sheets of fillo (or puff pastry

Phyllo (also transliterated as fillo or filo) is a paper-thin pastry dough originating from Ottoman and Mediterranean cuisine, particularly associated with Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions. Made from wheat flour, water, and minimal fat, phyllo dough is laminated through repeated rolling and folding to create hundreds of delicate layers that shatter and crisp when baked. The dough is typically rolled to a thickness of less than 1mm, creating sheets so thin they are nearly transparent. Phyllo differs fundamentally from puff pastry, which relies on lamination with butter folded into dough to create rise through steam; phyllo achieves its flaky texture through the exposure of numerous thin layers rather than leavening.

Puff pastry, conversely, is a French laminated dough made by repeatedly folding butter into a flour-water dough, creating hundreds of butter layers that puff and separate during baking. Both are versatile laminated doughs, though phyllo is lighter and more delicate while puff pastry is richer and sturdier.

Phyllo sheets are essential in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, used as the structural base for both sweet and savory preparations. In savory applications, phyllo wraps spanakopita (spinach pie), tyropita (cheese pie), and meat-filled börek. Sweetly, it forms the foundation for baklava, layered with nuts and honey, and various custard-filled desserts like galaktoboureko. The sheets are brushed with melted butter or oil between layers to promote crisping and browning. Puff pastry serves similar functions but is preferred for applications requiring structure and rise—danish pastries, vol-au-vents, and savory tarts—due to its butter content and greater puffing capacity. Both require careful handling to prevent drying; phyllo especially must remain covered with damp cloth when not in use.