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SHAPES:
Phyllo dough can be rolled, twisted, folded,
shredded and pressed into a variety of shapes and sizes. Step-by-step
instructions, included.
 | STRUDEL & ROLLS |
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| CUPS, PIE & TART SHELLS
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| POUCHES |
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| TRIANGLES |
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| ROUND & WRAPPED SHAPES
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| NAPOLEONS & GARNISHES
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| CONES & TUBES |
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PHYLLO (FILO ) DOUGH: Phyllo
which means "leaf" in Greek, are
tissue paper-thin like sheets of dough made from flour, water and a bit of oil.
However, Phyllo dough was not born in Greece rather in Istanbul during the
Ottoman reign. The name "Phyllo" is Greek but the dough technique itself is
Turkish. (See History of Phyllo Dough).
Of all Turkey's delicious sweet confections, the
most famous is baklava. This exquisite flavored pastry has been made in Anatolia
for many centuries, and its ancestor is widely believed to be a dish made by the
Assyrians at around 8th century B.C. They were the first people who put together
a few layers of thin bread dough, with chopped nuts, dried fruit in between
those layers, added some honey and baked it in their wood burning ovens. This
earliest known version of baklava was baked only on special occasions. In fact,
historically, baklava was considered a food for the rich until mid-19th
century.
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Typical Packaged Phyllo Dough Nutritionals
- 3 pastry sheets (each 12 x 17-inches) - 180 calories (calories from fat
10), total fat 1 gram; saturated fat - 0 grams; cholesterol 0 grams; sodium
300 mg; total carbohydrates 35 grams; dietary fiber 1 gram; sugars 1 gram
and protein 5 grams; vitamins A and C & calcium (0%); iron (10%) |
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Typical Packaged Phyllo Ingredients:
enriched, non-bromine bleached wheat flour with niacin, iron, thiamin
mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid; water; corn syrup; vegetable oil (corn
or soybean); salt; preservatives (sodium and/or calcium propinate, potassium
sorbate); citric acid. |
Phyllo has been incorporated into
American cuisine with open arms. It is used here in traditional recipes, as well
as in new and innovative desserts. It can also stand in for it's difficult
cousins strudel dough and
puff pastry, although Phyllo is a flour and
water dough. In fact Strudel and Baklava dough making are very similar in
technique. Like
strudel dough,
Phyllo sheets are layered and brushed lightly in between with melted butter or
oil, that result in a puffed-up height and are crisp, light and flavorful.
Phyllo can enclose a huge variety of fillings,
both savory and sweet. It can be assembled in a
variety of shapes and sizes
such as cones, tubes, pie shells, pizza crusts,
pouches, roles, strudels, or triangles. Phyllo can
be twisted, folded, rolled and
pressed pressed into pie, tart and even muffin pans as a substitute for
pie and
pastry dough. It can be shredded and
used for making "nests" filled with fresh fruit or ice cream. Phyllo
can be cut easily to make bite-sized appetizers or left large to make a strudel.
It can play a supporting role
in Venetian Napoleons, separating layers of mascarpone cheese and sweetened
strawberries that are laced with port and balsamic vinegar.
Phyllo dough can be used in a lot
of new recipes, such as
chocolate phyllo. It is made by sprinkling sifted
cocoa powder and
confectioner's sugar
(25:75) in between the buttered layers or on top.
Because they contain little fat and
can be brushed in between with small amounts of butter, low-fat dessert recipes,
such as the Apple Phyllo Tart Recipe,
are quite delicious.
Sold in 1-pound packages containing about 20 sheets of dough,
phyllo is almost always frozen. It is found
frozen in the freezer section of the grocery store.
Grocery store brands such as Athens,
Apollo, and Pepperidge Farms are all good. Sizes vary from
brand to brand, and the sheets may need to be trimmed to fit the pan.
Fresh phyllo is available
fresh in some Greek, Middle Eastern, upscale and international markets in large
cities and through direct factory shipment. Fresh dough
offers big advantages. Since the pliable sheets have been refrigerated but never
frozen, they have a superior texture and are easier to handle while buttering
and shaping. Fresh phyllo dough and prebaked phyllo shells are available from
the Fillo Factory in Dumont, New Jersey. Call 800.OK.FILLO or visit the
company’s Web site at www.fillofactory.com for additional product information.
