Phyllo dough is commonly used in several regional variants of baklava.
Phyllo dough consists of numerous layers of unleavened flour-based dough, similar to puff pastry. As phyllo dough bakes, moisture contained in the dough produces steam, separating the layers slightly and creating a flaky texture. Phyllo dough is commonly found in two market forms - prebaked or fresh. Due to modern flash freezing techniques, prebaked phyllo dough performs as capably and produces results nearly identical to fresh. Phyllo dough, whether made fresh or purchased fresh, is commonly stored in stacks of 20 to 30 sheets and rolled into a cylinder for easy storage.
Instructions
Fresh
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and place the fillings in bowls to prepare for use.
2. Melt 1 cup of unsalted butter and set it aside.
3. Position a piece of parchment paper larger than the sheets of phyllo dough on the work surface.
4. Unroll the stack of phyllo dough sheets onto the piece of parchment paper to prevent it from touching the work surface.
5. Position another piece of parchment paper on top of the stack of phyllo dough sheets to prevent the air contact that leads to drying. Coat a sheet pan with a thin layer of melted butter.
6. Dust the work surface with all-purpose flour. Remove a sheet from the stack of phyllo dough and place it on the lightly floured work surface. Replace the parchment paper covering the stack.
7. Cut the phyllo dough into 3-inch-wide strips with a pastry wheel.
8. Apply a thin layer of melted butter to the phyllo-dough strips with a pastry brush. Use broad strokes, brushing from the outside in.
9. Position 1 and one-half teaspoon of filling at the bottom of the strip of phyllo, about one-third inch from the edge on all sides.
10. Fold the strip so the bottom-right corner meets the left side of the strip, forming a triangle. Continue folding the strip using a series triangular folds until you reach the end of the dough strip, similar to folding a flag.
11. Position 1 and one-half teaspoon of filling at the bottom of the remaining strips and repeat the folding process with each.
12. Arrange the filled phyllo dough triangles on the sheet pan, spacing them one-half inch apart. Brush the top of each with melted butter and place them in the oven.
13. Bake the phyllo dough until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.
Prebaked
14. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and melt one-half cup of unsalted butter and set it aside.
15. Coat a sheet pan with a thin layer of melted butter.
16. Fill the prebaked phyllo dough triangles with 1 and one-half teaspoon of your filling and arrange them on the sheet pan.
17.Brush the top of each filled phyllo with melted butter and arrange them one-half inch apart on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the oven.
18. Bake the phyllo dough until golden brown, approximately seven minutes.
Tags: phyllo dough, melted butter, parchment paper, stack phyllo, stack phyllo dough