Filo or phyllo (Greek: φύλλο, “leaf” or “sheet”), is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and boureki in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines or to make pies such as hortopita, tiropita and many others.
Filo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of filo brushed with oil or butter; the pastry is then baked. Filo dough is made with flour, water and a small amount of oil or white vinegar, though some dessert recipes also call for egg yolks. Homemade filo takes time and skill, requiring progressive rolling and stretching to a single thin and very large sheet. A large table and a long roller are used, with continual flouring between layers to prevent tearing.
