Phyllo Dough Handling Tips

So you have a Baklava recipe in one hand, and a package of phyllo dough in the other.. This is the point where you need to stop and take a close look at your phyllo. As phyllo can be bought frozen or fresh, more times than not it will be frozen. Frozen phyllo can be found in any supermarket in the frozen food section, but for fresh phyllo, you will need to find an international supermarket, or one that specializes in Middle Eastern or Greek food.

Working with Frozen Phyllo

If you have purchased frozen phyllo, there are some crucial steps to take to make sure your dough works with you during preparation of your dish.

Thawing Phyllo
You will have to give yourself some time to prepare since frozen phyllo takes about 24 hours to defrost. The trick to thawing phyllo is to make sure that it doesn't defrost too quickly. Upon removing the phyllo from your freezer, keep it in it's original packaging and place in the refrigerator. Never thaw at room temperature. It will thaw too quickly and collect too much moisture. This is a recipe for disaster as the sheets will stick together and you will have a hard time separating them without tearing.

If you do find your phyllo sheet cracking or tearing, you can trim the sheet to remove the tear. If you are in mid-recipe and come across a tear, just put another sheet over your damaged one. Once baked it really won't be noticeable.

Another point to remember when thawing phyllo, if you try to separate the sheets when they are too cold, they will crack. Your best bet is to keep them in their packaging in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This is enough time and just the right temperature to ensure usable sheets of phyllo.

Fresh Phyllo

If you have purchased fresh phyllo, you are ready to go. Fresh phyllo can be kept in the refridgerator for up to two weeks if kept wrapped tightly or in it's original packaging, or it can be frozen (or re-frozen in the case of thawed phyllo) for 2-4 months. As with refrigeration, if freezing make sure the dough is tightly wrapped. Plastic wrap can be used to wrap the dough, and it is even better if you still have the packaging it came in.