Filo Pastry
Cooking Skills: Pastry 2
Chapter 2 · Filo Pastry
Skill goal
Handle paper-thin filo without it drying out, and build crisp layers with butter.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Filo (Greek for leaf) is a dough stretched until it is paper-thin and dried into sheets. Making it at home takes skill and a long table, so everyone buys it: look for it in the freezer aisle and thaw it overnight in the fridge. The pastry crisps because each thin sheet is brushed with fat, and the sheets bake into brittle, crackling layers with air between them. It has no raising agent of its own and no fat in the dough, so the fat you brush between layers is what makes it flaky.
The enemy is drying out. Filo dries in minutes in the open air, then cracks and crumbles when you try to fold it. Keep the stack covered with cling film and a barely damp tea towel, and take out only the sheets you are using. Cracked sheets are not a disaster: patch them with an extra layer. For shortcrust see Cooking Skills: Pastry 1, chapter 1; puff pastry is in chapters 3 and 4 of this course.
The method
- Thaw filo in the fridge overnight, never in the microwave, then bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before unrolling.
- Keep it covered with cling film and a barely damp tea towel while you work.
- Brush each sheet lightly with melted butter (or oil), from the edges inward, using a soft brush.
- Layer, fill and fold quickly, and brush the top once more before baking.
- Bake at 180 to 190°C until deep golden; pale filo is soft and papery.
| Bake | Layers | Filling | Oven (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach and feta triangles | 3 per strip | Spinach, feta | 190°C, 20 minutes |
| Cheese rolls | 1 sheet, rolled | Feta, mozzarella, mint | 190°C, 20 minutes |
| Apple strudel | 6 sheets, rolled | Apples, raisins | 190°C, 35 minutes |
| Baklava-style pastries | 8 sheets, cut | Nuts and spice, syrup | 180°C, 40 minutes |
Dry filo, hot oven, hot syrup and allergens
Dry filo: filo dries out and cracks in minutes. Keep the sheets you are not using under cling film and a barely damp tea towel, work quickly, and brush each sheet with melted butter or oil as you go.Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.
Hot syrup and sugar: syrup and jam fillings become hotter than boiling water and stick to skin. Let a tart cool for 15 minutes before cutting, and take care with hot jam when eating tarts straight from the tin.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Spinach and feta triangles
The classic filo starter, and a good way to practise handling the sheets. Squeeze the spinach very dry. Cut the sheets into strips, brush, fill, and fold like a flag so each triangle is neatly sealed.
Ingredients (12 triangles)
- 200 g frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed very dry
- 150 g feta, crumbled
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 6 sheets of filo
- 50 g unsalted butter, melted
- Mix the spinach, feta, half the beaten egg and nutmeg. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas 5). Lay out 1 sheet, brush with butter, add a second, and cut lengthways into 4 strips; repeat with all sheets to make 12 strips of 2 layers.
- Put a heaped teaspoon of filling at one end of a strip, fold the corner over to form a triangle, and keep folding like a flag to the end. Brush with butter, tucking the end under.
- Place on a lined tray, brush with the remaining egg and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden.
Dry filo, hot oven and allergens
Dry filo: filo dries out and cracks in minutes. Keep the sheets you are not using under cling film and a barely damp tea towel, work quickly, and brush each sheet with melted butter or oil as you go.Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg and butter.
Level 2 · Rolls
Savoury cheese rolls
Thin cigars of filo filled with feta, mozzarella, egg and mint. Roll them loosely and tuck the ends in so the filling stays inside. They are best eaten the day they are made.
Ingredients (8 rolls)
- 150 g feta, crumbled
- 100 g grated mozzarella
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 4 sheets of filo
- 40 g unsalted butter, melted
- Mix the cheeses, half the egg and the mint. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas 5). Brush a sheet with butter and cut it in half to make 2 rectangles.
- Spoon a line of filling along the short edge, fold in the sides and roll up into a cigar. Brush the end with butter. Repeat to make 8.
- Place seam side down on a lined tray, brush with egg and butter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden.
Dry filo and hot oven
Dry filo: filo dries out and cracks in minutes. Keep the sheets you are not using under cling film and a barely damp tea towel, work quickly, and brush each sheet with melted butter or oil as you go.Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk and egg.
Level 2 · Sweet roll
Apple strudel
Fried breadcrumbs are scattered under the apples to soak up the juice and stop the layers going soggy. Roll with the help of the tea towel or the parchment under the filo.
Ingredients (8 slices)
- 6 sheets of filo
- 75 g unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
- 500 g cooking apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- 50 g caster sugar
- 50 g raisins
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas 5). Fry the breadcrumbs in 1 tablespoon of the butter until golden. Toss the apples with the sugar, raisins, cinnamon and lemon juice.
