Friend Your Fillo
This week’s blog is all about how to work with fillo (phyllo) dough, with shortcuts and tips that will make your experience a welcoming one.This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship! First, lets get acquainted with the vast array of fillo-dough products out there so you can simplify your choices and get cooking. The four major fillo brands are Kontos,Athens, Apollo, and The Fillo Factory. (Click on the links here to learn more, and in our Sources section at the end of this blog to find out where you can purchase in your area orto order online. Keep in mind that fillo dough is perishable, so you want to buy it fresh, if at all possible.)
A Numbers Game Following is a fillo breakdown, including descriptions, uses, sizes, and baking results for each.
Our personal favorite, Kontos—a brand that found its start in 1949 when Evripides Kontos developed the first phyllo-producing machine—offers the widest range of phyllo-sheet products from the thinnest and flakiest #4 to the thickest and most sturdy country-style #10, including #5 phyllo that is not commonly available from other phyllo brands. The #5 is a bit thicker than the #4, making it easier to handle, but still resulting in a flakey pastry. The flavor and texture of this phyllo are noticeably fresh, which translates to easy-to-work-with and a baked product that complements any filling. Also highly rated are their hand-stretched flatbread (pita) varieties. kontos.com Flawless Fillo: Fold but don’t spindle or mutilate! 1. Buy it refrigerated and use within a couple of days or buy it frozen and keep it frozen until you're ready to use it! The freezer can dry out fillo if thawed and refrozen. We know the package instructions say you can freeze it but trust us, once you do after it's been thawed, it could crack and fall apart on you as soon as you unwrap it. Adding insult to injury, on their journey to your counter, some fillo products are frozen, thawed, and refrozen. A nightmare even for an experienced baker! Can you tell we’ve been there, done that? 2. Buy it fresh! Get your fillo a couple of days before you're going to use it so it's the freshest and most pliable. Shop at a market that has quick turnover when it comes to fillo. If fillo sits in the refrigerator too long it will dry out around the edges and mold in the center. For this reason, some markets sneak refrigerated fillo back into the freezer if it's not selling. How can you avoid being on the buying end of refrozen-fillo? Unless someone tips you off, you can’t. You’ll buy it, figure out what happened…and then NEVER buy fillo at that market again. Plus, you’ll be running out at the 11th hour to get fillo somewhere else. We’ve gone down that road and learned by trial and error where the good stuff is sold—you will too! Ask the store manager if their fillo has been refrozen. If it’s a good store, they’ll hopefully be honest with you, though they can’t really vouch for how the fillo was stored before they received it. Greek/Mediterranean shops sell items like fillo quickly, so you can rely on the freshness of the product, especially if they always have a good crowd of people shopping there. Some supermarkets also carry a fresh supply, so you might have luck there as well. 3. Bring the unopened package of fillo to room temperature before using, about ½ to 1 hour for sheets, 2 hours for kataifi. Cold fillo will not be flexible and will crack so this is really important! Prebaked shells can be used right from the freezer. 4. Prepare your filling while you’re waiting for the fillo to come to room temperature. Melt your butter or heat your olive oil, and have your utensils ready: a baking pan/tray, a sharp-tip knife, a natural-bristle pastry brush(don’t use silicone-it will stick and tear the fillo)—a large brush for pan-sized pies or a small one for individual items. Clean and thoroughly dry your work surface. Have a kitchen towel and/or plastic wrap ready to use (see #5). 5. Work quickly: Fillo dries out in seconds. Seriously, seconds! So it’s important to have everything you need lined up and ready to go. If you’re prepared, you’re halfway there! This is super important: After it comes to room-temperature, take the fillo out of the package and unroll it on a clean, DRY work surface (make sure it’s completely dry or the fillo will stick to it…and it won’t be pretty!). Immediately place a damp (not wet) kitchen towel over the fillo, covering it completely. Don't use a paper towel as it could stick to the fillo and come apart (again, not pretty!). You can also cover the fillo with plastic wrap and a towel (to weigh down the plastic wrap). This will keep most of the air out and will prevent the fillo from drying/cracking so it will remain pliable.
TIP: Be careful not to tear the sheets when you're working. If the tear is obvious, overlap the torn fillo edges if you can, or cover the tear with a strip of fillo, always brushing butter or oil between each sheet. Keep in mind that once fillo sheets are joined with butter or oil, they're pretty much glued, so if you need to separate them to repair a tear and they won't budge, leave them alone before it becomes a bigger mess. The best thing to do is brush the torn sheet with butter/oil and cover with another sheet. No one will notice if the top sheet looks good.
