Crinkle Phyllo Easy Spanakopita Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many layers of phyllo dough should I use? ›

Typically, phyllo dishes should have a finished thickness of 3 to 10 sheets per layer. (A one-pound box of phyllo contains about 20 sheets.) Tip: Phyllo pastries can often be very brittle when baked. We recommend using a serrated knife to cut the finished dish to prevent all of the filling from squishing out.

To get that flaky effect, you need to brush some sort of fat between each layer of dough. Usually I use unsalted butter, which gives the finished product a beautiful golden color. For those who don't want to use dairy, you can substitute extra-virgin olive oil for the butter.

Lightly brush each layer of phyllo with melted butter or olive oil. To prevent edges from cracking, lightly brush edges first and then work into center. For fewer tears, use a soft bristle brush to spread oil or butter over phyllo.

Phyllo consists of tissue-thin sheets of dough. Phyllo, also spelled filo or fillo, means "leaf" in Greek, and the pastry dough is widely used in the Balkans and Middle East.

Filo pastry is basically an unleavened dough which can be used to wrap or top a filling. It has a satisfying bite, is made up of many. All layers should be brushed with butter before baking – a little trick that will make all the difference.

Good to know:

Filo pastry can be bought frozen (defrost for ~ 1 hr before use) or in the fridge section, ready to be used straight away. It's super thin and can dry easily once it's removed from it's packaging, so work quickly or use a damp kitchen towel to keep it covered and supple.

There are two key elements to promoting the extensibility necessary in the dough: adding vinegar to the dough, which weakens some of the gluten bonding, making it less elastic; and ample resting. Of course, it takes practice, just like working with any kind of dough.

Cover the unrolled phyllo with a sheet of waxed paper covered by a damp towel to keep it moist. It dries out very quickly. As you remove one sheet at a time, cover the remainder.

Sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs between each layer of pastry as you go – this will help to keep the pastry crisp. When you get to the final layer, brush with a little extra oil and scrunch the edges together to create a pretty border.

The origin of the practice of stretching raw dough into paper-thin sheets is unclear, with many cultures claiming credit. Most say that it was derived from the Greeks; Homer's Odyssey, written around 800 BC, mentions thin breads sweetened with walnuts and honey.

Why is my filo pastry soggy? ›

Use a dry filling: Wet fillings, such as those with high water content, can seep into the pastry and make it soggy. Try to use a filling that is as dry as possible. Pre-bake the pastry: Pre-baking the pastry, also known as blind baking, involves baking the pastry shell for a short time before adding the filling.

The crescent-shaped croissant is a flaky pastry with buttery layers whereas a puff pastry is a drier composition of dough. Both use similar ingredients and preparation work.

Even better, switch your pastry from shortcrust or puff to filo. This is the lowest-fat pastry by far, with 2.9g fat per 100g. This compares with 26.2g for puff or 31.4g for shortcrust. Filo is the lowest-calorie option too, and it's easy to use.

The Greek word for leaf or sheet is fillo (φύλλο)—as in the thin sheets of pastry dough used in savory and sweet dishes—and is also pronounced FEE-loh. "So... there you go!" [In a Greek accent, rolling the “r” in “there,” of course.]

A typical Puff Pastry can have a ranges of between 500 - 700 layers depending on the total of folds involved. You can fold the dough in a number of different ways and the two most common ways are called the " Single Fold / Letter Fold" and "Double Fold/ Book Fold".

Yes, but you might want to use an eggwash or water to make sure the two layers stick together. Yep, there are recipes that call for exactly that.

Unroll the filo pastry pack. Remove sheets as you need them, keeping unused sheets covered with cling film or a damp tea towel. Brush each sheet with melted butter and layer up according to the recipe. Layering several sheets of pastry will make your finished dish sturdier.

Perform at least 3-4 folds (up to a 7) for a flakier pastry. Once done with lamination(folding) wrap and chill the dough for about 4 hour (or even overnight). After resting roll out to desired width and length depending on the recipe you are going to use the puff for.