Easy Phyllo Pastry Tarts with Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to butter each layer of phyllo? ›

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.

Phyllo Dough

Phyllo (also spelled filo), which means “leaf” in Greek, is tissue-thin sheets of dough that have very little fat. Many popular Greek dishes, such as baklava and spanakopita, are made with phyllo dough. Phyllo dough can also make great edible serving cups for appetizers or desserts.

Phyllo dough is available in frozen sheets or shells. The shells do not need thawing, but the sheets must be completely thawed before using.

Puff pastry is a laminated dough that gets its signature airy puff from layers of butter, while phyllo dough is comparatively low-fat. Phyllo dough is mostly flour and water and can dry out easily. The fine sheets of pastry dough create a crispy, crackly effect when layered and baked.

One package contains dozens of paper-thin sheets of phyllo. Most preparations use 5 or more of these sheets stacked together. These sheets can become gummy if too damp or brittle if too dry.

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.

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.

It doesn't contain as much fat as puff pastry so it doesn't need to be laminated (more on that in a moment), but phyllo must be rolled into extremely thin sheets to obtain the right texture. Luckily, commercially prepared phyllo dough is a convenient alternative that results in a product that is as good as homemade.

Refrigerate unopened phyllo dough for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. Opened dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Baked phyllo should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

What is the best brand of phyllo dough? ›

There are several brands of phyllo dough available, and the best one for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. One of the most popular brands of phyllo dough is Athens Foods. Athens Foods is known for its high-quality phyllo dough that is easy to work with and produces flaky, crispy pastries.

Defrost Properly

Refrigerate frozen phyllo for about 8 hours or overnight to allow it to thaw, then leave it at room temp for another hour or two until all the sheets are pliable. Jumping the gun will lead to cracks, which just won't do.

Puff pastry is laminated, which means butter is folded into the dough multiple times to create alternating layers of butter and dough. This results in lots of thin layers and an airy texture. Phyllo, meanwhile, is a paper-thin dough that's made with oil instead of butter.

Hands should be as dry as possible when handling the dough. Bring the packaged phyllo to room temperature before opening and using. Remove the thawed phyllo from the package and unroll the sheets. Cover the unrolled phyllo with a sheet of waxed paper covered by a damp towel to keep it moist.

The sheets are always layered with oil or butter, which creates the crispy, flaky texture when baked.

The magic of phyllo sheets comes in the layering. You'll brush oil or melted butter between each layer of phyllo. I'm using olive oil for this spinach pie. Oil the dish, add a sheet of phyllo, brush with oil, top with another phyllo sheet and repeat.

To achieve a crispy and light texture with phyllo dough, make sure to brush each layer with melted butter or oil. Additionally, avoid overloading the layers with too much filling, as this can contribute to a soggy result. Bake at the recommended temperature, and keep a close eye on it to prevent over-browning.

Brush your filo layers with butter

of butter, so prepare, cook, and melt a good measure before brushing. And butter comes in handy too if your filo starts breaking a little.