PHYLLO

(Redirected from Filo)

'Phyllo', 'filo' or 'fillo' dough also known as (Greek φύλλο 'leaf') consists of paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough. The Turkish name for phyllo is ''yufka'', though there is also a Turkish flatbread named ''yufka''.
Phyllo dough is made with flour, water, and a small amount of oil. It is almost always used in multiple layers separated by melted butter. When these are baked, they become crispy and the result resembles puff pastry, though the method is very different, and they are generally not substituted for one another.
Phyllo and yufka are used in many of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire. The individual sheets are layered with butter and other ingredients, then baked to make flaky pies and pastries, including ''baklava'', ''spanakopita'', ''tyropita'', ''bstilla'', and ''börek''. Rolled out dough layers are also used for ''güllaç'', a Turkish dessert mostly eaten in the holy month of Ramadan. Phyllo layers together with walnuts and rose water are placed one by one in warm milk.
In Turkish cuisine these pastries are called ''börek'', in Egyptian cuisine they are called ''gollash'', in Albanian cuisine they are called ''byrek'', in Austrian-German-Hungarian cuisine the dough is called Blätterteig and pastries made from phyllo are called strudel. In Bosnia, the word ''burek'' is only used for the pastries with meat and other kinds are called ''pita''. In Serbian language phyllo is called ''kore'' (plural) while the pastries have various names, depending on mode of preparation. In Bulgaria the dough is called ''kori za banitsa'' (pl.) and the generic name for the pastries is ''banitsa'', although there are special names for some specific kinds.
Phyllo may be of ancient origin. Apicius records dishes constructed from sheets of unleavened bread, separated by layers of ingredients such as chicken, pine nuts and goats-cheese, but he does not describe the butter-layering technique, which is essential for the crisp puffing. As early as the 11th century, a dictionary of Turkish dialects (''Diwan Lughat al-Turk'') recorded pleated/folded bread as one meaning of the word ''yuvgha'', which is related to the word (''yufka''). The idea of stretching raw dough into paper-thin sheets is a later development, probably developed in the kitchens of the Topkapi palace.^[1]
Homemade phyllo takes time and skill. It requires progressive rolling and stretching of the dough to a single, thin and very big sheet, with continual flouring of its surface, which tends to break apart. A very big table and a long roller are used. Once finished, the phyllo is floured, folded, then used as desired. Most phyllo is made with wheat flour and water, but some dessert recipes call for egg yolks in addition.
Machines for producing filo pastry were perfected in the mid-twentieth century.^[2] Nowadays most phyllo is produced by machine. Phyllo for domestic use is widely available from supermarkets, fresh or frozen.
Phyllo can be used in many ways: layered, folded, rolled, or ruffled, with various fillings (or none). Some common varieties are:

★ with apples: ''Apfelstrudel''

★ with cheese: called ''Peynirli börek'' in Turkey, ''Burekas'' in Israel, ''Tyropita'' in Greece, ''Gibanica'' in Serbia, standard ''Banitsa'' in Bulgaria

★ with cherries

★ with chicken: called ''Tavuklu börek'' in Turkish cuisine, ''Kotopita'' in Greek cuisine

★ with greens: called ''Chortopita'' in Greek cuisine (''Prasopita'' when filled with leeks)

★ with meat: called ''Kıymalı börek'' or ''Talas böreği'' (with diced meat and vegetables) in Turkish cuisine, ''Kreatopita'' in Greek cuisine, Burek in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and elsewhere

★ with nuts and syrup: ''Baklava''

★ with potatoes: called ''Patatopita'' in Greek cuisine

★ with powdered sugar on top

★ with spinach and feta cheese: called ''Ispanaklı börek'' in Turkish cuisine, ''Spanakopita'' in Greek cuisine

★ with boiled layers of dough containing cheese in between: ''Su böreği'' in Turkish cuisine
Some recipes also use an egg yolk glaze on top when baked, to enhance color and crispness.

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References

External links

References

1. See the ''baklava'' article.
2. Athens Foods, Cleveland, OH

External links

★ baking911.com