Fillo pastry (or phyllo) is a type of crisp, thin puff pastry. The Greek word phyllo means "leaf". It is an excellent base for savory preparations, for Greek cheese pies, samosas and even spring rolls. You can buy it ready-made, but it is much more fun to prepare it from scratch, even if it takes some time.
Ingrediants
- 270 g of flour 0.
- 1, 5 g of salt.
- 210 ml of water.
- 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in addition to what you will need to grease the pasta.
- 5 ml of cider vinegar.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prepare the Pasta
Step 1. In a planetary mixer, combine the flour with the salt and mix them to mix them on a minimum speed
If possible, use the spatula accessory.
Step 2. In a separate container, combine the water, oil and vinegar
Don't worry if they don't mix together, then pour them into the flour, continuing to work everything at low speed and with the spatula accessory.
Step 3. Let the mixer work the pasta for about a minute, until the consistency becomes soft
Stir enough to mix the ingredients; if the mixture seems dry, add more water.
Step 4. Change the planetary accessory and put on the hook
Work the dough for another 10 minutes. The hook allows you to work the dough as your hands would do, a fundamental operation for phyllo dough which must be elastic.
If you don't have a planetary mixer and want to knead by hand, know that about 20 minutes of hard work await you
Step 5. Remove the dough from the robot and continue to knead by hand for another 2 minutes
Lift the dough and throw it on the work surface several times to remove the air trapped inside.
Step 6. Use a teaspoon of olive oil (or another type of vegetable oil) to grease the whole dough
Once this is done, place it in a medium-sized bowl and seal it with cling film. Wait at least half an hour (preferably 2 hours) for the pasta to rest and stabilize. The longer you wait, the better the result (i.e. the dough will be easier to work with).
Part 2 of 2: Roll out the dough
Step 1. Divide the dough into more or less equal portions
With the quantities specified in this recipe you should be able to get about 6-10 balls of dough. The bigger the ball, the wider the sheet will be, once you have spread it out.
As you flatten a ball of dough, remember to keep the other balls covered so they don't dry out in the meantime
Step 2. Work each ball with a rolling pin or thin wooden stick
The latter is more suitable for phyllo dough because its thin profile makes operations very simple, it is also very long and allows you to work very large sheets of dough in one go. For the first few centimeters, roll out the dough as you would a pizza, keeping the circular shape.
While you work, use plenty of flour or corn starch to prevent the dough from sticking. Don't worry, you will not incorporate the flour into the dough
Step 3. Continue flattening by wrapping the dough around the wooden stick and rolling the latter back and forth
Place the rolling pin / stick lightly over the bottom of the dough. Wrap it around the stick so that it covers it entirely. With both hands, roll the stick to thin the dough.
Step 4. Remove the dough from the rolling pin / stick by moving it towards you
Rotate the dough 90 °, lightly flour it and repeat the process.
Step 5. Continue with this operation until the paste becomes thin enough to be translucent
Step 6. Grab the sheet of dough with your hands and gently iron it to thin it even more
Make a movement similar to the one you do with pizza, remember to rotate the dough.
- This is a very difficult step, but not impossible. By doing this, you make the sheet as thin as possible that a beginner pastry chef can make and with a little effort you may be able to reach the thickness of the industrial ones prepared with specific machinery.
- It could happen that the dough tears or even tears in half. Don't worry, if the final (top) sheet is flawless, diners won't notice the small flaws in the bottom layers.
Step 7. Stack the sheets one on top of the other and all over a well floured baking sheet
If you want the filo pastry to be very crunchy, consider brushing it with oil or melted butter between one layer and the other. If, on the other hand, you prefer a more "rubbery" result, leave it as it is.
Step 8. Repeat the whole process until you have created 7-10 layers
You can increase them by cutting the sheets and placing one half on top of the other. You can store the pasta in the freezer for future cooking.
Step 9. Enjoy your meal
You can use phyllo dough to make a spanakopita, baklava or even an apple pie, substituting it for shortcrust pastry.
Advice
- While cooking, brush the dough with melted butter to keep it crisp.
- It is an excellent base for various preparations of Greek, Eastern European and Middle Eastern cuisine (especially baklava).
