Greek Cooking: Getting the Feel of Phyllo Dough

Almost anyone who has eaten Greek food is familiar with that wonderful Greek specialty spanakopita, or spinach pie, or the most renowned of Greek sweets, baklava (see the recipe later in this article). While one dish is savory and the other sweet, both are recognizable from their baked-up, golden, crispy appearance, a telltale sign that they're made from phyllo (or filo) dough.

Phyllo (which means leaf in Greek) dough is finely rolled and stretched sheets of wheat dough. Paper-thin and almost translucent, the sheets are approximately 12 x 20 inches and are stacked, rolled, wrapped, and then frozen. Phyllo dough is readily available at most supermarkets and at Greek and Middle Eastern specialty food stores.

Because the dough is already rolled and cut, phyllo is easy to work with when handled properly. Be aware, however, that the sheets of dough are so thin that they dry out quickly and can tear, leading to less than satisfactory results.

For beautiful baked goods, follow these tips for working with phyllo:

Plan accordingly. Frozen phyllo dough has to defrost several hours or overnight in a tightly sealed package before you use it.
Always defrost the dough in the refrigerator. If not, the outer sheets may become sticky from condensation in the package as it defrosts. Sticky sheets usually tear as you try to separate them.
Because the dough tends to dry out so quickly, prepare the filling mixture and other ingredients while the dough defrosts. Cool filling mixtures to room temperature before using.
Bring the dough to room temperature before using.
To remove the phyllo dough from the package, carefully slit one end of the inner plastic bag. Save the bag to repack any leftover dough. Remove the defrosted dough from the package and carefully unroll it slowly so you don't tear it. Set the entire stack of phyllo on a large tray or clean kitchen towel.
The sheets of dough are so thin that they'll begin to dry out almost immediately. The dry phyllo will then crack and be almost impossible to work with. Therefore, always cover the dough immediately with a sheet or two of wax paper or a clean, dampened kitchen cloth, wrung out well, making sure that the edges of the dough are well protected.
Phyllo dough is usually a fat-free product. When baking with it, you usually need to brush the individual sheets with melted, clarified butter.
Don't fret if the dough gets small tears or cracks in it. The dough is so thin that such cracks are inevitable. Simply brush the area with melted butter, patch up the problem area with a small piece of dough, and brush over it again with some more butter.
Never wet or brush the phyllo sheets (or "leaves," as the Greeks refer to them) with water. Doing so can cause the phyllo to fall apart.
Because pastries using phyllo are made with melted butter, always bake them on a pan with a lip to catch any runoff.
Unused, leftover phyllo sheets can be rerolled and placed in the original plastic bag. Tape to seal the end and place back in the box. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or refreeze for up to 3 months.
Baklava
The most famous of Greek pastries, baklava is a diamond-shaped pastry made of layers of buttery, crisp phyllo, filled with sweetened nuts, and bathed in a honey-enriched syrup. The contrast of textures and flavors makes this dessert unique and a special treat.

The recipe is somewhat labor-intensive, so plan accordingly to allow the phyllo dough to defrost and to let the baked baklava absorb the honey syrup overnight before serving.

Preparation time: 1 hour, plus overnight for baklava to absorb honey syrup

Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Yield: Approximately 30 pieces

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups water

1/4 cup honey

1 small strip lemon peel

1 small cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1-1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

1-1/2 cups finely chopped almonds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1-pound package (about 20 sheets) frozen phyllo dough, defrosted overnight

3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) melted, unsalted butter

1. Prepare the syrup by combining 1-1/2 cups sugar, water, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon peel, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice. Pour through a fine mesh strainer before using.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Combine the walnuts, almonds, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves in a small bowl and set aside.

4. Unroll the defrosted phyllo dough. Place on a clean kitchen cloth. If necessary, cut sheets to fit a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Cover with wax paper or a dampened kitchen cloth, wrung out well, so that the phyllo dough doesn't dry out.

5. Brush the bottoms and sides of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with some of the melted butter.

6. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on the prepared pan. Brush with melted butter and top with another sheet of dough. Repeat the process 6 more times so that you have a stack of 8 buttered sheets.

7. Sprinkle 1 cup of the nut mixture over the buttered stack of phyllo.

8. Cover with a sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with melted butter. Top with 2 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter.

9. Sprinkle another cup of the nut mixture over the buttered stack of phyllo.

10. Cover with a sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with melted butter.

11. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the buttered stack. Top with the remaining sheets of buttered phyllo (approximately 9 more sheets, depending on brand and package size). Make sure that the top sheet is clean, without any tears. Brush with melted butter.

12. Holding a sharp knife vertically, cut the unbaked baklava into diamond shapes.

13. Bake on the center oven rack for approximately 75 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the layers are puffed up.

14. Remove from the oven. Carefully spoon half of the prepared syrup over the baked baklava. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the remaining syrup over the baklava. As soon as the baklava is cooled to room temperature, cover with foil and let sit overnight before serving.

Most 1-pound packages of phyllo dough come packaged approximately 20 to 25 sheets to a box. If the sheets are larger than the size of your pan, cut through the stack of unrolled sheets so that they fit properly. Overlap them slightly as you place them in the pan.