What is Phyllo Dough?
Phyllo dough is a type of pastry made from wheat flour. Phyllo is formed into ready-to-bake sheets. Once baked, these sheets puff up into multiple, compact, tissue paper thin, golden layers. Phyllo is flaky, dry and has a delicate buttery and nutty flavor. Among its many uses, phyllo dough is used in Greek cuisine for savory dishes and desserts and may be wrapped around spinach and cheese, or become the casing for baklava.
Ingredients
...Wheat flour is a product made by finely milling wheat grains until they form a powder-like substance. Wheat flour is denser than powder and comes as whole wheat flour; a semi-dense flour with a beige color and full flavor. All- purpose flour is refined, white, lighter in texture and more bland in flavor. There are other varieties of wheat flour with these two being the most common. The flavor is mild and nutty. Wheat flour is used in the making of a huge number of foods across all cuisines. It is used as a binder as well as the basis for breads, baked goods and coating for breaded meats and vegetables. It is used in sauces and even some candies.
...Water is a substance and chemical compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen. It is clear, fluid, flavorless and odorless. Water is a necessity in nearly every aspect of life, including cooking, baking and hydrating the human body. Water can be served as a cold beverage, or at any temperature comfortable to the mouth and skin.
...Tapioca starch, also called tapioca flour or tapioca powder is made from the root of the cassava plant. The root is turned into a pulp using water and once the water evaporates the starch is what remains. The starch is white, fine and powdery. It has a neutral and bland starchy taste. Tapioca starch is used as binder in baked goods, a thickening agent in sauces and other liquids and creates a light and airy quality in flour products when used in the right amount.
...Soybean oil is used in many countries around the world and has become extremely popular in the US for its inexpensive price and neutral flavor. Soy oil is considered a vegetable oil and is extracted from soybeans. The color of this thin oil is a translucent golden yellow. Soy oil is used frequently in restaurants for sauteing, grilling and deep frying. It is also used in salad dressings and baked goods.
...Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
...Additives are added to food items in small quantities to improve the flavor, change the texture, enhance appearance, or preserve the item. Additives are both natural and artificial. Natural additives have been used for a long time, while many artificial ones were discovered in the 19th century. There are numerous artificial additives including soy lecithin, guar gum, ascorbic acid and sodium nitrite.