Those who have been to Greek taverns were probably amazed at how fluffy the sweet pastries and tender dough rolls with different fillings are. It seems that puff pastries are baked here too, but for some reason they do not have such subtlety, airiness and unusual taste. And the whole secret is that special Greek dough is used to prepare the dishes. It is so thin that it was even called Philo (translated from Greek as “leaf”). It is quite simple to prepare, and the dishes turn out delicious! Therefore, the material is dedicated to this culinary feature of Mediterranean cuisine. Let's find out everything about Filo dough: what it is, how it is prepared and in what dishes it can be used. Let's get started!

The Greeks have many cooking features, and one of them is the Greek Philo dough. In his homeland he is called φύλλο, which in Latin transcription is written as Filo or Phyllo. Sometimes in Cyrillic they use spelling with two letters: Phyllo. Under these names, this Greek product is known throughout the world.

So what is Philo dough and what is it used for? The answers are simple. Filo (Fyllo) is an unleavened dough that is rolled out into thin layers less than 1 mm wide. It is a popular culinary ingredient in the cuisine of the Balkan countries, but it is called differently in each region. In Turkey it is called " Yufka", in Egypt " Gollasch", in Serbia and Montenegro " Kore».

Filo dough is used to prepare flour products: pies, pies, “envelopes”, rolls and cakes. Moreover, the dish does not have to be sweet: seafood, as well as vegetable and meat fillings are added to the dough rolls, thus obtaining delicious snacks. So, if you see a flour puff dish on the tavern menu, Filo dough is probably present in its composition.

Dishes from Filla acquire a ruddy color, an appetizing crunch and a unique taste. The Filo dough itself is low in calories, because... it is fresh and contains a minimal amount of fat. But due to the fact that each layer is soaked in olive or sunflower oil, the calories of Filo dough increase to 441 units per 100 grams of product. Overall, this is relatively little for a standard portion of the dish.

You can create a Mediterranean culinary masterpiece from either store-bought Phyllo or home-cooked Phyllo. We will tell you in detail how to prepare Filo dough at home a little later. As for ready-made layers, buy Filo dough in large supermarkets: the price for 500 grams ranges from 100-150 rubles. The product is often sold frozen, so before use it must be completely defrosted so that the layers become elastic again.

Composition of Filo dough

So, we have learned what Philo dough is, now we will look at how to prepare it. But before we give a detailed recipe for Filo dough for cooking at home, we will briefly describe its composition. So that those who want to purchase a finished product in a store, based on the data presented, choose high-quality products.

So, Phyllo is a yeast-free dough, which includes:

• Flour with a high percentage of gluten content;
• Water;
• Salt;
• Vinegar.

It is also allowed to use a chicken egg, vegetable oil and starch in the preparation.

These are the ingredients included in Filo dough. As you can see, the composition of Phyllo is very simple, but at the same time rich in vitamins. There are vitamins A, E, PP, D and several B vitamins at once. This complex of useful substances helps improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalize peristalsis and increase body tone. Of course, all this is valid provided that the product does not contain harmful concentrates and additives E. Therefore, when purchasing dough in a store, carefully read the composition stated on the label.

And to be sure that the dish is 100% healthy, it is better to cook it yourself. The recipe for making Filo dough at home is not that complicated. Especially if you know the little tricks and nuances of cooking. So, let's reveal all the secrets.

How to make your own phyllo dough - step by step recipe

Baking from Filo dough looks attractive, crunches appetizingly and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. This delicacy is tempting to try, even if you know about Greece only from hearsay and beautiful pictures on the Internet. Well, traveling abroad is not accessible to everyone, but getting acquainted with world cuisine can be done at home. For example, make your own phyllo dough pie or a crispy roll with vegetable filling.

Such delicacies are easy and simple to make, the main thing is to know how to properly prepare Filo dough at home. Let's talk about this wisdom in detail.

Ingredients

Above, we have already outlined the classic composition of Filo dough with a list of main components, tips on where to buy Filo dough and what to look for. And they also mentioned that there are different variations of kneading Greek dough. Therefore, here we will move a little away from the classics, designed for industrial production, and present the most optimal recipe for making Filo dough at home.

So, first of all, you should stock up on the following ingredients:

• Wheat flour – 3 tbsp;
• Boiled water – 1 tbsp.;
• Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
• Vinegar 9% – 1 tsp;
• Egg yolks – 3 pcs.;
• Salt – 0.5 tsp.

This set of products is designed for 12 servings, and the total cooking time will take 2.5 hours. As you can see, the composition is nothing supernatural - everything can be found in the store closest to your home. Well, if you have everything ready, then let's start making Philo dough!

Cooking steps

Since Greek dough is extremely thin (layer less than 1 mm), it is very important to knead the dough at the correct concentration so that the sheets do not subsequently tear, bubble or burst. It’s always difficult the first time, so for beginners we offer a step-by-step recipe for making Philo dough. Over time, you will become skilled, and jewelry work with the thinnest sheets will become commonplace.

So, let's look at how to prepare Greek Filo dough step by step.

