Filo dough (stretched). Making at home. Greek filo dough, what it is, how it is prepared and in what dishes it is used Filo dough recipe with vegetable oil

Filo is one of the most popular products used in traditional Greek, Turkish, Balkan and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is great for preparing both sweet dishes and spicy delicacies. Although the Greeks like to take credit for many culinary inventions, they admit that the recipe for phyllo dough was brought to them from Persia. However, there is no doubt that only in the homeland of Socrates is the full potential of flatbreads made from flour, water and olive oil, enriched with a pinch of salt.

A delicacy from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea

For many centuries, dishes made from this dough were the basis of the Greek diet. It especially helped poor families who ate by stuffing filo with leftovers from other dishes. Today, tasty and aromatic products under the general name “pitas” are one of the main culinary attractions of the Mediterranean countries, especially Greece and Turkey. You can buy them at any local eatery.

The basis of these dishes is still phyllo, although fewer and fewer housewives make it themselves. And many years ago, every woman knew that the dough needed to be rolled out into a large layer - so thin that it had to be covered immediately so that it did not dry out. During work, it was forbidden to have any rings or bracelets on your hands, which would threaten to destroy the delicate structure. Modern Greek and Turkish women, instead of wasting time on the labor-intensive preparation of sheet dough, are increasingly buying ready-made filo, either fresh or frozen. It is also available in some of our stores.

Attention, preservatives!

As mentioned, phyllo dough should be made from wheat flour, water, a little olive oil, a pinch of salt and perhaps a few drops of vinegar or raki, an anise-flavored Turkish vodka. The composition of the finished dough sold in stores, as a rule, includes many more components. These are, in particular, corn starch, emulsifiers (soy lecithin), preservatives (potassium sorbate), as well as acidity regulators (potassium citrate, sodium dioctane). The most controversial is potassium sorbate, which can sometimes cause allergic reactions.

We work with phyllo

Making phyllo yourself is a very difficult task. Therefore, it makes sense to use a ready-made product. However, it is worth choosing the dough more carefully, giving preference to compositions with the least number of components, especially various “amplifiers”.

If it is frozen, it needs to be thawed before cooking, but as gently as possible, for example, by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight. You need to get it out of there an hour before use. Otherwise, it will dry out quickly and be easier to tear.

After defrosting, place the dough on a clean surface and straighten it. Lightly grease each sheet with fat, preferably melted butter or olive oil. Remember that several layers of phyllo are used to prepare dishes.

How to use phyllo?

Filo is an essential component of baklava, a delicious dessert common in traditional Turkish, Armenian, Greek and Balkan cuisine. Pieces of dough are placed in layers of chopped nuts (walnuts or almonds) mixed with honey. The whole thing is fried and cut into diamonds, triangles or squares, and then topped with a glaze or syrup made from water, sugar and lemon juice. At the end, the product is sprinkled with chopped pistachios.

How else can you use phyllo? This dough has a neutral taste, so you can use it for both sweet and savory dishes. Filo is suitable for deep-frying and oven baking. It has proven itself well in various strudels, for example, apple strudel (filled with apples fried with sugar, cinnamon, nuts, raisins and lemon juice) or poppy seed.

Thin dough is also a wonderful base for a variety of pies (called pitas in Greece). Pitas are often stuffed with feta cheese and herbs. Single sheets are cut into squares, the filling is placed in the middle and glued on the sides using a beaten egg. At the end of cooking, you should pierce the dough so that the resulting steam has an outlet, otherwise the products will burst. The filling of such snacks depends on ingenuity. We can fill them with goat cheese and figs, spinach, minced meat or rice with shrimp. In Turkey, börek is considered a favorite delicacy of many - filo baskets are filled with a filling of boiled and chopped potatoes, feta (or yellow) cheese, garlic, onion and parsley.

The Magic Food website collects for you recipes for Greek phyllo dough pies with step-by-step photographs. Our collection is constantly updated.

Those who have been to Greek taverns were probably amazed at how fluffy the sweet pastries and tender dough rolls with different fillings are. It seems that puff pastries are baked here too, but for some reason they do not have such subtlety, airiness and unusual taste. And the whole secret is that special Greek dough is used to prepare the dishes. It is so thin that it was even called Philo (translated from Greek as “leaf”). It is quite simple to prepare, and the dishes turn out delicious! Therefore, the material is dedicated to this culinary feature of Mediterranean cuisine. Let's find out everything about Filo dough: what it is, how it is prepared and in what dishes it can be used. Let's get started!

Filo dough - what is it and what is it eaten with?

The Greeks have many cooking features, and one of them is the Greek Philo dough. In his homeland he is called φύλλο, which in Latin transcription is written as Filo or Phyllo. Sometimes in Cyrillic they use spelling with two letters: Phyllo. Under these names, this Greek product is known throughout the world.