- Layer 6 buttered sheets on parchment, scatter the breadcrumbs over the bottom third, add the apples, fold in the sides and roll up using the parchment to help.
- Place seam side down on a tray, brush with butter and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until deep golden. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Dry filo, hot fruit and allergens
Dry filo: filo dries out and cracks in minutes. Keep the sheets you are not using under cling film and a barely damp tea towel, work quickly, and brush each sheet with melted butter or oil as you go.Hot syrup and sugar: syrup and jam fillings become hotter than boiling water and stick to skin. Let a tart cool for 15 minutes before cutting, and take care with hot jam when eating tarts straight from the tin.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk and butter.
Level 3 · Syrup
Baklava-style nut pastries
A tray of buttered filo layered with spiced nuts, cut before baking so the syrup soaks through. Pour the cool syrup over the hot pastry, so it sizzles and soaks in without making the filo soggy.
Ingredients (16 pieces)
- 8 sheets of filo
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted
- 200 g walnuts and pistachios, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 150 g caster sugar
- 150 ml water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Make the syrup first: boil the sugar, water, honey and lemon juice for 8 minutes, then cool. Mix the nuts with the cinnamon.
- Butter a 20 cm square tin. Layer 4 sheets, each buttered, scatter half the nuts, add 2 sheets, the rest of the nuts, then 2 more sheets, brushing butter between each and on top. Cut into diamonds with a sharp knife, right through.
- Bake at 180°C (160°C fan, gas 4) for 35 to 40 minutes until deep golden. Pour the cooled syrup over the hot pastry and leave for several hours.
Hot syrup, nuts and hot oven
Hot syrup and sugar: syrup and jam fillings become hotter than boiling water and stick to skin. Let a tart cool for 15 minutes before cutting, and take care with hot jam when eating tarts straight from the tin.Nuts: Bakewell tart contains almonds, a tree nut. Say so clearly when serving, keep it away from anyone with a nut allergy, and check jam and almond extract labels.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.
Dry filo: filo dries out and cracks in minutes. Keep the sheets you are not using under cling film and a barely damp tea towel, work quickly, and brush each sheet with melted butter or oil as you go.
Experiments
Experiment
Butter or oil between sheets
Flavour and crisp.
- Make two small stacks, brushing one with melted butter and the other with olive oil, and bake.
Look for: Butter gives richer flavour and browns more; oil gives a lighter, crisper layer. Use either; a mix works well.
Experiment
Damp cloth or none
Drying.
- Leave a stack of filo uncovered on the worktop for 5 minutes while keeping another under a damp cloth.
Look for: The uncovered sheets dry, crack and crumble. The covered ones stay supple.
Experiment
Number of layers
Crispness.
- Bake a triangle of 2 layers and one of 4 layers.
Look for: More layers give a thicker crunch but may be doughy inside; 2 or 3 gives a delicate shell.
Experiment
180°C or 200°C
Browning.
- Bake two trays of filo triangles at 180°C and 200°C for the same time.
Look for: At 200°C filo can burn on the edges; at 180°C it browns evenly. Watch the oven.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach and feta triangles | ||||
| Cheese rolls | ||||
| Apple strudel | ||||
| Baklava-style pastries | ||||
| Butter or oil between sheets | ||||
| Damp cloth or none | ||||
| Number of layers | ||||
| 180°C or 200°C |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Filo cracks | Dried out or too cold | Cover it; thaw fully; patch with extra layers |
| Filo sticks together | Defrosted too fast or wet | Thaw slowly in the fridge; separate gently |
| Pale and soft | Too little butter or oven too cool | Brush more and bake hotter |
| Soggy base | Wet filling | Squeeze greens dry; use breadcrumbs under fruit |
| Filling leaks | Overfilled or poorly sealed | Use less filling; brush the end with butter and tuck under |
| Burnt edges | Oven too hot | Lower the heat or cover with foil |
Hot oven, hot syrup and leftovers
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.Hot syrup and sugar: syrup and jam fillings become hotter than boiling water and stick to skin. Let a tart cool for 15 minutes before cutting, and take care with hot jam when eating tarts straight from the tin.
Keeping and freezing: raw pastry keeps in the fridge for about 2 days wrapped tightly, and freezes for about 3 months (general guidance). Cooked pies and tarts keep for about 2 days chilled; reheat pies until steaming hot all the way through, and freeze cooked pies for no more than about 2 to 3 months.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can thaw and cover filo so it stays supple.
- I can brush sheets evenly with butter.
- I can fold a triangle and roll a cigar.
- I can roll a strudel.
- I can layer and syrup a baklava-style tray.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Pastry 2, chapter 3 is Rough Puff Pastry: folding butter into dough for quick layers.