The market · Grains and flours · The Middle East, Southern Europe

Filo pastry

Paper-thin sheets of unleavened dough, layered with butter or oil for baklava, spanakopita and bougatsa.

crisp · flaky · neutral

What to do with it

Classics built on it
TurkishBaklavaMany sheets of paper-thin pastry layered with chopped pistachios or walnuts, baked in butter and soaked in syrup.No one here has made it yetGreekSpanakopitaSpinach and feta with spring onion and dill, baked in crisp layers of filo — as one big pie or small triangles.No one here has made it yetGreekBougatsaThin layers of filo wrapped round a warm semolina custard, baked, cut into squares and dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.No one here has made it yet

Goes with

butterfetaspinachpistachio

Knowing it

Where to buy
Fresh from Greek or Turkish shops is easiest to work; frozen is fine if it thaws slowly in the fridge.
Worth knowing
Keep the sheets you're not using under a damp tea towel, and work quickly — it dries and cracks in minutes.

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