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HOW A PHYLLO DOUGH
SHEET STRETCHES AND STAYS TOGETHER: It's the gluten formed in the
dough from wheat flour and moisture, mixed together that holds it together.
Because there is oil in the recipe, it's not an effective as a classical
shortener, such as butter or shortening, so long strands of gluten are
formed in the dough. These strands are then stretched thinner and thinner
until the sheets are as thin as tissue paper!. |
You can also
make you own
phyllo dough, which I have done and it's truly an incredible experience.
It's an enormous amount of work to make: a regular-sized ball of dough is
stretched thinner and thinner by the backs of many hands into a thin sheet of
dough as long and wide as a dining room table cloth. You won't believe how thin
you make the sheets; like tissue paper, so thin and transparent that you wonder
how it stays together without tearing.
The tricky part is when you stretch the
phyllo dough when you make your own -- you don't want to puncture it when it
becomes paper thin. Remove all hand and wrist jewelry and turn rings stone side
into palm when stretching. Use the back of your hands, particularly your
knuckles, to stretch it. And be sure to place the stretched dough over a dry
towel on the table so that you can roll it up easily.
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TIPS WHEN
USING PHYLLO DOUGH:
General Rule: The faster you
can work, the easier working with Phyllo will be. |
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Phyllo recipes can be sweet or
savory depending on the filling. Traditional ones include nuts and dried
fruits, cheeses, vegetable mixtures and savory chopped meats. A
filling can be enclosed in almost any shape. Although a recipe may specify a
triangle, the same filling can be used in a packet, a purse, or an egg roll
shape.
The challenges of working with phyllo dough
are threefold. First, if not defrosted properly, the pastry sheets can stick
together from too much moisture. Secondly, the pastry dries out rapidly and
cracks because it is so thin and has almost no fat. Finally, the sheets are
paper-thin and tear easily. But proper handling and some practice will make
these problems manageable. Below, I give you lots of tips for handling any
type of phyllo creation.
Almost any phyllo recipe can be prepared ahead of time and
refrigerated or frozen. Although a layered dish such as baklava needs to
cool several hours, most pastries are baked just before serving to be the
freshest, and most flaky.
Whatever shape the recipe calls for,
phyllo dough is always layered with butter or oil brushed in between
that result in a puffed-up height and are crisp, light and flavorful.
There are several options:
| It’s butter that also makes tasty, crispy pastries and
I always use it.
Clarified butter is
traditionally used in phyllo recipes, which is simply melted butter with
all the milk solids removed; it also creates an extra crisp and flaky
pastry.
| Use approximately 1/2
cup butter (or oil) for 16 sheets of phyllo dough, or 1/2 Tbsp. of
butter per phyllo sheet. (8 Tbsp. = 1/2 cup = 1 stick butter).
However, I usually make a couple of
tablespoons more than the recipe calls for, which has never been
wasted. |
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| Browning the butter first will give the baked dough a
much deeper buttery flavor. For 2 tablespoons brown butter, place 3
tablespoons unsalted butter in a small or heavy saucepan or skillet over
moderately low heat. Cook slowly until the butter smells like roasting
nuts and the solids in the bottom of the pan are golden brown. Tilt the
pan, carefully skim off the white residue on the surface of the butter and
discard. Spoon the clear butter into a small bowl, leaving the solids
behind. |
| Some savory recipes specify brushing the dough with
olive, flavored or vegetable oil instead of with butter.
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| You can also combine fats; try use melted
butter with as small amount of walnut oil for a nuttier taste.
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Some ingredients can be sprinkled in between the layers of
phyllo dough or on top before baking.
| Fillings:
Make sure your filling is
prepared and completely cooled before beginning to use the phyllo sheets.
It
should also be chilled and not
excessively moist,
as in the
Apple Phyllo Tart Recipe;
the dough has little fat, and moisture can make it soggy. A filling that
is even slightly warm will wilt the pastry and make breaking and tearing
more likely to happen.
To seal in the fillings,
lightly brush egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 - 2 tablespoons water) in
between the sheets just on the edges. You can then twist or fold the ends.