So what is Philo dough and what is it used for? The answers are simple. Filo (Fyllo) is an unleavened dough that is rolled out into thin layers less than 1 mm wide. It is a popular culinary ingredient in the cuisine of the Balkan countries, but it is called differently in each region. In Turkey it is called " Yufka", in Egypt " Gollasch", in Serbia and Montenegro " Kore».

Filo dough is used to prepare flour products: pies, pies, “envelopes”, rolls and cakes. Moreover, the dish does not have to be sweet: seafood, as well as vegetable and meat fillings are added to the dough rolls, thus obtaining delicious snacks. So, if you see a flour puff dish on the tavern menu, Filo dough is probably present in its composition.

Dishes from Filla acquire a ruddy color, an appetizing crunch and a unique taste. The Filo dough itself is low in calories, because... it is fresh and contains a minimal amount of fat. But due to the fact that each layer is soaked in olive or sunflower oil, the calories of Filo dough increase to 441 units per 100 grams of product. Overall, this is relatively little for a standard portion of the dish.

You can create a Mediterranean culinary masterpiece from either store-bought Phyllo or home-cooked Phyllo. We will tell you in detail how to prepare Filo dough at home a little later. As for ready-made layers, buy Filo dough in large supermarkets: the price for 500 grams ranges from 100-150 rubles. The product is often sold frozen, so before use it must be completely defrosted so that the layers become elastic again.

Composition of Filo dough

So, we have learned what Philo dough is, now we will look at how to prepare it. But before we give a detailed recipe for Filo dough for cooking at home, we will briefly describe its composition. So that those who want to purchase a finished product in a store, based on the data presented, choose high-quality products.

So, Phyllo is a yeast-free dough, which includes:

• Flour with a high percentage of gluten content;
• Water;
• Salt;
• Vinegar.

It is also allowed to use a chicken egg, vegetable oil and starch in the preparation.

These are the ingredients included in Filo dough. As you can see, the composition of Phyllo is very simple, but at the same time rich in vitamins. There are vitamins A, E, PP, D and several B vitamins at once. This complex of useful substances helps improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalize peristalsis and increase body tone. Of course, all this is valid provided that the product does not contain harmful concentrates and additives E. Therefore, when purchasing dough in a store, carefully read the composition stated on the label.

And to be sure that the dish is 100% healthy, it is better to cook it yourself. The recipe for making Filo dough at home is not that complicated. Especially if you know the little tricks and nuances of cooking. So, let's reveal all the secrets.

How to make your own phyllo dough - step by step recipe

Baking from Filo dough looks attractive, crunches appetizingly and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. This delicacy is tempting to try, even if you know about Greece only from hearsay and beautiful pictures on the Internet. Well, traveling abroad is not accessible to everyone, but getting acquainted with world cuisine can be done at home. For example, make your own phyllo dough pie or a crispy roll with vegetable filling.

Filo dough

I took the recipe from lillaya on livejournal. Thank you very much for the master class.
Author's text, photos and blue comments are mine

I have two favorite recipes. One is simple, fresh, the second is European, with eggs, for strudel. Choose according to your taste, the cooking technology is the same.

We will need:
cloth tablecloth or large towel
scissors for cutting ready-made dough
butter brush
damp towel to prevent dough from drying out
parchment paper for transferring dough sheets

For unleavened dough: I did this
500 g flour
300 ml water
5 tbsp unscented vegetable oil
1 tsp salt

For European test:
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 yolks
a few drops of vinegar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp salt

Preparation:
So let's get started. Place a pile of sifted flour on the table.
Salt and little by little pour warm water into the well. In the case of European exhaust, add yolks and vinegar to the water. Use your fingers to knead the soft dough.
Gradually add vegetable oil.
Knead soft elastic dough. Important!!! Do not pour out all the flour at once, flour is of different quality and sometimes its quantity may differ from that indicated in the recipe and it may happen that some amount of flour is excess, or vice versa it is not enough. Therefore, make sure that the dough is tender, soft, but does not stick to your hands.
I did it in a food processor and it took about 100 grams more flour.

Now you need to “beat” the dough. To do this, take it in your hands and smack it hard on the table several times.
Wrap it in film and: place fresh phyllo in the refrigerator for 1 hour, leave European phyllo in a warm place for 40 minutes. From this point on, the preparation of these two types of dough is no different.

Now the most difficult and interesting part begins - rolling and stretching. If you don’t succeed the first time, don’t be upset; the second or third time you will definitely succeed.
Roll out the dough into a sausage shape and cut into 12-14 pieces. (I have 24 pieces)
Cover the table with a cloth tablecloth, sprinkle with flour, take a piece of dough and roll it out thinly.
Take the edges and stretch the dough in different directions, turn over. The dough should be thin, the thinner the better.