1. Pour warm boiled water into a bowl and add salt to it. Mix thoroughly until the salt dissolves to the last grain. Mass uniformity is very important because... any lump can subsequently tear the sheet.
2. Add vinegar and egg yolks to salted water. Mix again until smooth.
3. Take a separate deep bowl and sift the flour.
4. Make a small well in the prepared flour and slowly pour in the prepared mixture of water, vinegar and egg yolks. Constantly stir the dough with a spoon.
5. Add vegetable oil to the prepared mixture and continue stirring. When the dough has hardened so much that it is difficult to turn the spoon, proceed to kneading it with your hands.
6. Finally we get a soft dough that needs to be beaten for 2-3 minutes, i.e. about 50-60 times. Thanks to this procedure, Phyllo gains density and elasticity.
7. Wrap the well-beaten dough in cling film or a bag and leave to cool at room temperature for 60 minutes.

During this time, you need to prepare a waffle or linen towel, parchment paper and a jump rope. The towel should be slightly moistened and dusted with flour so that the dough does not stick to the surface.

1. Now the moment of fine rolling has come. Press the dough onto the prepared cloth and cut into small pieces. Take one part and start rolling it out ( While we are working with 1 slice, cover the rest with film or a bag so that the dough does not dry out).
2. Having received a thin layer, we take it in our hands and begin to carefully stretch it by hand until the layer begins to show through. If the kneading was correct, the dough will be soft and pliable, and the sheet will stretch easily.
3. Trim the edges and place the layer on parchment. To prevent the dough from drying out, cover it on top with a damp towel.
4. Roll out all the remaining pieces in the same way. We lay the finished leaves with parchment and collect them in a pile. Don't forget to cover it with a damp towel.
5. At the end of the process, roll up the entire stack. If you need to cook after 2-3 hours, then cover with a towel again. If the dough is prepared for future use, then freeze it straight into a roll. The product is ready!

By the way, we note that if you want to make lean Filo dough, you can reduce the calorie content by removing eggs from the recipe. Otherwise, the cooking technology is the same.

With prepared Phyllo you can make any dough products: pies, puff pastries, baskets, envelopes and original snacks. We’ll give you a couple of delicious recipes right now!

What can be made from Filo dough - several recipes

So, we are great and managed to make real Greek dough at home. Now let's think about what to make from Filo dough at home. We suggest trying a couple of main courses and some appetizers.

Filo dough baked goods

Ready-made Greek Filo dough is perfect for making Austrian strudel. The product turns out crispy, appetizing and literally melts in your mouth. And the combination of apple juice with the creamy-sugar flavor of the dough leaves a delicate aftertaste. Let's look at the recipe!

Servings – 8, cooking time – 1.5 hours
Ingredients
Phyllo	Apples	Raisin*	Cookie	Butter	Powdered sugar
5-6 sheets	6 pcs., medium-sized, sweet and sour	150-200 gr.	100 gr., with ordinary taste	1 pack	1 tbsp. l.
*It is better to pre-soak the raisins in cold water and leave to settle overnight.
Cooking technology
1. Apples should be washed, peeled and cored. Then chop into thin slices. Place in a deep plate. 2. Using a blender, grind the cookies to fine crumbs. 3. Add infused raisins and crushed cookies to the apples. Mix everything. If the apples are too sweet, you can add a little lemon juice. 4. Place a sheet of dough on a table or cloth sprinkled with flour and brush it with melted butter. Take the next layer of Filo and cover the previous one with it, while moving the second layer 2-3 cm below the first, coat with oil. Repeat the steps with all sheets, not forgetting to lubricate them. 5. Place the filling on the dough, wrap it in a roll and grease it again with butter. Place in the oven preheated to 190 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Crispy homemade strudel made from phyllo dough is ready! All that remains is to sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve.

You can also make a quick and tasty Filo pie with chicken and rice. This simple dish only takes 1 hour to prepare. Here is the prescription.

How to make chicken pie with filo dough
Ingredients
Dough	Chicken fillet	Rice	Cheeses	Fill	Spices
8 sheets	600 gr.	200 gr.	Feta – 100 gr. Hard cheese – 100 gr. Parmesan – 50 gr.	Chicken broth – 150 ml. Cream – 200 ml. Eggs – 2 pcs.	Parsley – 1 tbsp. Green onions – 1 tbsp. Sweet paprika – 1 tbsp. Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation
1. Boil and cut up the chicken, leaving the broth. Blanch the rice. Mash the feta with a fork and finely grate the hard cheese. Place all ingredients in a deep plate, add spices, mix thoroughly. 2. Place baking paper on a baking sheet. Lay out 2 sheets of dough. cross over cross, coating each layer with oil. 3. Place the filling in the center of the dough. Grate the Parmesan and sprinkle generously around the edges of the dough. Roll the edges with a roller, wrapping the cheese in them ( add to the filling). You will get an open pie with the edges turned in. 4. Carefully pour broth and cream over the filling. Proportions should be carefully observed so that the filling does not turn out too liquid. 5. Break 2 eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Pour the egg mixture over the filling and place the pie in the oven for 30 minutes (180 degrees). Bake until golden brown. The dish is ready!

As you can see, unleavened Philo makes very tasty sweet and savory baked goods. Let's see how things stand with snacks.

