How to Work with Phyllo Dough: Pro Tips
Flaky, buttery, crispy, delicious. We all love phyllo dough… but unfortunately, it’s not the most forgiving ingredient. If it’s frozen too long, it’ll break, and it dries out super quickly. It’s just sensitive—what can I say?
The crunchy, chewy texture you get when you layer sheets of phyllo is well worth the effort, but make sure to read these tips before you open that package! Here’s all my best advice: How to work with phyllo dough so you get the perfect results every time.
Tip #1: Defrost the Dough Properly
I can’t emphasize this enough: You DO NOT want to rush defrosting phyllo dough. No quick trip in the microwave. No shortcuts. When you make a recipe with phyllo dough, you need to think ahead!
Pull the frozen package of dough out of the freezer the night before you want to use it. Put it in the refrigerator overnight—phyllo dough takes about 8 hours to thaw. After that, leave it out on your countertop at room temperature for another hour until the sheets are completely pliable. Only then is your dough properly defrosted.
Tip #2: Add Butter or Oil for Flaky Phyllo Layers
To get that flaky effect, you need to brush some sort of fat between each layer of dough. Usually I use unsalted butter, which gives the finished product a beautiful golden color. For those who don’t want to use dairy, you can substitute extra-virgin olive oil for the butter. Just make sure you’re doing one or the other—you will not achieve that delicious, flaky texture without the extra fat!
Pull the frozen package of dough out of the freezer the night before you want to use it. Put it in the refrigerator overnight—phyllo dough takes about 8 hours to thaw. After that, leave it out on your countertop at room temperature for another hour until the sheets are completely pliable. Only then is your dough properly defrosted.
Tip #3: Keep Your Phyllo Covered While You Work
Phyllo dough dries out super fast. 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. Plastic wrap can also work, but I personally think the damp towel works the best.
Pull the frozen package of dough out of the freezer the night before you want to use it. Put it in the refrigerator overnight—phyllo dough takes about 8 hours to thaw. After that, leave it out on your countertop at room temperature for another hour until the sheets are completely pliable. Only then is your dough properly defrosted.
Tip #4: Do Not Re-Freeze Thawed Phyllo Dough
Sorry to say it, but once that dough is thawed, you really can’t refreeze it. It just gets too dry. So, before you decide how much dough to thaw, make sure you have the right amount of filling to use it up! you want to use it. Put it in the refrigerator overnight—phyllo dough takes about 8 hours to thaw. After that, leave it out on your countertop at room temperature for another hour until the sheets are completely pliable. Only then is your dough properly defrosted.
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