Homemade Phyllo Or Filo Dough Food

HOMEMADE PHYLLO PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl and add the water with oil.
• Stir until forms soft dough, then knead in the bowl about 10 minutes.
• Dough will feel sticky at first, but kneading, it should develop into a dough that becomes smooth and satiny.
• When well mixed and smooth, wrap pastry in plastic wrap and leave it to rest at room temperature about one hour.
• If not all the dough is being used right away, wrap the unused portion and keep chilled in fridge up to a week.
• Always bring to room temp before using.
• Divide the pastry into 12 equal portions, shaping them into smooth balls.
• Cover with a cloth, except the one you're working with.
• Take a ball of dough, and shape it into a square.
• Place it on a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 6 inch square using rolling pin.
• Dust again with flour.
• Take the dowel, and place on one end of the pastry, and roll neatly onto the dowel, pressing firmly as you do so.
• Keep hands on each side of the pastry.
• Unroll the pastry and dust the work surface and pastry with a little flour, and roll up again from opposite side as before, exerting pressure as you go.
• Unroll carefully.
• After second rolling, the pastry should be about 10x12 inches.
• Using the back of your hands, place them under the pastry and stretch gently, moving hands to keep it even, working toward the edges.
• The edges can be given a final stretch with the fingertips.
• You should wind up with a pastry that's 14x18 inches in size.
• Place on a cloth, cover with wax paper and fold the cloth over the top.
• Repeat the above process with remaining dough balls, laying each on top of the previous one with wax paper between them.
• Use soon after making as they'll go sour if you keep them too long.
• If desired, you can roll them out more thinly.
• Repeating the dowel rolling process more will result in a thinner square each time.
• Phyllo can be used like a puff pastry when thicker, or it's wonderful in baklawa, lamb pastries, or many other mid eastern sweets when rolled very thin.
• In Greece, they'll often use phyllo as a crust for certain types of pies, such as spinach.

HOMEMADE PHYLLO (OR FILO) DOUGH

Steps:

• Place 2 cups flour in a mixing bowl; make a well in the center. Drizzle in olive oil and add salt; add white wine vinegar and warm water. Mix until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer dough ball to a lightly floured work surface.
• Knead until dough is smooth, using just enough flour to keep it from sticking to the work surface or your hands, 2 or 3 minutes. Continue to knead until dough is supple and elastic, about 5 more minutes. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 20 (20 gram) portions using a kitchen scale; roll each portion into a ball. Place on plate and cover with plastic wrap to prevent dough balls from drying out while you begin to roll them out. Work in batches of 5.
• Mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons flour together in a bowl. Dust a work surface and the first dough ball with the cornstarch mixture. Flatten out the dough ball and roll out into a circle, about 5 inches in diameter. Dust again with cornstarch mixture. Set circle to one side. Roll out 4 more dough balls to about the same diameter and stack them on the first one, dusting each layer with more of the cornstarch mixture to keep them from sticking together.
• When you have 5 circles, roll out the stack to a larger circle about double in size, turning as you go to maintain a round shape. Separate each layer and lay out the circles. Re-apply more cornstarch mixture where needed and restack them. Roll again until the 5-layer stack is paper thin, about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place on a sheet of parchment paper; top with another piece of parchment. Gently roll up the dough; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
• Repeat with the remaining 15 balls of dough in batches of 5.

PHYLLO DOUGH PIZZA

Steps:

• Butter a baking sheet with a brush. Lay down one layer of dough and brush with butter. Repeat process until all dough is layered and buttered. Fold in sides of rectangle to form a crust. Top with onions, olives, tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until phyllo crust is golden brown.

PASTRY PHYLLO NESTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough out flat. Pick it up from the center as if it were a handkerchief. Continue with remaining 3 sheets. Set it down on a baking pan and twist and flatten the center down to create a free form "nest" of phyllo. Brush with butter and bake for 20 minutes or until crackling crisp and golden. Serve one per person and top with fruit, whipped cream or ice cream or drizzle with honey and scatter with chopped pistachios, almonds or walnuts.

PHYLLO CHICKEN POT PIE FROM FROZEN PHYLLO DOUGH

Steps:

• 1.) Place carrots, celery, potatoes and onions into the chicken broth and cook over med-high until tender. Add frozen peas and corn. Add diced chicken, salt pepper sage and thyme. Simmer over med-low for a few minutes.
• 2.) Whisk milk and flour together. Add to above mixture and simmer until thickened.
• 3. ) To make pie, overlap 10 sheets of fillo in a 9" pie pan, buttering the sheets as you layer them in the pie pan. Pour chicken mixture on fillo dough. Top with remaining 10 sheets, overlapping the fillo and brushing each layer. Score top.
• 4.) Bake in preheated 350ºF oven for 25 to 40 minutes or until golden brown Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot.
• GENERAL FILLO DOUGH HANDLING DIRECTIONS. Allow fillo dough to thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before using. Carefully unroll fillo sheets onto a smooth, dry surface. Cover fillo completely with plastic wrap, then a damp towel.Keep fillo covered until needed. Do not leave uncovered for more than one minute to avoid drying out. Microwave butter until melted. This will give you a lighter and flakier pastry. Brush each layer of fillo with melted butter, margarine or oil.To prevent edges from cracking, brush edges first and then work into center. Be sure to brush the last layer of fillo with melted butter.Fillings should be chilled and not excessively moist. Fillo may be rolled and refrozen to store when not in use.

BASIC RECIPE FOR PHYLLO DOUGH

Steps:

• Sift the flour with the salt.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour.
• In the well put the water and the olive oil.
• Work the dough until it hangs well together.
• Dust flour on a table or board.
• Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes.
• The dough should be smooth and not stick to the board.
• Roll the dough out to a big rectangle.
• Lay a damp towel over it and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
• Flour your hands and work the dough from the middle outwards until you have the dough stretched to about 3 ft by 3 ft (1meter x 1meter)If work table is not big enough to roll out a 3 ft. by 3 ft. dough, divide the dough into 9 (divide into 3, then divide each third into 3 more) and roll out each portion into 1 ft. by 1 ft. sheet. Cut the dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter to the desired sheet size.
• Continue with the recipe that requires the phyllo dough.

PHYLLO DOUGH SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• Before starting make sure to read the thawing and handleing tips on the fillo dough package that you purchased.
• Chop onions and thinkly slice scallions. Then saute in vegetable oil at medium heat until tender and golden.
• Drain spinach and squeeze dry.
• Thoroughly mix onions, spinach, cheeses, dill, pepper and egg in a large bowl.
• Melt butter.
• Brush bottom and sides of a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan with butter.
• Using 8 fillo sheets build a stack in the bottom of the baking pan by brushing the top of the fillo sheets with butter.
• Spread spinach and cheese mixture evenly over the fillo in the baking pan.
• Cover mixture using the other 8 sheets of fillo in the same manner used to create the base.
• Thoroughly butter the top layer, especially the edges.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown in 375 degree preheated oven.
• Let stand for 10 minutes for easier serving. Cut into squares or triangles using sharp knife.