4 Best Substitutes For Phyllo Dough

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Phyllo dough (also known as Filo) is famously used in making both sweet and savory dishes, from traditional Turkish baklava to the Greek spanakopita. Phyllo dough is part of several Middle Eastern recipes, as well as native recipes from the Balkan region. I

Texturally, phyllo dough is a paper-thin pastry dough manufactured by rolling dough layers. The word phyllo originates from the Greek word for leaf, which means the thinness of a sheet is like a leaf.

The sheets’ thinness is the characteristic trait and is achieved by kneading an unleavened dough. The unleavened dough doesn’t use yeast or raising agents, so it doesn’t give fluffiness. Once baked, the sheets of phyllo dough become flaky and provide a crispy texture.

Phyllo dough was traditionally prepared by hand with a rolling pin. However, manufacturers make it by using machines and sell it in a frozen form. Phyllo dough is also healthier to use as it has no saturated or trans fats. It lacks cholesterol as well.

Store-bought phyllo dough has just 160 calories per 5 sheets. The sheets of phyllo dough are useful for all kinds of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean desserts and appetizers.

Phyllo dough is an attractive option for traditional desserts like baklava and modern recipes like tarts and pies. You can use phyllo dough in various savory appetizers and entrees like salmon puffs.

Phyllo Dough Substitutes

Are you wondering what substitutes to use if you don’t have Phyllo dough in your kitchen? Don’t have this option at your local convenience store? We are here to assist you in this situation.

If a recipe calls for phyllo dough and it’s not available on hand, then you can substitute it with the following alternative options.

1. Puff Pastry

It is a French dough having a rich flavor. Puff pastry and phyllo dough are pretty similar- both doughs enhance the flavor of recipes they’re added to and give a delightful flaky texture to baked goods, appetizers, and desserts.

But the question that arises here is that can they be used interchangeably? Phyllo is crumbly and light whereas puff pastry is denser. If we compare the manufacturing process, making puff pastry is much easier than phyllo dough.

Puff pastry is somewhat like laminated dough and its airy puff relates to layers of butter. In comparison to puff pastry, phyllo is largely fat-free, therefore phyllo dough is healthier. The Greek baklava recipes require phyllo dough.

But in case of its absence, you can use Puff pastry as a Phyllo dough substitute. Use of Puff Pastry instead of phyllo will work in a pinch, but the dessert might have a little bit different flavor and texture.

Puff pastry is high in fats and calories in comparison to phyllo dough as well- a single sheet of puff pastry can have three times as many calories as a sheet of phyllo dough. So, if you are conscious about calorie intake, you should choose a healthier alternative for phyllo dough.

2. Healthy Homemade Puff Pastry

As we mentioned above, store-bought puff pastry contains a higher quantity of unhealthy fats and calories. This is because they use shortening instead of butter. This shortening is similar to margarine.

If you don’t like the idea of using high-calorie puff pastry (especially for savory meals), then follow our healthy puff pastry recipe.

To start, take out the following ingredients with accurate measurements:

• 1 ¼ cups of wholemeal flour, buckwheat, or einkorn.
• 1 ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup butter (ice cold and diced or grated)
• 1 pinch salt (sea salt preferably)
• 6 tbsp. ice-cold water.

Directions:

1. To begin, take out a few ice cubes and add them to a bowl. Add cold water to it and keep the bowl aside. Start by combining the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder together).
2. Next, add butter and work it into the flour. Gradually add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Knead until a rough dough forms.
4. Wrap it and keep it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before rolling it out. To make the dough softer, you can add water or oil.
5. To make it a better phyllo substitute, leave it outside for a while after taking it out of the freezer so that it’s cool but closer to room temperature.
6. Next, dust your work area with flour and grab a rolling pin. Roll out your dough (the butter marbles should be visible).
7. Once the dough gets to about ¼ inch in thickness, fold it like an envelope and roll it again. Do this till the butter marbling goes away.
8. Then make your sheets and keep layers of parchment paper between each to avoid sticking.
9. Store them in the fridge.

3. Strudel Dough

This dough is made from starch with only a few ingredients. Strudel dough is mainly used as a thin wrapping around a heavy filling. In comparison to phyllo dough, strudel dough requires eggs and a lot of oil for its preparation.

The presence of eggs and oil makes this dough more elastic which helps in rolling it out to a very thin layer. Because of the higher oil content, it’s important to remember that strudel dough doesn’t need to be brushed with butter or vegetable oil before being cooked in the oven.

Phyllo dough recipes call for oiling, but as strudel nurtures with oil, you shouldn’t add. That being said, there will be a difference in texture if you replace phyllo with strudel or vice versa. Strudel dough is quite buttery and soft while phyllo is brittle and paper-like.

If you’re making baklava, for example, the sweet dish will have a texture similar to a soft pastry.

4. Homemade Phyllo Dough

You can make homemade phyllo dough for recipes like samosa or baklava. The ingredients you need for homemade phyllo include:

• 2 cups of all-purpose white flour
• 0.5-1 cup flour for kneading
• 4-5 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar
• ¾ cup warm water (110 degrees F or 43 degrees C)
• Starch mixture (½ cup cornstarch + 2 tablespoons flour)

Directions:

1. You can adjust the quantities to make larger batches. Place the flour in a bowl and make a well of flour in the center. Now add salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and water. Whisk the ingredients using a fork.
2. Knead the dough until it gets smooth, and till the point, it stops sticking to your hands or the work surface (takes around 2-3 minutes). Once done, knead it for 5-6 more minutes until it becomes supple.
3. Next, transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. For a good result, let it sit at room temperature for at least 1-2 hours.
4. Now divide the dough into pieces of equal sizes, working in batches of 4-5. Grab your starch mixture in a bowl and dust the work surface and the dough balls with it.

5. Flatten out each dough ball and roll it into a round shape (around 5 inches in diameter). Dust with cornstarch again. Repeat for each dough piece until the batch is completed.
6. Then roll these pieces into paper-thin sheets of dough.
7. After that stack phyllo dough sheets by layering parchment paper between them.
8. Wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for later use.

Conclusion

Phyllo dough is a Greek and Middle eastern crunchy thin dough required for the preparation of many dishes. Because of its characteristic thinness and flaky result in cooking, phyllo dough is hard to replace in traditional recipes.

However, if you can’t seem to find good phyllo dough, the alternatives we’ve mentioned above can be used. However, keep in mind every dough has a different level of softness and fluffiness, so you won’t get the same texture even if you nail the flavor.

Other doughs also carry more fats and calories, so oil them less when baking. And if you’re up for it, try our homemade phyllo dough recipe.

Although rolling the sheets to the thinness a machine gives is hard, homemade phyllo can be an excellent option in most cases (especially in savory dishes).