Easy Mini Mushroom Pies Recipe (With Filo Pastry) (2024)

FAQs

Can I use phyllo dough instead of puff pastry? ›

In some cases, you could use them interchangeably – like for a pie crust or strudel. But for things that are very fluffy and flaky- like Baklava – you'd definitely want to use Phyllo dough.

It needs to be blind baked first. Press the dough into your pie plate & poke a few fork holes in the bottom. Then cover it with aluminum foil and pour pie weights or dried beans on top, to keep the pastry from rising.

Brush each layer of fillo with melted butter, margarine or oil.To prevent edges from cracking, brush edges first and then work into center. Be sure to brush the last layer of fillo with melted butter. Fillings should be chilled and not excessively moist. Fillo may be rolled and refrozen to store when not in use.

Traditionally, phyllo dough is made by stretching a flour-and-water dough very slowly and carefully across a cloth-covered table until the dough is so thin that the tablecloth can be seen through the dough! Frozen phyllo works very well, but it must be handled carefully.

The main differences between puff pastry and phyllo dough are their fat content and preparation. 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.

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.

So the difference is simple, it's the fat! In the Puff Pastry the butter is folded in, in the Strudel dough the oil is part of the dough from the beginning and the Phyllo dough is brushed with oil before being baked. So per your question, strudel dough sometimes includes an egg, whereas filo (phyllo) never does.

Filo Pastry contains virtually no fat but a light brushing of melted butter, ghee or oil imparts a sheen to the baked recipe and adds to the eating qualities. Use a pastry brush and brush the sheets very lightly before using each one in the recipe.

You can use the filo pastry from the fridge straight away, but you need to thaw the frozen filo pastry first. To do this, leave it out on the kitchen counter until it's at room temperature and pliable.

It dries out very quickly, so it is usually brushed with a fat before cooking. For the Om Ali the filo is brushed with melted butter and then put on a baking sheet and cooked in the oven until golden and crisp. The pastry is very thin and doesn't necessarily need fat to be brushed onto both sides.

Why is my filo pastry dry? ›

Phyllo dough dries out super fast. Lay a damp (NOT wet) kitchen towel over the phyllo sheets while you are putting together your recipe. Make sure the towel is just slightly damp, enough to give the phyllo dough a little moisture so it doesn't dry out.

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.

What is Phyllo Pastry? Phyllo, Fillo, or Filo, which means "leaf" in Greek, is tissue paper-thin like sheets of dough made from flour, water and a bit of oil. However, Phyllo dough was not born in Greece rather in Istanbul during the Ottoman reign. The name "Phyllo" is Greek but the dough technique itself is Turkish.

Sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs between each layer of pastry as you go – this will help to keep the pastry crisp. When you get to the final layer, brush with a little extra oil and scrunch the edges together to create a pretty border.

Phyllo dough can be a great substitute for puff pastry in dishes like spanakopita and baklava [2].

Let's just say that phyllo isn't the most forgiving dough. I learned this recently when developing this curried potato tart casserole recipe. Working with frozen phyllo dough takes patience and no small amount of finesse, but those crunchy, lighter-than-air layers are more than worth the effort.

Phyllo dough is usually found in the frozen food section, either in flat squares or in rolls. 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.

Bake phyllo pies and pastries at approximately 350 F / 175 C on the rack just below the middle of the oven. Defrost properly following package and/or recipe directions. While working, keep unused phyllo covered to prevent drying. Don't throw out damaged, torn, or unused phyllo!