Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Basic Homemade Phyllo Dough

* Exported from MasterCook *

Basic Homemade Phyllo Dough

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 11 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowFat (Less than 25%)
No Yeast Unleavened

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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4 cups all-purpose flour -- to 4 1/2 cups as needed
1 teaspoon salt -- scant
1 1/2 cups warm water -- or more if needed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar -- or fresh lemon juice, as needed

Combine 4 cups of the flour and the salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the water, the olive oil, and the vinegar or lemon juice. Work the flour into the liquid with a fork, until a dough begins to form, then knead it in the bowl, adding a little more flour or water if necessary, for about 10 minutes. The dough should be silky, pliant, and smooth. Cover and let rest at room temperature at least one hour before using.

Follow the directions for making individual savory pies.

All homemade phyllo may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight bag for up to three days. Bring it to room temperature before using.

Phyllo dough may be made in a kitchen mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Makes enough pastry for a 15 or 18-inch round pan

AuthorNote: There are about as many recipes for homemade phyllo as there are regional cooks in Greece. The recipe below for homemade phyllo is my basic, all-purpose recipe. It makes for a malleable dough that is easy to work with and easy to roll. It may be used to prepare any of the pies in this book, and will be enough for either a 15 or 18-inch savory pie. You may halve the recipe (and by extension, individual pie and filling proportions) to make smaller pies in a 8-inch or 10-inch round baking pans.

PHYLLO IN EPIRUS:
Reduce the amount of water to 1 1/4 cups and add one egg, beaten.

Epirote cooks traditionally use a different technique than the one prescribed above for mixing the dough. In step 1, mix together 4 cups of the flour and the alt in a large basin and make a well in the center. Add the egg to the well. With one hand, sprinkle the water, a little at a time, and, as you do this, knead the dough by pressing it as it dampens with the back of the other fist, as though "punching" the dough. Keep sprinkling and kneading until a dough mass forms that is smooth and firm and doesn't stick. Sprinkle in a little more flour if necessary to achieve the proper consistency.

Roll out the dough immediately into a rope about an inch thick and divide it into as many individual pieces as the individual recipe specifies. Rub each ball with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and set aside, covered with a kitchen towel, to rest for about 10 minutes. Roll out following the directions in the individual recipes.

PHYLLO AFRATO, PHYLLO IN THE IONIAN ISLANDS:
Follow the same directions as for basic phyllo, but reduce the water to 1 cup and add 1/2 cup of strained plain yogurt together with the remaining liquids. The yogurt produces a springy pastry, sometimes referred to as afrato, or light.

PHYLLO IN ROUMELI:
Follow the directions for basic phyllo, reducing the amount of water to 1 cup, increasing the amount of olive oil to 1 cup, and reducing the vinegar or lemon juice to 1 tablespoon. The additional olive oil makes for a slightly flakier final result. They also add shortening for an even flakier crust. To do this, work 1/2 cup vegetable shortening into the flour with your fingers until it is mealy. Reduce the amount of olive oil to 3/4 cup and add it to the well together with the other liquids.

PHYLLO IN CRETE:
Most cooks add yeast and a little eau de vie to the basic phyllo dough recipe. Combine 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast in step 1 of the basic recipe, together with the flour and salt. Follow the same directions for mixing and kneading, but use warm water and reduce the amount to 1 cup while increasing the olive oil to 1/2 cup and the lemon juice or eau de vie (not vinegar) to 3 tablespoons. This is the basic phyllo for making the gamut of Crete's small skillet pies. It will provide enough dough for 30 to 40 pastries.

Cuisine:
"Greek"
Source:
"The Glorious Foods of Greece by Diane Kochilas, 2001"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Oct 2011"
Yield:
"1 18-inch pie"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 209 Calories; 5g Fat (23.3% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 196mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0