Filo Recipe

The only special gear you need for filo — other than a large table or counter to roll on — is a thick dowel rod or a broom handle to use as a rolling pin. What, you’ve never rolled dough with a broom handle before? Well there’s never been a better time to learn!

1 lb. 4 ounces (4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
11 ounces (1 1/3 cups) warm water
2 ounces (1/4) cup olive oil
cornstarch (corn flour) for rolling

Sift the flour and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Combine the water and oil and add them. Stir on low until a dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead about six minutes until smooth.

Of course this can be done by hand, you’ll just want to knead it a little longer…about 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it relax at room temperature for about an hour.

Divide the dough into about a dozen pieces and roll them them into balls. Cover them with a cloth while you work.

Place a ball on a floured surface. Roll it out to a roughly 8″ circle with your dowel rod or a rolling pin. Flour it with corn starch and curl the edge of the dough around the dowel, then roll the dough up around the rod. Pressing down, roll the dowel on the counter until it’s a few inches wider.

Unroll the dough, dust it with more corn starch, flip it over, dust it again and re-wind it around the dowel. Repeat the rolling until the dough is about 16″ wide or wider. Carefully unroll the sheet (it may tear a little, that’s really no big deal).

Put down a towel, cloth, wax paper or parchment sheet that’s the same size as your filo sheet. Lay the dough in it, cover it with another cloth and repeat the process with the remaining dough (keeping wax paper between the sheets).

Refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.

12 thoughts on “Filo Recipe”

  1. Rats! I thought we were going to see a picture of Joe with a broom handle and mess o’ flour.

    I have to hand it to you Joe, I would never have thought anyone would make their own filo outside of a culinary school for demo purposes.

    1. I haven’t done it yet but I promise to take pictures! More Monday…I hope!

      – Joe

  2. please do take pictures. i’ve had some recipes that needs filo 🙁 but we don’t have one here on the market (or haven’t found anyone selling them, yet)

  3. The ingredients looks very similar to ones in homemade pasta..sans the egg yolk. I can hardly wait to hear of your experience making this.

  4. So, for those of us who lack the large counter, is it possible to break the dough into smaller amounts and just make smaller sheets?

    I know it seems like a foolish question, but some dough recipes really can’t be broken up.

    1. It’s not a fool question at all, Vanessa! You certainly can make smaller sheets. That shouldn’t be a problem in the least.

      – Joe

    1. Hey Nate! It depends on the machine. Mine doesn’t roll thin enough. Your might. Or you can just start with the pasta machine and finish with a rolling pin. That’s another way to go.

      Let me know how it turns out!

      – Joe

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