Fillings for Filo dough

Not only pies and pastries are prepared with Greek dough, but also other products. For example, delicious and original snacks, which, thanks to their beautiful design, are perfect for the holiday table.

The basis for preparing snacks is any form made from Phyllo. These can be rolls, “roses”, “bird’s nests”, etc. Depending on the purpose, Filo sheets are rolled, cut into layers or thin strips. Thus, in appetizers, Greek dough is used not only for taste, but also for beautiful presentation of the food.

As for the filling, here too everything depends on the imagination of the hostess. On the Internet you can find many recipes for appetizers made from Filo dough with cottage cheese, cheese, vegetables, seafood, poultry, etc. There are even whole appetizer salads with Phyllo. Here is one of the most popular recipes.

Ingredients
Dough	Butter	Chees Feta	Cottage cheese	Egg
500 gr.	1 pack	200 gr.	200 gr.	1 PC.
We will also need a narrow wooden stick: approximately 40 cm in length and 0.5 - 1 cm in diameter.
Preparation
1. Knead the Feta in a deep bowl, add cottage cheese to it and pour in the egg. Stir until a homogeneous mass is obtained. 2. Take a sheet of dough and place the smaller side facing you. Lubricate with oil. 3. Roll the sheet onto the stick, leaving a layer 2-3 cm wide at the end. 4. We collect the dough rolled onto a stick with our hands into an accordion. We press a little so that the structure holds its shape. We remove the stick. 5. Now we connect the ends of our “tube”. In the middle, where the unrolled layer remains, we make neat folds and press lightly so that there are no holes. 6. Place the prepared filling in the center of the resulting “nest”. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Place the prepared cheesecakes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. The treat is ready to eat!

The dish prepared according to the given recipe will amaze guests with both its aesthetics and wonderful taste. Don’t forget to experiment with the filling, replacing cheese and cottage cheese, for example, with meat, potatoes, vegetables, etc. You can also replace Filo dough, if you suddenly don’t have it on hand, with puff pastry without yeast. But remember that in this case the calorie content of the food will increase significantly.

Classmates

Do you love flour products and have already tried a lot of recipes? If you have patience, strength and free time, then try making phyllo dough. It should be said right away that this is not easy. But the result will exceed all your expectations!

What kind of dough is this?

Filo dough is a stretched, unleavened, very thin dough that belongs to national Greek cuisine and is usually used to prepare dishes such as tiropita, boureka, baklava, and so on. By the way, the name can be literally translated as “leaf”. There is approximately the same recipe in Turkish cuisine, but there this dough is called “yufka”.

Classic phyllo is usually made from flour, water, olive oil, and vinegar (usually wine). But every Greek housewife has her own tricks that she doesn’t reveal to anyone. First, the dough is kneaded, then rolled out and stretched to a minimum thickness. In pastry shops they use specialized machines for rolling, but at home you will have to try and make your own efforts.

How to cook?

How to make phyllo dough? To do this you will need:

• 3 cups flour;
• 1 glass of water;
• 50 ml olive oil;
• 2 tablespoons of high-quality wine vinegar;
• 1 teaspoon of salt (without a slide).

Step-by-step instruction:

1. First you need to sift the flour and mix it with salt. Place it in a fairly deep and wide bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Pour warm water and oil, as well as vinegar, into the hole.
3. First, knead the dough with a spoon or fork, gradually combining the liquid ingredients with the bulk ones. When a ball begins to form, continue kneading the phyllo with your hands.
4. Knead the dough until it is smooth, this may take about 10 minutes. As a result, you should get an elastic, elastic, soft and plastic mass.
5. Now cover the bowl with something (like a towel) and let the dough sit at room temperature for about an hour to “proof” it.
6. Divide the total volume into approximately 15 parts (everything will depend on the number of sheets needed for preparing the dish, as well as their size).
7. Take the first piece and place it on a floured surface (otherwise the phyllo will stick). Next, roll out the dough into a thin layer and periodically stretch it with your hands. The sheet should become very thin, almost translucent.
8. Place the first sheet on parchment and cover with parchment on top.
9. Roll out the layers, stack them, alternating with sheets of parchment so that they do not dry out or stick together.
10. When all the layers are ready, start preparing the dish.

How to use the dough?

You can prepare a wide variety of flour dishes from phyllo. Below are the most popular and successful recipes.

Recipe No. 1

Make a delicious strudel. You will need:

• 12 sheets of rolled out phyllo dough;
• 2 apples;
• 50 grams of walnuts;
• 50 grams of raisins;
• 5-6 tablespoons of sugar;
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon;
• 50 grams of butter.

Preparation:

1. First make the filling. To do this, peel and finely chop the apples. Chop the nuts and pour boiling water over the raisins for literally ten minutes until they become soft. Mix it all, add sugar.
2. Take one sheet of phyllo, spread it out and brush with butter (after melting it). Place the second layer on top and grease it too. Lay 4 sheets in this manner, greasing each one with oil.
3. Place the filling on the edge of the four-layer layer, bend the edges slightly along the width so that the juice does not leak out during the cooking process. Roll the dough with the filling into a roll.
4. Also form the remaining strudels (there will be 3 in total) and bake them at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Recipe No. 2

You can make baklava. Prepare the following ingredients:

• 250 grams of ready-made filo dough;
• 100 grams of peanuts;
• 100 grams of walnuts;
• 2 tablespoons sugar;
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

For the syrup:

• 150 grams of sugar;
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon;
• 50 grams of honey;
• 50 ml water;
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice.

