Easy Mini Mushroom Pies Recipe (With Filo Pastry) (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between phyllo and filo pastry? ›

What Is Phyllo Dough? Phyllo dough, also known as filo dough, is a paper-thin pastry dough made by rolling together layers of dough. It bakes to produce a flaky, shatteringly crisp texture.

To help those flaky layers of phyllo dough stay crispy, make sure you are using clarified butter or ghee (regular butter has too much moisture). I like to use 10 layers of phyllo dough for each layer. Be sure to brush the melted, clarified butter on every layer lightly, but be sure to butter the entire sheet.

Lay a damp (NOT wet) kitchen towel over the phyllo sheets while you are putting together your recipe. Make sure the towel is just slightly damp, enough to give the phyllo dough a little moisture so it doesn't dry out. Once you take a sheet off the stack, lay the towel back over the unused dough.

Make ahead. Many phyllo dishes can be assembled and frozen in airtight containers prior to baking. Do not defrost prior to baking. Phyllo is extremely versatile; so don't be limited with traditional phyllo dough recipes.

Typically, phyllo dishes should have a finished thickness of 3 to 10 sheets per layer. (A one-pound box of phyllo contains about 20 sheets.) Tip: Phyllo pastries can often be very brittle when baked. We recommend using a serrated knife to cut the finished dish to prevent all of the filling from squishing out.

Not necessarily, but butter is used traditionally and creates beautifully golden and crisp layers. If you don't want to use butter, you still need to brush the pastry with another form of fat to help your pastry cook properly.

To achieve a crispy and light texture with phyllo dough, make sure to brush each layer with melted butter or oil. Additionally, avoid overloading the layers with too much filling, as this can contribute to a soggy result. Bake at the recommended temperature, and keep a close eye on it to prevent over-browning.

Brush the top layer of filo pastry with the last of the melted butter. Lightly score the top of the pie with a sharp knife. Bake it in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the filo pastry crust is a deep golden-brown.

The best way to ensure that your phyllo dough remains whole is to let it thaw before using and unrolling it, and to keep it covered under slightly damp kitchen towels to keep it from drying out at room temperature (via My Greek Dish).

The acidic properties of vinegar inhibit gluten, some will say. This theory proposes that once the water and flour are combined, gluten starts forming, causing the dough to grow tough. Adding an acid, the theory goes, stops the gluten in its tracks and rescues the crust from toughness.

Why is my filo pastry soggy? ›

Fillings should be cooled before spooning into the phyllo as hot or warm fillings will cause the pastry to wilt. Brush the edges of the pastry lightly with an egg wash to bake and seal the edges. Do not microwave phyllo pastries and pies as this will make them limp and soggy.

Leftover Fillo or Kataifi Pastry can be placed back in its packaging, sealed tightly and stored in the fridge for later use. Alternatively, you can also make extra portions of the meal, store in an airtight container and keep them in the freezer to be baked at another time.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden and looks crispy. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Defrost Properly

Refrigerate frozen phyllo for about 8 hours or overnight to allow it to thaw, then leave it at room temp for another hour or two until all the sheets are pliable.

One sheet has under 50 calories and one gram of fat. But if you slather it with butter or oil, obviously the calorie and fat counts can soar. Brushing it with egg white, instead, is a simple way to make the dough flaky without using the added fat. If you have never worked with phyllo before, don't be intimidated.

You can swap in puff pastry for phyllo dough in a pinch, and the other way around, but don't expect the same results. Here's the best way to use each of these flaky, versatile doughs. It's easy to love any recipe calling for phyllo or puff pastry.

Phyllo dough also has a less rich flavor because it's not made with butter. Because of these differences in texture and flavor, the two can't be interchanged to yield the same results. If you're new to using phyllo, puff pastry, or both, here are a few recipes to get you started.

Puff pastry is laminated, which means butter is folded into the dough multiple times to create alternating layers of butter and dough. This results in lots of thin layers and an airy texture. Phyllo, meanwhile, is a paper-thin dough that's made with oil instead of butter.

Even better, switch your pastry from shortcrust or puff to filo. This is the lowest-fat pastry by far, with 2.9g fat per 100g. This compares with 26.2g for puff or 31.4g for shortcrust. Filo is the lowest-calorie option too, and it's easy to use.