Filo dough, also known as phyllo or puff pastry, is a combination of flour, cornstarch, water, and oil used in Greek cuisine for both sweet and savory dishes. It can be challenging to work with, but is readily available in supermarkets and can be frozen for later use.
Filo dough is a type of dough used in many Greek dishes. It can also be called puff pastry, due to its light and fluffy texture, or be spelled phyllo. This dough is a combination of flour, cornstarch, water and oil. Cooks who are good with pastry may find that making this dough may not be much of a challenge, but those who don’t have the time or the “talent” may find it readily available in the freezer or refrigerator sections of must-have supermarkets.
Both sweet and savory are made with phyllo dough in traditional Greek cuisine. It is wrapped in spinach, onions and goat cheese to make spanakopita delicious. The layered dough is used to make baklava, the crunchy desert, made of layers of filo with the addition of honey and walnuts or pine nuts.
Other cultures have embraced thin, flaky dough in their cooking. Today’s streusels are almost always made from layers of this dough and can be used as an exterior for turnovers. The dough is a good substitute for butter or lard crusts for those who are vegan and avoid animal by-products. It is often the preferred choice for topping beef Wellington.
Some cooks feel challenged using even the premade versions of the dough. It has a tendency to dry out very quickly when exposed to air, and when the dough gets too hot, it can be difficult to roll. Most cookbooks suggest that cooks give themselves plenty of space when working in it. A large kitchen table or center island countertop may offer the best chance for success.
When a cook removes a layer of filo pastry for the beginning of layering or filling, the rest of the pastry must be placed back in the refrigerator and reclaimed. A slightly damp cloth should be placed over the exposed dough to prevent it from drying out. Baklava, while it looks intricate, is actually one of the easiest ways to use this product for the first time. The layered dish doesn’t require much work with the dough other than transferring the layers to a baking sheet.
Most filo-based dough is brushed with butter or margarine, although some chefs prefer to use egg whites. This brushing step is again necessary to keep the paste from drying out. When cooked, it puffs up into multiple tiny layers that many people find both attractive and pleasant enough to eat. Once a cook is familiar with this product, there are any number of appetizers, main courses, and desserts to prepare with it.
Because the precooked dough is frozen, it can be used to create frozen dishes that can be kept for a few weeks and cooked only as needed. The ability to freeze dough sometimes depends on the recipe and ingredients used, as extra ingredients may not freeze well. Most traditional offerings, such as spanakopita, freeze well and cook well when needed. By itself, the floss can be stored for up to two months in the freezer, and generally keeps for at least two weeks in the refrigerator.
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