Preparation:

1. First, start preparing the filling. Chop the nuts (peanuts can be lightly fried in a dry frying pan). Mix nuts with sugar.
2. Now make the syrup. To do this, mix water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and honey in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook, reducing heat, until thickened.
3. The butter needs to be melted, it will be needed to grease the dough.
4. Now you can start forming the baklava. To do this, take a rectangular baking dish corresponding to the size of the dough sheets, grease its bottom and walls with oil.
5. Next, place three layers of phyllo, brush with butter, place a layer of nuts on them, then place three sheets of dough again. Layer the layers so that the phyllo ends up last. Grease the surface with oil, cut the baklava into rectangles and bake at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes.
6. Pour syrup over the finished baklava.

A few useful tips that will simplify the preparation process as much as possible, and also improve the taste of the finished dough:

• Be sure to sift the flour, otherwise the dough will be tough.
• If you have leftover homemade filo, don’t rush to throw it away; it keeps well in the freezer for up to three months. Just wrap it in film and roll it into a roll.
• If you are using previously frozen dough, then defrost it completely before cooking, and only at room temperature! Cold and not fully defrosted dough is very brittle and almost impossible to work with.
• Before cooking, it is advisable to heat the water and oil, then the dough will be more elastic and soft.
• If the dough breaks (this often happens with beginners), then add one or two egg whites to it (and some, on the contrary, use yolks), they will make the filo more viscous and combine all the ingredients.
• If desired, you can replace vinegar with citric acid; it has the same properties and performs the same functions in the dough.
• Do not freeze the dough twice; it will lose its properties, the most important of which is elasticity.
• The dough may tear the first few times. But over time, you will get used to it and learn to literally feel the phyllo and control the stretch. Everything will come with experience.

If you master this dough, you will be able to prepare a lot of interesting dishes for the whole family or guests.

“A hut is not red in its corners, but in its pies,” says the Russian proverb... And today we are baking Greek pies!
Let's start with the test. Almost all pies, both with sweet and savory filling, are baked by the Greeks with phyllo dough (Filo or Phyllo).
Filo dough is frozen thin sheets of unleavened dough. When preparing pies, the layers of dough are defrosted, then each layer is lightly greased with melted butter, the next layer is applied, it is again greased with butter, etc. At least ten layers of dough are used for the bottom of the pie, and the same amount for the top. Connoisseurs of Greek cuisine advise brushing the dough sheets with melted butter or margarine, despite the fact that some recipes recommend brushing the dough sheets with olive oil. If you use vegetable oil, then each plate of dough is covered with a hard crust and remains raw inside. To lubricate the plates, use either a bird feather or a soft brush so that the oil is distributed evenly between the layers and there is no excess. Since the dough has a bland taste, it is recommended to use salted butter to lubricate the layers when preparing pies with savory filling.

Typically, ready-made filo sheets are sold in Greek grocery stores or supermarkets in closed plastic boxes of 24-30 sheets of dough per package. In such a box, each layer is covered with a thin piece of polyethylene, which prevents the dough from sticking together. Filo dough is stored only in the freezer, since it defrosts in the refrigerator in about 8-9 hours (before preparing the pies, the box of dough should be removed from the freezer and placed in the refrigerator overnight), and only in a closed box, since it is exposed to air. The dough immediately begins to dry out, becomes crusty and loses its elasticity. Because of its last feature, it is recommended to work with the dough quickly and smoothly. Before you take it out of the refrigerator and expose it to the air, you should prepare all the necessary accessories for making pies: melt the butter, take a brush for greasing from the shelf, preheat the oven to the desired temperature, sprinkle the table or board on which you will lay out the layers of dough, flour, grease the baking dish and, of course, prepare the filling in advance. If you need to take a break while layering, cover the dough with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.

Since the layers of phyllo dough are very thin, pies with such dough bake very quickly, so the filling for such pies should already be ready. Raw meat or vegetables are never wrapped in this dough! The filling for such pies should not be wet, as the escaping steam can easily break through the thin layers of dough.
Cook pies at a temperature of 180 - 200 degrees for no more than 30 minutes. If you cook the filo pastry pie over low heat for a longer time, it will not cook through and will be soggy.

And the final touch to the portrait of filo dough. Since the dough loves to be frozen, you can prepare it in advance and store it in the freezer for up to six months. At the same time, you can freeze not only the dough, but also ready-made pies and pies. Even already baked pies can be frozen. Cooking frozen pies does not require pre-defrosting at all. You can place the frozen pie directly into a hot oven, but you will need to increase the baking time slightly. Already baked frozen pies are heated in the oven at 160 degrees for several minutes until the pies are hot.

