 minutes and then cut it with a very sharp knife, as it crumbles easily.

You will see that filo dough is like it was specially created for pizza!

Greek baklava recipe

Greek baklava with walnuts