7. BEST. Tip. Ever! If you’re not fast with a brush, or have always had a problem with fillo tearing on you, this tip is custom-made for you. Use olive oil in a spray can. You can find it at most markets or you can buy a refillable bottle (likeMisto)and fill it up with your favorite olive oil. Lightly spray the oil directly on the fillo wherever the instructions call for brushing. It’s super fast so fillo doesn’t have time to dry out.Brushing is best since you have more control over how much butter/oil is applied, but, if you need an easier option, this is the next best thing! Ready, Set, GO! Sign up for oure-newsletter(if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news. Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday! Until then~ Kelly
SOURCES (TO PURCHASE) IN ASTORIA, NY Mediterranean Foods (2 locations) Copyright ©2018 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking! Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos Kris Wetherbee 5/22/2013 12:09:56 am Great information and terrific tips presented in a way that even a fillo newbie like me can understand! Reply mary k. 5/27/2013 06:49:04 am Bravo I am greek and loved everything , well written keep up this great work. Can not wait to read next week. Again praises to the writer. Get tis cookbook out fast. Reply Paula 4/13/2014 07:40:45 pm Hello! I am not Greek but I lived in Cyprus for sometime and love to try and make authentic Greek dishes at home. I made some tyropitakia at the weekend, but I find my parcels tend to burst or crack during cooking. Do you have any tips for this please. I've been told it's because of steam in the parcel not being able to escape but I'm not sure how to stop the problem. Thank you! Reply Hi Paula, Love that you’re cooking Greek! Here are a couple of tips for you. Sometimes a couple of tyropitakia will burst, which is okay, but most should not. You’re probably wrapping the tyropitakia too tightly and as they bake the cheese has nowhere to go but out. As you roll them, leave a little space while gently pressing out any air. Does this sound like what you might be doing? Let me know if this helps and if not we’ll try another method. Good luck! Reply Paula 4/15/2014 04:37:41 pm Thank you Kelly. Sounds like that could be the problem. I'll give them another go! Reply Sapna 11/12/2014 03:03:03 pm Great information.. Good for the first timers like me in working with fillo dough ... I have been looking for the recipe of rose shaped baklava ..but unable to have online...baklava instead of regular shape look like a rose shape when it is done baking .. I don't know how to fold them in rose shape.. If you know how to fold them than can you please share with us.. Would really be thankful.. Reply 11/13/2014 12:13:33 pm Hi Sapna, The baklava you're referring to is Karpathian Baklava. The dough is homemade and there's an involved technique to rolling and cooking it. We'll have detailed info in our upcoming cookbook so if you're signed up with us (on our Contact Us page) you'll receive news about the cookbook and everything Kukla's Kouzina. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Reply MESHACKSMOMlink 9/15/2015 04:51:16 pm R YOU ALL STILL ON THIS WEB SITE? I JUST FOUND THIS AND IT IS GREAT!I WANTED TO KNOW, MY BROTHER SAYS THAT THEY MAKE FILO ALREADY BUTTERED,DO YOU KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE AND WERE CAN YOU BUY IT.THANKS,MARIA Reply 9/20/2015 03:39:06 pm Hi Maria, yes, we're here and very active! We're glad you're enjoying our site. We have not heard of pre-buttered phyllo nor does it seem possible because the butter acts as a glue and once you brush it on you have to use it otherwise it will tear/get hard. You CAN buy homemade phyllo dough (sfoliata) that is thick like puff pastry and has butter in it. You use just one sheet on the bottom of your pie and one on top, rolling it out to make it thinner, if desired. This is a lovely substitute for the thin sheets if you have a hard time using them. Maybe that's what your brother heard of. You can find this pastry in Greek/mediterranean markets. A good substitute is Dufour pastry available in gourmet/specialty shops. I hope this helps! :-) Reply 11/16/2015 07:07:05 am Great post Kelly, I love phyllo as it is very versatile, I can make it myself now but I almost always use the ready made sheets as it is quicker and easier. Thanks a lot for you post and all the suggestions. It's very inspiring! Reply 12/11/2016 04:28:01 pm Thanks so much for your lovely comments! We love homemade too but sometimes, like you, there just isn't enough time. I hope we keep inspiring you to make delicious food! Reply Lena 5/12/2016 09:41:10 am Hello, you seem like a pro with fillo dough, so I hope you will be able to respond to this message. If I am making meat and spinach fillo dough pastries, is it possible for me to cook this one day in advance and keep it in an air-tight container to retain the crispness? I'm concerned that since I'm using meat, the food might 'go bad'? If it is necessary I cook the day of, I can. I just wanted to lessen stress for a graduation party I'm having. Thanks! Lena Reply 5/14/2016 09:30:13 am Hi Lena, you can bake the fillo pastries ahead and refrigerate them up to 2 days. You can also make them ahead, without baking, and freeze them in an airtight container, separating the layers with waxed paper, up to 1 month. When you're ready to serve--do not thaw the pastries--bake the frozen pastries until golden brown. Kali orexi! ~Kelly Reply Shari Buus 12/5/2016 12:12:33 pm Your phillo dough is the best. The Athens brand does not even compare to yours. I live in zip code 56129 and shop a lot in sioux falls,, south dakota. can you give me a name of a store that would carrry your brand, I normally get it in wis, when