Buying dough in Russia is difficult, if not impossible, but it is possible to prepare it yourself. If you don’t want to bother with making phyllo, you can use ready-made puff pastry, which is what I usually do with success. However, puff pastry is more delicate and lighter than phyllo dough, so using puff pastry you can only get an analogue of the original Greek pies. For experienced cooks, here is the recipe:

5 cups sifted wheat flour;
5 tablespoons of olive oil;
2 1/2 cups water (approx);
salt;
2 tablespoons vinegar (4.5%)
Leave a little flour (no more than 1/2 cup), we will need it for adding when rolling out the layers. Mix the rest of the flour, olive oil, salt, water and vinegar into a soft dough. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap the dough in a bag and place it in the refrigerator, in the coldest compartment, for example, on a shelf under the freezer, for one hour. After an hour, sprinkle the surface on which you will roll out the dough layers with flour, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into 20 equal parts. Roll out each piece into a thin sheet, approximately 2-3 mm thick. When rolling out the next part, cover the already rolled part with a damp towel, and put the pieces of unrolled dough in a bag and keep it in the refrigerator.
If desired, the recipe can be slightly modified by adding two raw eggs to the dough and reducing the amount of water to 1 1/2 cups. This “butter” dough is best suited for pies with vegetable fillings.
And now, finally, recipes for Greek pies that use phyllo dough. The Greeks usually bake either large rectangular closed pies, for which they respectively use rectangular deep baking dishes resembling large metal trays, or small triangular pies. You can bake all the pies, the recipes for which are given below, both large and small. It’s whatever your heart desires!

TIROPITA

For filling:
400 g feta cheese;
4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine;
200 grams of “Homemade” cheese;
5 eggs;
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley;
a little dill;
a little ground black pepper;
nutmeg - on the tip of a knife

If the cheese is very salty, cut it into large slices and soak in water for 4 hours, then mash it into fine crumbs with a fork, add Domashny cheese, eggs and grind the filling into a paste. Then add parsley, dill, pepper and nutmeg and mix everything thoroughly.
Now prepare the phyllo dough and place 10 sheets in a baking dish, brushing each one with melted butter or margarine, the edges of the dough should extend beyond the side of the form. If you use frozen puff pastry, then for this amount of filling you will need 500 grams (one package) of dough. Divide the dough into two parts (one should be slightly larger than the other). Roll out most of it and place it in the mold, leaving the edges of the dough so that they slightly extend beyond the side of the mold.
Spread the prepared cheese filling in an even layer. Cover the filling with the remaining dough (if using phyllo, add 10 more layers of dough on top, brushing each with butter) and seal the edges to make a closed pie. Grease the surface of the pie with oil and bake at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Tiropita is served warm.

SPANAKOPITA

butter or margarine for greasing the dough layers;

For filling:
500 grams of green spinach (you can use frozen);
olive oil (no more than 1/2 cup);
2 large onions;
2 cloves of garlic;
400 g feta cheese;
2 eggs;
half a teaspoon of nutmeg;
salt, pepper to taste;
a little any greens (coriander, basil, dill, parsley)

Sort the spinach leaves and rinse well. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, add spinach leaves and cook until soft. Then remove the spinach, cool and chop finely. If you are using frozen spinach, defrost it first and then boil it in hot water. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in a frying pan in olive oil.

TIP: When frying onions and garlic together, add the garlic to the onions at the very end, when the onions are almost ready. If you saute the onion and garlic for as long as it takes to cook the onion, the garlic will burn and give the dish a bitter taste. If you shorten the cooking time for the onions, focusing on the garlic, the onions will not cook through and, accordingly, will also spoil the taste of the dish.

Add the spinach to the onion and garlic and simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes until all the excess moisture has evaporated from the spinach, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and cool its contents. Then add finely chopped herbs, nutmeg and eggs to the spinach (no need to add salt!), and mix everything carefully. Mash the cheese into crumbs and add to the rest of the ingredients. Lightly pepper the spinach mixture; if it is not salty enough, add salt and stir again. The filling is ready.
Now grease the baking dish with oil. Lay out the dough (see previous recipe). To make spanakopita you will need 1 kg of filo dough (20 sheets, 10 sheets each for the bottom and top layers of dough) or 1 kg of puff pastry (two packages of ready-made dough). Place the prepared filling on the dough, cover it with the remaining dough and form a closed pie. Grease the spanakopita with butter and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.
Spanakopita is served hot.

Tip: Once, my friend and I decided to treat our friends to spanakopita, but, unfortunately, the store didn’t even have frozen spinach. I had to buy a package of broccoli. As a result, we got a very original pie, but the taste of broccoli slightly drowned out all the other ingredients.

CREATOPITA

Kreatopita is a Cretan meat pie. Since there are many filling options for creatopita, we offer you two of the most interesting ones.

Option 1:
phyllo dough or ready-made puff pastry (500 g);
butter or margarine for greasing the dough layers;

For filling:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine;
a bunch of green onions (or shallots);
500 grams of lamb or beef;
1/2 cup dry white wine;
1 heaping tablespoon of finely chopped parsley;
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves (if you are using dry mint, you need to take 1 teaspoon, as dry mint has a stronger aroma);
1 tablespoon of finely chopped dill;
1/2 cup of tomato sauce (tomato paste is diluted with water to form a sauce);
salt and pepper to taste;
1/2 cup grated sharp cheese;
1 egg;
1 tablespoon bread crumbs (if needed)

Pass the meat through a meat grinder. Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan and fry the finely chopped green onions. Add the minced meat, fry the meat until it turns brown, stirring with a fork so that the minced meat does not stick together in lumps. Add wine and boil for a few minutes. Then add parsley, mint, dill and tomato sauce, add salt and pepper and simmer for another 20 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated. After this, remove from heat, cool, add cheese and egg, and mix everything well. If the filling still turns out liquid, add bread crumbs, which will absorb excess moisture.
Now we prepare the pie for baking. We place the layers of dough in a greased form in the same way as written in previous recipes, put the filling on the dough, cover it on top with the remaining layers of dough and form a closed pie. Grease it with butter and bake at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the pie is covered with a golden crust.

