Phyllo (filo) is paper-thin unleavened dough used across the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa — the foundation of baklava, börek, spanakopita, bstilla, and dozens of other pastries. The traditional technique of hand-stretching phyllo over a large cloth-covered table until you can read a newspaper through it is one of the most demanding skills in pastry. Each sheet is brushed with butter or oil, stacked in layers, and baked until shatteringly crisp and golden. The number of layers, the type of fat, and the filling determine the dish.
Traditional hand-stretched phyllo: high-protein flour, water, a small amount of oil, and vinegar (which relaxes the gluten). The dough rests for at least an hour, then is stretched over a floured cloth by reaching underneath and gently pulling with the backs of your hands — never your fingers, which would poke through. Commercial phyllo is acceptable for most applications. Each sheet must be brushed with melted butter (for European pastries) or oil (for Middle Eastern pastries). Exposed phyllo dries and cracks within minutes — keep unused sheets covered with a damp towel at all times.
For baklava: 30-40 layers total (15-20 bottom, nuts, 15-20 top). Cut BEFORE baking — the layers shatter if cut after. The syrup goes on hot baklava immediately after it comes out of the oven — the hot pastry absorbs the syrup while the butter prevents it from becoming sodden. For börek: the Turkish technique of oiling the sheets rather than buttering creates a different, lighter crispness. For bstilla (Moroccan): the warqa pastry is traditionally made by dabbing a ball of dough onto a hot convex pan — a completely different technique from stretched phyllo.
Letting sheets dry out — once cracked, they're unusable. Not enough butter or oil between layers — they fuse together instead of creating distinct flaky layers. Overloading with wet filling — the moisture makes phyllo soggy. Not defrosting frozen phyllo properly — it must thaw slowly in the fridge overnight, never at room temperature or in the microwave. Tearing sheets while unrolling — work gently and accept that some imperfection is inevitable.