we go to visit our son and family but I am out and not going to get that way before Christmas. Any help you could give me would be appreciated! Thanks.I only want thew Kukla brand, not Athens. Reply 12/11/2016 03:01:40 pm Our favorite phyllo is Kontos brand but we don't make it. You can call Kontos and ask them where you can find it in your area. Their number is: 973.278.2800 and their website is www.kontos.com. Kali orexi! Reply DawnD 7/7/2017 03:51:21 pm Kelly, I just found your blog. Great article on filo dough. I never knew that about the numbers designating thickness. Never even knew there were different thickness of filo to begin with. I'll have to pay attention the next time I need to use it. Question: I've made baklava a bunch of times, but have stayed away from savory pies. I don't like the way the crust crumbles and leaves you looking like the filo exploded all over you when you eat it. Would using a #10 thickness help take care of this so the crust holds together better? Should you use extra butter over the pie before baking? Is there some other technique to know about? Usually for spanakopita I make my own faux puff pastry, but that can be a problem depending on the weather, and sometimes it might be nice to use something else for a change. Anyway, thanks for the great info. Reply 7/7/2017 07:01:22 pm Hi Dawn~Thanks for the kind words! So glad you enjoyed the article. Reply Mark Zigoris 8/31/2017 06:58:43 am I find it difficult to find #7 phyllo as most of our stores carry only the Athens brand with no number. What is the thickness rating on this? Reply 8/31/2017 06:36:48 pm Hi Mark- Athens brand sells the most common all-purpose fillo, which is #4. Number 7 is thicker and easier to work with than #4. You can purchase #7 online from the Fillo Factory: https://www.fillofactory.com/fillo-dough-RF7-p/rf-7.htm. They have a number of fillo products, including organic. Parthenon Foods sells #7 Apollo brand (sister to Athens) online: https://www.parthenonfoods.com/products/apollo-fillo-dough-7-1lb?variant=20465323911. I hope this helps! Reply Pam Smith 11/26/2018 11:45:47 am Great info!!!! Everything I ever needed to know about fillo is here! You have answered a number of questions I've had over the years trying to work with fillo. And now I know which kind of fillo to buy for the specific recipe I'm making. Yay! Kelly this is really a very thorough and informative and well written article. Thanks so much! Pam Reply 11/26/2018 02:19:34 pm Pam, thank you for the glowing review! So happy this blog was helpful to you. We have even more info about fillo in our Meze cookbook, as well as recipes using it. Bake in good health! Kelly Reply 12/6/2018 09:34:14 am Phyllo can be tricky, but it doesn't take long before getting used to it. Each delicious recipe has a unique way of dealing with the phyllo, but it's worth it to use it because good phyllo makes all the difference! Reply 12/9/2018 11:18:37 am We agree! Fresh is key when working with phyllo and we found Kontos to be exceptional in freshness and quality. Reply 12/11/2018 09:37:15 am Working with fresh phyllo can be tricky, but it's definitely worth it! If you can make it from scratch it's even better, too. Reply Rebecca M Hendricks 9/17/2021 01:57:41 pm I tried using spray oil. I thought it would allow me to cut down on how much oil I was using (I have been making my own baklava for... holy cow, over 20 years now). It was fun BUT there's a lot of overspray. Like, if you have a fabulous outdoor kitchen that gets washed down with the next rain, this is a great option. Otherwise, wow, there's just a bit of oil everywhere. Instead, I use a silicone brush. I have gradually learned to not just spatter it all over the place, and over time the amount I wind up using has decreased. I use light olive oil for baklava, regular for spanakopita and tiropita. Just takes a little practice. Reply 10/5/2021 06:21:41 am Rebecca, we recommend using a refillable spray bottle (like Misto) filled with olive oil. It's neat and doesn't create a wide-reaching spray, so it's easy to control and doesn't make a mess. For our own use, it's always a brush, as we're have experience with phyllo, but we give the spray option for those who have a hard time working with it. Practice, as you said, does make perfect! Reply Rebecca M Hendricks 9/17/2021 02:00:55 pm Oooh, separate comment: One thing about Athens brand, which is commonly available in the U.S. South, is that a package of #4 comes in two rolls. This is handy if you are new to using filo or, like me, like an intermission for a gulp of beer. I have never found covering filo while I work to be useful, so instead, I just dive in and keep moving until the first roll is gone. Then I make sure the layer I stop at (this is with baklava) is well-oiled, and I can take a little break, stretch, have a beer or a glass of wine... and then open the second roll of dough. Very handy. I have not checked to see if this is among the options with Kontos, but we have a huge Greek community here so I can head up there and find out. :) Thank you for your EXCELLENT INFORMATION! My husband and I were unsure about the different sizes until now. Reply 10/5/2021 06:25:51 am Here are the varieties of phyllo from Kontos: https://kontos.com/product-category/retail/fillo-dough-retail/ Reply Your comment will be posted after it is approved. |
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FAQs
Fillo (phyllo)~Learn how to work with it and bake beautifully? ›
Two basic rules: Sheets of fillo should not be touching unless they have butter/oil between them, and the outer layer must be brushed completely. After you've added your filling (b), follow the recipe directions for the number of fillo sheets to use on top, brushing each layer with butter/oil.