Option 2:
phyllo dough or ready-made puff pastry (1 kg);
butter or margarine for greasing the dough layers;

For filling:
1 1/2 kg lamb or beef;
1 kg of onion;
2 bouillon cubes (beef);
4 tablespoons butter;
10 eggs;
1 tea cup of milk;
2 tea cups of semolina;
salt, pepper to taste;
cinnamon

Pass the meat through a meat grinder, finely chop one onion. Melt half the specified amount of butter in a saucepan with a thick bottom and fry the onion in it until soft. Add minced meat, salt, pepper, cinnamon, 1.5 cups of hot water and simmer the meat until all the liquid has evaporated.
Peel the remaining onions, cut each into four pieces and cook the onions in the broth prepared from the bouillon cube until soft. You can prepare broth from lamb or beef bones in advance, then the pie will turn out tastier. Remove the prepared onion from the broth and puree through a sieve.
Separate two teaspoons of the broth in which the onions were cooked. Cook the semolina porridge using two cups of broth and a cup of milk, and then cool it. Add onion puree, eggs, remaining butter, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste.
Place the layers of dough in a greased form, so that the edges protrude beyond the side, coat each layer with oil. Place the meat filling on top of the dough, and the semolina filling on top of the meat filling. Cover with the remaining layers of dough, again oiling each one. Protect the edges of the pie so that you get a closed pie, grease the top of the pie with butter and bake in the oven at 180 degrees until the pie is covered with a golden crust.

GALACTOBOURIKO

1 kg filo dough;
1/4 cup unsalted butter for brushing the layers;

For filling:
3 eggs;
1/2 cup sugar;
1/5 cup semolina;
1 3/5 cups cream;
3-4 drops of vanilla essence (can be replaced with vanilla);
30 g butter;

for syrup:
1/5 glass of water;
lemon peel;
150 grams of sugar;
1 tablespoon lemon juice

If in previous recipes phyllo dough could easily be replaced with regular puff pastry, then in this recipe, as well as in the next one, you will not be able to simplify the procedure for preparing a sweet dessert pie in this way, since in both cases the already baked pies will have to be soak in syrup, which will make the already soft and airy puff pastry too soft and wet.
Let's prepare the filling. Bring the milk to a boil and cook the semolina porridge for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, add butter to the porridge and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Beat the eggs with sugar until they turn into a homogeneous, fluffy mass. Then add the beaten eggs to the cooled porridge, add vanilla essence, and beat everything well again. Place the pan on the fire and keep it on the fire for 2-3 minutes, without ceasing to whisk the contents of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and leave. The filling is ready. While preparing the pie, stir the semolina cream several times to form a crust on its surface.
Grease the baking dish with oil. Lay out 10 layers of phyllo dough, buttering each one. Then spread the semolina cream on the dough and cover it with another 10 oiled dough sheets. We form a closed pie, grease its surface with butter and bake in a well-heated oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and set to cool for 10 minutes, meanwhile prepare the syrup. Dissolve sugar in water, add lemon peel and lemon juice. Boil the syrup over low heat for 5-7 minutes until it thickens. Let the syrup sit for 5 minutes, then remove the lemon peel from it and carefully pour it onto the pie, spreading the syrup over the entire surface. When all the syrup is absorbed, the galactoouriko is ready. Cut it into small pieces and serve.

BACLAVAS

500 g filo dough;
400 grams of ground almonds;
2 teaspoons cinnamon;
a pinch of ground cloves;
1 cup butter;
2 cups sugar;
1 glass of liquid, uncandied honey;
fresh lemon juice;
2 teaspoons vanillin or vanilla essence

To prepare baklavas, they usually use at least 40 sheets of phyllo dough, although if you are preparing this dish for the first time, you can get by with twenty.
Mix almonds, cinnamon and cloves. Grease a baking dish with butter and place 4 sheets of phyllo dough in it, brushing each with butter. Grease the fourth (top) layer with butter and sprinkle with a thin layer of the nut mixture. Then lay out 2 sheets of dough, sprinkle with the nut mixture again, etc. The top layer of baklavas should consist, like the bottom, of four sheets of phyllo dough. Cut the baklava into squares or diamonds, brush the surface of the pie with butter and bake at 160 degrees for 45 minutes.
Make the syrup: Combine sugar, honey, vanilla, lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
Pour the prepared syrup over the top layer of the baked baklava, distributing it evenly over the entire surface of the pie, and leave the baklava to cool. The pie is served cold.