The wash will bake and seal the ends.
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| Sprinkles:
are put in between the layers for a different effect. Examples are sugar
or confectioner's sugar, chopped nuts,
toasted coconut,
bread crumbs, and
ground almonds. |
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Equipment needed:
| One or more packages of frozen phyllo
dough. If you need all the
sheets in one package, buy a second for extra insurance. |
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| Chilled filling and other ingredients
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| Kitchen shears or scissors for
trimming any excess phyllo dough. Be careful when using a sharp knife
because if pulled, it tears the phyllo sheet. I have also successfully
used a pizza cutting wheel when the Phyllo is flat and I am cutting
into strips. |
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| Pastry brush - Use a
soft bristle brush to spread butter over
Phyllo,
not a hard bristle brush. A 1-1/2 - or 2-inch
flat brush is large enough to cover a sheet of dough quickly, but not
too big to use when buttering small pastry shapes. Oil can be sprayed
with a refillable spray bottle. |
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| Ruler to measure the phyllo before
cutting |
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| Light, cotton dish towel for covering
unused phyllo sheets with. |
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| Plastic wrap. Parchment paper, waxed
or aluminum foil -- is the primary tool for rolling when making
fragile strudel. It comes in sheets or rolls about 12–15" wide. Check
the width of the phyllo before buying paper—it should be at least as
wide as the phyllo dough. If you don’t have parchment paper, wide foil
is a distant second choice. It can work in a pinch, but it’s stiffer
and not as helpful in the rolling process.
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| Baking sheets - Like most baked goods,
Phyllo must be baked on a flat surface — I like to use a cookie sheet
(the kind with only one raised side) so I can slide the unbakedand
filled shapes from the counter to the cookie sheet. |
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| Large metal spatula |
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HOW TO WORK WITH PHYLLO
DOUGH WHEN LAYERING: |
 Frozen
phyllo dough must be thawed at least 24 hours before you start the recipe.
For best results, remove the dough, still in its package, from the freezer
and place directly in the refrigerator for 24 hours; do not open the box
because the sheets won't thaw properly. Also, do not thaw
at room temperature because the sheets tend to stick together. If thawed too
quickly or if the sheets are cold when you unfold them, they will crack.
Keep the box because unused phyllo dough can
be refrigerated or refrozen. You can
wrap any leftover phyllo tightly with plastic wrap, place in its original
box and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage of up
to 2 - 4 months, refreeze phyllo. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and
overlay with foil, place in original box. |
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Assemble everything before unwrapping the thawed or fresh phyllo
dough -- have the butter melted and cooled, baking sheets and equipment
ready to use.
When ready to use the phyllo dough, unwrap it from its box
and unfold it carefully.
Take what you need and then some extra; do not separate the sheets when
counting -- just estimate. Phyllo dough dries out quickly and can crack when
exposed to air, which takes only a couple of minutes.
Place immediately onto a
large piece of plastic wrap on a smooth, clean surface.
Cover right away with a large piece of plastic wrap. Place a damp kitchen
towel (wet it, then wring it out)
on top of the plastic. Rewrap the extra dough tightly in
plastic wrap, set it aside until finished. When done, you will return it to
its original box and place in the freezer or refrigerator for longer
storage. |
Layering Phyllo: When brushed with
butter, layered, and baked the sheets become a flaky, delicate and golden
brown pastry.
| How to butter
the phyllo dough layers: Begin buttering the dough in between
each layer or as directed by the recipe. Do not overdo it, since too
much butter yields greasy pastries. To apply: dip a soft pastry brush in
the liquid butter or oil and brush lightly, starting with
the edges first so they won't dry out and crack. Quickly move to the
middle and then work back towards the edges, brushing any part of the
dough that hasn't been previously buttered. |
Traditionally, every phyllo sheet is brushed
with melted butter. One by one, each phyllo sheet is
removed from the stack and placed in a pan or work surface. The removed
sheet must be prepped immediately by
buttering. Then, another one is placed on top and then
buttered, again up to multiple layers depending on the recipe. Always
replace the plastic wrap and towels over the remainder so it won’t dry out.