What goes between each layer of fillo dough? ›Tip #2: Add Butter or Oil for Flaky Phyllo Layers
To get that flaky effect, you need to brush some sort of fat between each layer of dough. Usually I use unsalted butter, which gives the finished product a beautiful golden color.
The magic of phyllo sheets comes in the layering. You'll brush oil or melted butter between each layer of phyllo. I'm using olive oil for this spinach pie. Oil the dish, add a sheet of phyllo, brush with oil, top with another phyllo sheet and repeat.
Do you brush filo with butter or oil? ›Brush your filo layers with butter
of butter, so prepare, cook, and melt a good measure before brushing. And butter comes in handy too if your filo starts breaking a little.
One sheet has under 50 calories and one gram of fat. But if you slather it with butter or oil, obviously the calorie and fat counts can soar. Brushing it with egg white, instead, is a simple way to make the dough flaky without using the added fat. If you have never worked with phyllo before, don't be intimidated.
How many sheets of phyllo dough should I use? ›Typically, phyllo dishes should have a finished thickness of 3 to 10 sheets per layer. (A one-pound box of phyllo contains about 20 sheets.) Tip: Phyllo pastries can often be very brittle when baked. We recommend using a serrated knife to cut the finished dish to prevent all of the filling from squishing out.
Is Fillo dough the same as phyllo dough? ›Phyllo consists of tissue-thin sheets of dough. Phyllo, also spelled filo or fillo, means "leaf" in Greek, and the pastry dough is widely used in the Balkans and Middle East.
Do you butter both sides of filo pastry? ›It dries out very quickly, so it is usually brushed with a fat before cooking. For the Om Ali the filo is brushed with melted butter and then put on a baking sheet and cooked in the oven until golden and crisp. The pastry is very thin and doesn't necessarily need fat to be brushed onto both sides.
How to bake with phyllo dough? ›Bake phyllo pies and pastries at approximately 350 F / 175 C on the rack just below the middle of the oven. Defrost properly following package and/or recipe directions. While working, keep unused phyllo covered to prevent drying. Don't throw out damaged, torn, or unused phyllo!
Why do you put vinegar in phyllo dough? ›There are two key elements to promoting the extensibility necessary in the dough: adding vinegar to the dough, which weakens some of the gluten bonding, making it less elastic; and ample resting. Of course, it takes practice, just like working with any kind of dough.
Should I put phyllo in the fridge? ›
Store unopened Athens® Phyllo Dough in the refrigerator instead of the freezer for up to 4 weeks thus it can be on hand and ready to use whenever needed. – Wrap any leftover phyllo tightly with plastic wrap and keep in a cooler for up to 1 week. – For longer storage, refreeze phyllo.
Why is my filo pastry soggy? ›Heat, humidity and some fillings may cause phyllo to become soggy. Serve baked pastries and pies warm or at room temperature.
Why is my phyllo dough breaking? ›Defrost Properly
You can't rush this part. Refrigerate frozen phyllo for about 8 hours or overnight to allow it to thaw, then leave it at room temp for another hour or two until all the sheets are pliable. Jumping the gun will lead to cracks, which just won't do.
Filo pastry dries out and cracks very quickly when it comes in contact with air.
How many sheets of phyllo dough do you use? ›Typically, phyllo dishes should have a finished thickness of 3 to 10 sheets per layer. (A one-pound box of phyllo contains about 20 sheets.) Tip: Phyllo pastries can often be very brittle when baked. We recommend using a serrated knife to cut the finished dish to prevent all of the filling from squishing out.
Do you have to cook filo pastry straight away? ›Good to know:
Filo pastry can be bought frozen (defrost for ~ 1 hr before use) or in the fridge section, ready to be used straight away. It's super thin and can dry easily once it's removed from it's packaging, so work quickly or use a damp kitchen towel to keep it covered and supple.
It needs to be blind baked first. Press the dough into your pie plate & poke a few fork holes in the bottom. Then cover it with aluminum foil and pour pie weights or dried beans on top, to keep the pastry from rising.