Filo dough is the thinnest layers of unsweetened, yeast-free semi-finished flour product, rolled out to a translucent state. It “came” to us from Greece, where it is used as a basis for preparing Mediterranean sweets. In our country, a similar dough is called stretch dough, because, ultimately, it is stretched by hand. But you can cook it differently. How? Find out from the article.

Let's reveal the secret of how to roll out phyllo dough into the thinnest sheets with the least effort.

What does that require:

• sift one and a half cups of flour into a deep bowl along with eight grams of baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt;
• make a depression in the slide;
• Break an egg into a hole and mash it a little with your hands;
• add a mug of milk two-thirds full and a quarter of a glass of refined oil.

Mix liquid ingredients with flour using your hands. Knead a sticky and very soft dough.

It will stick strongly to your hands, but you no longer need to add flour to it, otherwise you won’t be able to roll out the dough as thin as you want.

It is more convenient to knead the semi-finished product on a smooth countertop. You can remove stuck pieces using a scraper. After 7 to 10 minutes of kneading, the dough should still be soft, but it will no longer be as sticky.

Roll the piece into a ball. Place in a bowl dusted with flour and cover with cling film. The dough will rest for 30 minutes. During this time, gluten will gain the necessary properties.

Let's stretch the ball into a short “sausage” and divide the piece into 6 equal parts and give each a rounded shape. We put the pieces under the film so they don’t get windy.

Let's move on to the most important step - rolling out the dough.

So, how to prepare phyllo dough:

1. Prepare a mixture of cornstarch and flour. Let's take 150 g of the first, half as much of the second. We will sprinkle the layers with this mixture so that they do not stick together.
2. Roll out the first ball into a not very thin layer, approximately 3 mm thick, and set it aside, generously dusting it with starch mixture.
3. Roll out the next ball in the same way and place the second layer on top of the first.
4. Roll out the remaining pieces, stack all the layers, but generously sprinkle each layer with flour and starch.
5. Let's move the stack closer to us and roll it out as thin as possible, you should get a rectangle measuring approximately 40x45 cm.

Now you can separate the layers of dough from each other. Excess flour and starch should be brushed off with a brush.

Filo dough dries out very quickly. While you work with one sheet, cover the others with a damp towel or plastic wrap.

Apple strudel made from phyllo dough

Strudel is a traditional Austrian dessert in the form of a roll, which is made from thin layers of dough wrapped around all kinds of fillings.

Apple strudel is a classic. To prepare this most delicate delicacy you will need three sheets of phyllo dough.

Let's make the filling. Let's take:

• three fragrant apples;
• half a glass of sugar and raisins;
• a whole glass of walnuts;
• a teaspoon of cinnamon and three tablespoons of breadcrumbs;
• a quarter stick of butter.

The oil needs to be heated and melted in a water bath. Cut the apples into cubes. Grind the nuts in a blender. Soak the raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes, drain the water.

Forming the cake:

1. Coat the dough sheets with oil and stack them on top of each other.
2. Mix all filling ingredients.
3. We lay out the apples with raisins and breadcrumbs in a “sausage” pattern along the smaller side of the layer, retreating 6–7 cm from both edges.
4. Place the edges of the dough over the filling, roll the pie and coat with melted butter.

Place the dessert in the oven to bake at 180ºC for half an hour.

Step-by-step baklava recipe

Traditional baklava can be prepared with honey or sugar. We will share a recipe using syrup. This delicacy turns out to be less cloying. Recipes made from phyllo dough will be just the thing for those who like not-so-sweet desserts.

We prepare products:

• 12 sheets of thin dough;
• half a stick of butter;
• a cup of walnuts;
• for syrup - 2 cups sugar, 3 cups water, half a lemon.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Crush the nuts with a rolling pin, leaving a handful of whole halves for decoration.

Stages of preparing dessert;

1. Place six layers of dough on top of each other on a baking sheet, generously coat each with butter.
2. Place crushed nuts on top of the dough.
3. Cover them with six sheets of dough, each of which is also greased with oil.
4. We make slits with a sharp knife, dividing the dessert into diamonds.
5. Decorate the pieces with walnut halves and place the dessert in an oven preheated to 180ºC for 40 minutes.

While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup. Boil sugar and water over high heat for 20 minutes. Dilute the resulting mixture with lemon juice and leave on the stove for another 5 - 7 minutes.

Fill the finished dessert with sweet liquid so that it gets into all the slots. Remove the baklava from the baking sheet after a few hours, when it is completely saturated with sugar syrup.

Cooking meat pies

In Turkey, phyllo dough pies with meat are called börek. The juicy filling is made from lamb shoulder. The proportions for this dish are arbitrary.

The meat is ground into minced meat. Fry in a frying pan until cooked along with onions and spices for lamb.

Filo dough is very thin and bakes quickly, so raw foods are never wrapped in it.

A sheet of phyllo is folded in thirds to create a long “track”. A little filling is placed on the edge. The dough is lifted by one corner and dragged onto the minced meat. It is further folded according to the same principle so that the result is a triangular pie.

Baked phyllo dough is greased with melted butter, sprinkled with sesame seeds and baked in the oven at 170ºC in 30 minutes.

Filo pastry pie with cheese

For a pie with cheese you will need 400 g of dough.

Filling:

• 700 g feta cheese;
• a mug of sour cream;
• three eggs;
• a bunch of greenery.

