Phyllo dough is an integral part of Greek cuisine but it is also commonly used in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine. It is also referred to as Phyllo, filo or fillo dough. In Greek cuisine, phyllo means leaf-like and this is an apt word to describe the pastry that is prepared from the dough. Thin paper-like leafy sheets are sandwiched together and they puff up during the cooking process to resemble the thickly compressed pages in a book.
History of Phyllo Dough
Phyllo dough has a very ancient history. According to historians, the very first recorded versions of phyllo dough are in Turkish cuisine. However, it is possible that the dough was prepared even earlier during the 8th century BC by the Assyrians. The Assyrians were the first to use rolled out bread dough to form thin sheets. These thin sheets where then layered with nuts and honey and baked to from a crunchy pastry. Over the years, the same paper like thin sheets of dough were adapted into Turkish cuisine. During the 11th century, very early form of phyllo was popular in Central Asia and it is mentioned in the Diwan Lughat al-Turk, a Turkish dictionary. In Turkey, the dough was referred to as yufka or thin dough. The dough was further adapted by the royal chefs of the Topkapı Palace to form the modern paper thin sheets that are used in nowadays in Greek and Turkish cuisine.
How to Make Phyllo Dough?
Phyllo dough is prepared with white flour, salt, water, and vegetable oil. Optional ingredients like cider vinegar, raki, white vinegar, egg yolks etc may be added if required. Traditionally, the flour and salt is sifted. The water, oil and vinegar is added to the flour and mixed on low speed to get soft dough. The dough has to be rested for 2 hours or more to get the right consistency. After resting, the dough ball is kneaded and rolled out on a working surface that a table that the person can walk around. The dough ball is rolled out and then spread out with hands and with gravity to make a sheet that is as transparent as a tissue. When using the dough sheet, it is brushed over with butter and layered one over the other to make a multilayered pastry shell. Multiple sheets of phyllo may also be layered on top of each other to create shells or baskets into which the filling is placed.
Popular Phyllo Dough-Based Recipes
Nutritive Value of Packaged Phyllo Dough
Three sheets of phyllo pastry that measure about 12 x 17-inches contain about 180 calories. The total fat content is 1gm, the total sodium content is 300mg, the carbohydrate content is 35gms, the dietary fiber content is 1 gm and sugar content is 1 gm. The dough also contains trace amount of Vitamin A and Vitamin C
Phyllo Dough Buying/Storing Tips
Phyllo dough is sold in frozen form at large food stores. The dough is usually packaged in the form of a 1-pound package that contains 20 sheets of dough. Popular brands include companies like Athens, Apollo, and Pepperidge Farms etc. The size of the sheets may vary and the sheets have to be cut to fit the pans. Fresh phyllo dough is also sold at local Greek, Middle Eastern and Turkish stores. Fresh dough is far better than the frozen variety as it is much more flexible with a supple texture. It is also easier to handle and use. Fresh phyllo dough can be ordered at local stores or through online specialty websites. Fresh phyllo dough must be used right away but it can be stored by wrapping with foil paper or plastic wrap and a damp towel. Frozen phyllo dough can be used indefinitely.
Phyllo dough, used for making pastries in the Balkan and Middle Eastern cuisines, is made my kneading a mixture of flour, white vinegar (called ‘raki’), oil and water. This unleavened dough is also referred to as Phyllo, filo or fillo dough. In the Greek cuisine, phyllo means leaf-like and this is an apt word to describe the pastry that is prepared from the dough. Thin paper-like leafy sheets are sandwiched together and they puff up during the cooking process to resemble the thickly compressed pages of a book.
History of Phyllo Dough
Phyllo dough has a very ancient history. According to the historians, the very first recorded versions of phyllo dough belong to the Turkish cuisine. However, it is possible that the dough was prepared even earlier, i.e. during the 8th century BC, by the Assyrians. The Assyrians were the first to use rolled out bread dough to form thin sheets. These thin sheets where then layered with nuts and honey and baked to from a crunchy pastry. Over the years, the same paper like thin sheets of dough has been used by the Turkish cuisine. During the 11th century, very early form of phyllo was popular in Central Asia and it is mentioned in the Diwan Lughat al-Turk, a Turkish dictionary. In Turkey, the dough was referred to as yufka or thin dough. The dough was further adapted by the royal chefs of the Topkapı Palace to form the modern paper thin sheets. These are used nowadays, in the Greek and Turkish cuisines.
How to Make Phyllo Dough?
Phyllo dough is prepared with white flour, salt, water, and vegetable oil. Optional ingredients like cider vinegar, raki or white vinegar andegg yolks etc may be added, if required. Traditionally, the flour and salt mixture issifted. The water, oil and vinegar is added to the flour and mixed on low speed to get a soft dough. The dough has to be rested for 2 hours or more to get the right consistency. After resting, the dough ball is kneaded and rolled out on a working surface like a table, around which the pastry maker can move with ease. The dough ball is rolled out and then spread out with hands, with the help of gravity, to make a sheet that is as transparent as a tissue. When using the dough sheet, it is brushed over with butter and layered one over the other to make a multilayered pastry shell. Multiple sheets of phyllo may also be layered on top of each other to create shells or baskets into which the filling is placed.
Popular Phyllo Dough-Based Recipes
Nutritive Value of Packaged Phyllo Dough
Three sheets of phyllo pastry that measure about 12 x 17-inches contain about 180 calories. The total fat content is 1gm, the total sodium content is 300mg, the carbohydrate content is 35gms, the dietary fiber content is 1 gm and sugar content is 1 gm. The dough also contains trace amount of Vitamin A and Vitamin C
Phyllo Dough Buying/Storing Tips
Phyllo dough is sold in frozen form at large food stores. The dough is usually packaged in the form of a 1-pound package that contains 20 sheets of dough. Popular brands include companies like Athens, Apollo, and Pepperidge Farms etc. The size of the sheets may vary and the sheets have to be cut to fit the pans. Fresh phyllo dough is also sold at local Greek, Middle Eastern and Turkish stores. Fresh dough is far better than the frozen variety as it is much more flexible with a supple texture. It is also easier to handle and use. Fresh phyllo dough can be ordered at local stores or through online specialty websites. Fresh phyllo dough must be used right away but it can be stored by wrapping with foil paper or plastic wrap and a damp towel. Frozen phyllo dough can be used indefinitely.