sheets phyllo dough

Phyllo dough (also spelled filo) is an extremely thin, delicate pastry sheet made from a simple dough of flour, water, salt, and sometimes oil or butter. Originating from Ottoman and Eastern Mediterranean culinary traditions, particularly in Turkish, Greek, and Middle Eastern cuisines, phyllo is produced by stretching dough to paper-thin transparency—often to less than 1mm in thickness. The dough is composed of soft wheat flour with minimal gluten development, creating its characteristic brittleness when dried. Commercially produced phyllo sheets are typically stacked and separated by dusting of flour or cornstarch to prevent sticking, and are sold fresh, refrigerated, or frozen in packages containing 20-40 individual sheets.

Phyllo dough serves as the foundational pastry for numerous Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, where its thin, flaky texture creates contrast with fillings. It is traditionally used in Greek spanakopita (spinach pie), baklava and other Turkish pastries, Middle Eastern meat pies, and Lebanese bourma. The sheets are typically layered with butter or oil between each leaf to create crispy, golden-brown finished products. Phyllo may be shaped into rolls, folded into triangular packets, or layered in baking pans. Its neutral flavor makes it versatile for both savory and sweet applications, though it requires careful handling when thawed to prevent tearing and crumbling.