Crumble the cheese, chop the herbs, mix everything with sour cream and beaten eggs.

The pie is laid out in layers: 2 sheets of dough - filling, 2 sheets of dough - filling, and so on. Before spreading the cheese, brush the dough with olive oil.

The top sheets are coated with beaten egg. The pie is baked at 180ºC for 35 minutes.

Baskets with crab meat

We will make the filling for the baskets from crab sticks. But if you have the opportunity to buy real crab meat, cook with it.

Products:

• a pack of sticks;
• cream cheese - a jar, approximately 70 g;
• spoon of mayonnaise;
• greens to taste.

We freeze the sticks in the freezer. Then let them thaw a little, grate them on a track and mix them with cheese, mayonnaise and herbs.

Place squares of phyllo dough into the muffin tins, moving them slightly relative to each other to create something like a flower. Each basket will require 3-4 layers. Spray all the sheets with olive oil and put a little filling in the middle.

Bake portions in preheated oven until browned.

Kulebyaka with salmon and rice

All ingredients for fish pie must be prepared in advance. We do not indicate the proportions; they can be taken arbitrarily.

For the filling you will need: salmon, chicken eggs, herbs, rice porridge. The whole fish or fillet can be baked in the oven or boiled in water, and then disassembled and removed all the bones.

It is better to cook kulebyak in a deep bowl.

1. Place 3 sheets of dough on the bottom. All layers must be oiled.
2. Level out the filling from rice porridge, herbs and chopped boiled eggs.
3. Cover this layer with two sheets of phyllo and coat with butter.
4. We level the layer of minced fish and cover the kulebyak with the next three sheets.
5. Brush the surface of the pie with beaten yolk and place in a preheated oven. Remove when browned.

Greek spinach and feta pie

Greek spanokopita pie is made from stretch dough. To prepare it, in addition to Feta and spinach, you will also need Ricotta, 4 eggs and an onion.

Place 6 layers of phyllo on the bottom of a ceramic mold, drizzled with olive oil.

Spread the filling over the dough:

1. A pack of Feta cheese is crumbled with a fork.
2. Beat 4 eggs in a bowl and mix with the contents of the package of Ricotta cheese.
3. Combine all the ingredients, add chopped onion fried until golden brown.
4. The resulting sauce is poured into a bowl with spinach and stirred.

The filling is covered with two more layers of phyllo. The edges are greased with yolk and sealed. The surface of the pie is coated with olive oil.

The dough is baked in the oven for about 40 minutes. Allow the cake to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Sweet banitsa recipe

Banitsa is an airy cottage cheese pie made from the thinnest dough. This is the national Bulgarian dish. It is prepared in a round springform pan. About 400 g of dough is used for the pie.

We make rolls. Brush the phyllo layer with butter. We put a second layer on it. Coat with oil again. Distribute the filling thinly.

Filling:

• mix cottage cheese and grated cheese in equal proportions (about 400 g each);
• add two eggs;
  We turn everything into a homogeneous mass.

The dough is wrapped in a thin long roll, which is folded like a snail and placed in the middle of the baking dish. Around the first roll, other sheets of dough are laid out, folded in the same way. The contents of the mold are filled with a glass of sour cream, one egg and a tablespoon of sugar.

The pie is ready at 180ºC in 40 minutes.

Pollock baked in phyllo dough

Fish pies with phyllo are very light. Pollock (1 kg) must first be boiled and freed from bones.

1. Add 150 g of grated cheese to the minced fish, chop four boiled eggs and add flavor to the filling with chopped herbs.
2. Fold the phyllo dough into 7 - 8 layers, each of which is sprinkled with olive oil. Spread the filling over the dough, retreating 6–7 cm from the edges.
3. Fold the edges inward, covering the filling.
4. Roll the dough into a roll, coat it with egg yolk and bake at 180ºC. The pie will be ready in just 20 minutes.

Triangles with chicken and onion filling

1. Boil chicken breast (250 - 300 g) in salted water.
2. Fry the finely chopped onion in hot oil.
3. Divide the meat into fibers and place in a frying pan with the onions. Fry lightly.
4. Fold three sheets of phyllo one on top and cut lengthwise into three thin “paths”. Grease each one with oil.
5. Place a spoonful of filling on the edge. Lift the dough by one corner, covering the minced meat. Continue wrapping the phyllo around the filling until you have a triangle shape.
6. Place the puff pastries on parchment, brush them with chicken yolk and bake at 200ºC for 15 minutes.

"Napoleon" from filo dough

We fold the phyllo sheets in threes and place them on parchment paper. Bake the pieces in the oven for 4 minutes until golden brown.

Cream:

• a can of condensed milk;
• a stick of butter;
• a cup of heavy cream;

Beat condensed milk and butter separately. We transform the cream into a stable foam in another container. Mix both with a spatula. We get butter cream.

Grease the phyllo cakes with the resulting mixture. Sprinkle the top layer with crumbs and put the cake in the refrigerator until the morning.

Filo dough is a wonderful base for improvisation. You can bake both sweet desserts and hearty meat pies with it. Many people prefer to buy ready-made dough. But, as we found out, making it yourself is not so difficult.