sheets filo dough
Phyllo dough is predominantly carbohydrate from wheat flour with minimal fat and protein per serving, though nutritional content varies significantly depending on the amount of butter or oil brushed between layers during preparation.
About
Phyllo (also spelled filo or feuille) dough is a paper-thin pastry made from a simple dough of flour, water, salt, and fat that is stretched to gossamer transparency and layered. Originating in the Ottoman Empire and now widespread throughout the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, phyllo consists of multiple leaves stacked and separated by brushings of butter or oil, allowing each layer to crisp independently during baking.
The dough itself is straightforward: all-purpose flour hydrated with water and a small amount of oil or butter, kneaded to develop gluten, then either mechanically stretched on specialized equipment or hand-stretched by skilled pastry makers. Each sheet is typically 0.5–1 mm thick and measures roughly 14 by 18 inches when commercial. The characteristic brittle, shattering texture develops through the layering and baking process rather than from the dough composition itself.
Culinary Uses
Phyllo dough is fundamental to Mediterranean, Balkan, Turkish, Greek, and Middle Eastern pastry traditions. It is the primary wrapper for savory applications such as spanakopita (spinach pie), börek (filled pastries), and sambussa, as well as sweet preparations including baklava, galaktoboureko (custard pie), and various honey-soaked confections. The dough's fragility requires careful handling—sheets must remain covered with damp towels to prevent drying—but rewards precision with incomparably crisp, shattered layers. Each application typically involves layering multiple sheets with filling and fat, then brushing the top layers with butter or oil before baking at moderately high heat until golden.