It is convenient to stretch the dough on the back of your hands, rolling it a little. Sometimes it is hung from the table in different directions, then it stretches itself. (I stretched it in my hands - very quickly and conveniently)
Trim the edges with scissors. (I stretched it into a circle, didn’t need to trim it and used it for baklava - recipe)
Place the finished dough sheets with parchment and cover with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out.
If you are not going to use the dough right away, freeze it. Roll the dough lined with parchment paper, wrap it in film and put it in the freezer. Defrost carefully and for a long time, because under-thawed dough is very brittle.

Filo dough

3/4 tbsp oil (unscented)
1 tbsp hot water
soda on the tip of a knife
1 tbsp vinegar.
enough flour to knead a soft dough that does not stick to your hands. Knead for at least 10 minutes. Cover with a towel and let “rest” for 15-20 minutes (but it seemed to me that it was better after refrigeration)
Roll out the dough on a greased table. butter. The dough is rolled out to the state of parchment paper. Various cheese and minced meat fillings. Since this is more to the East, nuts with honey, you can have a strudel with apples. I made snails with apricot jam

This is another option:
Philo: I read another recipe with the addition of 1 egg.
550g flour
200-230 ml hot water
5 tbsp olive oil (I ended up using 8-10)
a pinch of salt
stir for at least 10 minutes. It is advisable to keep the dough for min. 2 hours, preferably 8 hours in the refrigerator. After refrigeration, “warm” the dough at room temperature for an hour and a half
I didn’t see much difference in working with the dough, but my husband said it was crispier... I didn’t eat it
I made rolls from phyllo dough with fillings: minced meat and grated cheese.
I laid the rolls alternating between meat and cheese (a la bannitsa), and topped everything with beaten egg and cheese. baked in AG at a temperature of 205 for 25-30 minutes




This is a very tasty dough

Filo dough

There are as many filo dough recipes in Greece as there are housewives. This is the recipe I always use for all pies and baklava. The dough turns out elastic, plastic, good and easy to work with. The amount of dough is enough for one pita (baking tray diameter 40-50 cm) or baklava for a baking sheet with a diameter of 30-40 cm. Of course, the quantity of products can be reduced.
Everyone has their own idea of ​​“elastic, plastic dough”. Every time I remember the words of an old woman from one village - “The dough should feel like the breasts of a young woman.”

After reading my books on local Greek cuisines, I want to write about some differences in the preparation of dough in different places in Greece.

Basic recipe for filo dough

4-4.5 cups flour
1 tsp salt (no slide)
1.5 cups warm water (may need more depending on flour)
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 tbsp. good wine vinegar or lemon juice

Sift the flour. In a deep bowl, mix flour and salt, make a well in the middle. Pour water, oil and vinegar (citric acid) into the well. Using a fork, stir the flour into the liquid until a ball begins to form around the fork. Then knead the dough with your hands for about 10 minutes. If necessary, add more flour or water. The dough should become elastic, smooth and plastic. Cover the bowl with the dough with a towel and let it stand, “rest,” for 1 hour or more. After proofing, divide the dough into as many pieces as needed for the pita and begin rolling out. For baklava, I divide it into about 20 balls.
I roll out the dough for baklava as thin as possible so that it “shines through.” And a little secret. I always dry the rolled out dough leaves. Throughout the house, wherever I can (tables, tables, sofa) I cover them with clean sheets and dry the sheets on them. While I’m rolling out the last sheets, the first ones are already dried and ready for assembling the baklava.

Filo dough from the Ionian Islands

All products are the same as in the main recipe, just reduce the amount of water to 1 cup and add half a cup of natural yogurt. Yogurt gives the dough fluffiness.

Filo dough from the region of Roumeli (Central Greece)

The ingredients are the same as in the main recipe. Reduce the water to 1 cup, increase the oil to 1 cup and reduce the amount of vinegar (lemon juice) to 1 tbsp. Increasing the amount of oil gives crispier sheets.

Filo dough from the region of Ipiros (Northern Greece)

The ingredients are the same as in the main recipe. Reduce water to 1 and 1/4 cups and add one beaten medium egg.

I want to tell you how my mother kneads the dough; she is from the same district. Sifts the flour. Mix salt and flour in a bowl. An egg is placed in the hole. After sprinkling water on the flour with one hand, he begins to knead the dough with the other hand. Constantly sprinkling the flour with water, he kneads the dough with the outside of his fist, as if driving water into the flour. Continue kneading the dough, adding water, until the dough becomes elastic and soft. After this, she divides the dough into a “sausage” approximately 2.5 cm thick, and cuts into the number of pieces she needs for the product. Lightly knead, lubricate each part with 1 tsp. oil, cover with a towel and let the dough “rest” for 20-30 minutes.

Filo dough from Crete.

