What is filo pastry commonly used for?
Filo or phyllo is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and börek in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Filo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of filo brushed with oil or butter; the pastry is then baked.
Is filo pastry healthier than puff pastry?
Puff or flaky pastries, used in meat pies, have double that quantity of fat – and it’s not usually heart-friendly fat. Filo pastry has a huge health advantage because there is no fat in the mix. The end product still presses all the pie buttons while being much better for our health and waistlines.
What is the difference between phyllo and filo?
Phyllo consists of tissue-thin sheets of dough. The sheets are almost as thin as leaves; phyllo spelled filo or fillo means “leaf” in Greek. Phyllo gets crisp and flaky when baked but it doesn’t have the same rich, airy quality that puff pastry has.
How long can you keep filo pastry in the fridge?
3 days
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.
How long does filo pastry last?
How do I store unused phyllo dough in the refrigerator? Wrap any leftover phyllo tightly with plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How bad is pastry for you?
Most pastries, cookies, and cakes are unhealthy if eaten in excess. Packaged versions are generally made with refined sugar, refined wheat flour, and added fats. Shortening, which may be high in unhealthy trans fats, is sometimes added.
Can filo dough be used instead of puff pastry?
There are some recipes where you could substitute puff pastry, but it will give a different feel. Filo is much more crumbly and light, while puff pastry will be denser. As a rule of thumb, if you are using filo for recipes where you just want a flaky pastry, then puff pastry may work instead , such as some appetizer bites, but otherwise I’d suggest you don’t substitute.
What is the origin of filo pastry?
History of Filo Dough. Most food historians agree that filo dough has its roots in the Byzantine time period . Because of the ingenuity of the people at the time, they were very efficient at growing wheat and creating flour. As a result, they made massive amounts of dough that they baked as bread, pastries, and other treats.
Where do I find filo pastry?
Filo can be found in the supermarket , usually in the chiller near where you’ll find things like pizza bases. It should be stored refrigerated, and once opened can be kept for up to a week. Filo can be used to substitute for other pastry, but it has quite a different texture and taste.
Can You refreeze filo pastry?
Make your filo pastry dough as you normally would.