When removing a phyllo sheet, the
key is to be gentle. If all the sheets seem stuck,
then the dough may have partially defrosted at some point and the dough may
be unusable. A damaged portion can usually be trimmed and discarded. You can
still use the good parts.
After buttering,
place the next sheet on top, using
both hands to hold it.
Immediately butter again. Small wrinkles
and cracks are common. If
the sheets crack, you can always patch and piece phyllo dough on whatever
you're making, but make sure you always butter in between any layer or
patching piece. To prevent weak spots and
further tearing, butter any cracks carefully, and try not to position tears
on top of each other.
Phyllo
recipes sometimes use additional ingredients for texture and taste:
| For sweet recipes, sugar or confectioner's
sugar can be sprinkled over the butter before the next sheet of phyllo is
placed on top. The last sheet can have sugar sprinkled on top of the
butter. The baked phyllo will be sweet and crunchy and will get less soggy
when used with creamy fillings and
fruit compotes. |
| Chopped nuts,
toasted coconut,
bread crumbs, and
ground almonds can be used on top of
the butter in between the layers or just sprinkled on top for additional
flavor and texture. Bread crumbs are good to use to
prevent a too-wet filling from making your Phyllo dish soggy.
Bread crumbs or chopped nuts add more body to strudel
rolls and result in a nicer finished appearance.
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If you are planning to slice the recipe
after baking, score phyllo before putting into oven. This will allow you to
slice through cleanly after baking. Electric knives work wonderfully when
slicing through phyllo, even when they aren't scored before baking. If
making baklava, cut in the traditional triangles before baking or freezing. |
There will be times when your Phyllo
dough does not cooperate. Dough leaves will rip and stick. Edges will
dry out and crumble. Take a deep breath and try these tips.
| Always buy the "freshest" frozen dough possible. If
your grocer does not sell a lot of phyllo dough, you may be buying a
package of dough that has sat in a freezer case for too many months.
Similarly, replace any packages that have sat too long in your own
freezer. |
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| Don't rush the thawing process; phyllo dough is best
thawed in its box, in the refrigerator overnight. |
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| Don’t panic if a sheet tears, splits, or develops a
hole. Trim or patch any bad spots, or cover the damage with another sheet
of dough. Once it’s baked, no one will notice. Phyllo dough can be
forgiving that way. |
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| In a recipe where a smooth outer surface may be
important for cosmetic reasons--such as a strudel or wrapped brie, you may
want to cover the final piece in one perfect, and perfectly buttered,
layer. No need to make the inside layers perfect. |
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| End each recipe with a good coating of oil or butter.
This will prevent drying and ensure a golden crust. |
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| Buy an extra package of dough. It's cheap insurance
against mistakes and torn sheets of dough. Leftovers can be tightly
wrapped and refrozen. |
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HOW TO SERVE A PHYLLO RECIPE:
Almost any Phyllo recipe can be prepared ahead of time and
refrigerated and/or frozen. For best results, bake the Phyllo and optionally
fill before serving to be the freshest, and most flaky.
Do not microwave anything made with
phyllo
dough, as it becomes limp and soggy. Heat and humidity and
the texture of some fillings may cause the phyllo to become soggy if it isn’t
served promptly. Serve baked pastries warm, or at room temperature.
Shaped:
| You can bake Phyllo shapes in advance. Store in an airtight
container until ready to assemble the recipes.
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| Freeze already baked and cooled Phyllo shapes, well wrapped
for at least a month. If you have many, pack in layers, separated by waxed
paper and wrapped tightly. To thaw, place in a 325 degrees F oven until warm.
If they are defrosted, reheat at 350 degrees. |
Shaped and Filled:
| Place the filled pieces on baking sheets sprayed with
nonstick spray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake
for several days, depending on the filling. If the filling is soggy, it is
best baked right away. |
| To refrigerate, wrap well in
plastic wrap or if freezing also place in an airtight freezer bag. Before
baking, filled phyllo
pastry can be frozen for up to one month, depending on the filling,
but allow extra time in the oven.
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| If frozen, to bake, do not
thaw as the filled phyllo
dough will become soggy; simply place in a well preheated oven straight from
the freezer or after filling.
Reheat previously baked dough on a baking sheet
in a 350-degree F oven, until crisp and the filling is warm.
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