Most housewives on the island of Crete add 1 tsp. dry yeast when mixing flour with salt. Also reduce the water to 1 cup and increase the oil to half a cup. They also add 3 tbsp. local grape vodka - raki, without anise flavor and 3 tbsp. lemon juice (not vinegar!). This dough makes very good fried bread.

There is also Macedonian filo. Very similar to puff pastry. But when preparing it, they use melted butter, not cold. And the way of preparing it is very characteristic.

Making phyllo dough at home is very difficult, so think a thousand times before you try it. Today it can easily be purchased frozen in a store. If you are still a very persistent person, with extensive experience working with dough and have a lot of patience, then why not try it.

When I took up the dough for the first time, I only had enough to roll out half a portion and I lost the desire to repeat it again, but over time, interest won out and my hand became more confident.

I usually make baklava from phyllo, but I also want to try baked goods with meat fillings or just tartlets, I think it should be very tasty. Strudel is made from a similar dough, only using a different technology, not by rolling it out, but by stretching it on a large table.

Ingredients:

Mix everything except starch.

I used a food processor with a dough attachment.

The dough should be smooth and soft enough, but at the same time it should not stick to your hands. We press the dough against the table for a few minutes, this will give it plasticity. Next, cover it with film and put it in the cold for 30 minutes.

Then cut 3 small pieces from the dough and roll each into a small circle, so that the dough does not stick, sprinkle the surface with starch. Lightly dust the rolled out circles with starch and stack them on top of each other.

We roll out three layers at once, all the time making sure that the layers do not stick together, sprinkling them with starch. Cover the dough with a towel and let rest for a few minutes.

Then we start rolling again until the layers are transparent. The thinner the sheets, the tastier the baked goods. With this method of rolling, in several layers, you can achieve the best result. We proceed with the remaining dough according to the same scheme. I ended up with about 30 sheets of fairly large diameter.

When working with phyllo dough, you should always remember that it dries very quickly in the open air, so you need to do everything quickly, cover with film the part that you are not currently working with, cover the finished sheets with a towel or put them in a closed container.

Fresh and very thin filo dough is very popular in Mediterranean countries. In Greek, the word phyllon means “leaf” (the name “phyllo” is also found). Indeed, the layers of this dough are so thin that they resemble a sheet of paper; they are almost transparent. In Russia, the dough, which is much thinner than ordinary puff pastry, is simply called stretch dough. It can often be seen on supermarket shelves - it is sold frozen, in layers of 10 layers. By the way, this dough loves to be frozen, so it can be made in advance and stored in the freezer for 6 months. Filo is used to make both sweet and savory pastries - strudels, baklava, all kinds of rolls and pies.

Of course, in order to make elastic, plastic phyllo dough at home that will be pleasant to work with, you will have to try. They say that in Greece every housewife has her own secret for making phyllo dough. And yet there is a basic recipe and basic rules for “handling” this difficult dough. So, you will need: 2 cups of flour, 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil (odorless), 3 yolks, 1 glass of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of apple or wine vinegar. Make a mound of sifted flour on the table and add salt. Add yolks and vinegar to warm water, pour little by little into the well, kneading the dough with your fingers. Gradually add vegetable oil, adding flour. Do not pour out all the flour at once! Some amount of flour may be unnecessary, or, on the contrary, you will have to add a little.

When kneading the dough, you need to make sure that it is tender, soft and does not stick to your hands. Some chefs recommend “beating” the resulting dough ball on the table. Then the dough needs to be wrapped in cling film and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour (although some housewives allow the dough to “distance” in the warmth). After removing the dough from the refrigerator, it must be allowed to “warm up”. Then roll it out into a sausage shape and cut it into pieces, you will get about two dozen of them. Before rolling out the dough, it is recommended to cover the table surface with a cloth tablecloth and sprinkle it with flour. It is easier to work with dough on fabric. First you need to roll out a piece of dough with a rolling pin, trying to make all movements in one direction - from the center to the edges. After dusting the dough with flour, turn it over to the other side and roll out again until the dough becomes thin and can begin to be stretched. To do this, transfer the sheet to the back of your hands and stretch it by the edges, spreading your arms to the sides, or you can hold one edge of the sheet on the table, and stretch the other - the one that will hang down. The sheets can be round, square, uneven, but they can always be cut with scissors to fit the size of the mold or baking sheet. Finished sheets of phyllo dough, lined with parchment, should be covered with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. When making pies and laying out layers of phyllo sheets, be sure to lightly brush each layer with melted butter using a pastry brush. Filo pies are baked at a temperature of about 200 degrees for no more than 30 minutes.

Adviсe!

If there is any dough left, you can roll it up, wrap it in film and put it in the freezer.

It takes quite a long time to defrost phyllo because not completely defrosted dough is very brittle.

Filo dough should not be frozen twice. You can store unused defrosted dough in the refrigerator for two days.