Most home cooks in Greece did not use the store bought thin sheets of phyllo, but they made their own, called horiatiko phyllo (village phyllo). A thick, crunchy phyllo made with olive oil. It is not an exact recipe, many cooks provide directions that are usually vague as everybody has their own recipe, which they have perfected. I have managed to figure out almost exact amounts for a great result.
This phyllo can be used for almost all pites (Greek pies) that one makes in a pan. There is no butter, so it is a crust that can be used in vegan recipes as well. Make sure the olive oil you use is fresh, stale olive oil will give off a bad flavor. I also add varying amounts of whole wheat flour, for a different texture and added fiber.
Easy Greek Homemade Traditional Phyllo
This traditional crust or phyllo, made with olive oil does not disappoint. Crunchy, hearty, a perfect crust for any pie.
Servings: 1 9-10 inch (22-25 cm) pie
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Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (I used about ¼ cup whole wheat flour and the rest white)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ½ cup warm water
Instructions
- In a bowl add the flour and add the salt and mix.
- Make a whole in the middle and the add the olive oil and vinegar.
- Mix the dough with a wooden spoon , until the liquids have been absorbed. It will be dry and crumbly.
- Add some warm water and knead with your hands, add enough so that the dough is soft but not sticky. Knead until smooth.
- Separate the dough in two pieces and roll into balls. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- On a well floured surface, roll out the two balls, with a thin rolling pin, in large circles so that they are large enough to cover the base of the pan and hang over the sides.
- Roll dough partially around the pin and place over your pan, gently. Brush with olive oil.
- Place your filling.
- Cover with second phyllo and join both phyllo sheets together twisting round the pan so it forms a border.
- Brush with olive oil.
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45 Comments
Elena, I enjoy your columns and recipes. However, I recently discovered I have celiac disease which rules out any of the dishes with phyllo. That puts a serious hurt on my passion for baklava, spanakopita, etc. Might you have any suggestions for using gluten-free flours to make my own phyllo?
Kouzounas Kitchen website has an amazing GF phyllo pastry recipe!
Thank you, Marin! My son is Celiac and I have to avoid wheat due to Hashimotos. I will be checking this out! It’s no fun following the Mediterranean diet without yummy phyllo dough. ☹️ I have found GF pastry dough, but it’s not the same as the crispy phyllo dough.
Can you make the pastry and freeze it?
I love this crust. I prefer it to the store bought phyllo for ease. I can make this for a busy week night dinner where as the crunchy phyllo is definitely just for weekends! I actually prefer the taste of the thicker phyllo as well. Thank you so much for the recipe!
What size baking pan do you recommend for this amount of dough?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Marin, It is for 9-10 inch round pan. Just added it there! Thanks!
What is the baking time and temperature for this Phyllo?
Hi Brandi, Depends on the filling, but generally you bake at 350 F (180 C) for about 1 hour.
This is great. I am very awkward at handling traditional fillo but want some of the pites that are on Alpha and Antenna shows!! (I have to slow them down to be able to comprehend what they say because Akis talks like a tornado lol). His recipes in English don’t necessarily match the ones on Greek TV.
I’m glad I found this!!
Maria Maraki
Thank you Maria!
Loved this, thank you. I know I shall make it again and again, it’s satisfying but more healthy than pie crust with butter. It also occurred to me that it’s very similar to the ‘artisan’ olive oil and sea salt crackers I’ve been paying a fortune for, so am making some to run through the pasta machine and turn into crackers. I was a bit nervous about making it, but need not have been, it handles beautifully and rolls out very easily, even with my ordinary fat rolling pin!
Why do you add vinegar to the homemade phyllo dough recipe
Traditionally they added it to keep the dough softer.
Olive and tomato pie looks delicious…But in UK we use .metric or ounces measurements. Would love to make it but don’t want to get it wrong. How much is in a cup of flour? Much appreciated
Thankyou.
Linda.
125 grams, according to Google!
Hi Linda, It is 120 grams by weight
Maybe I did something wrong, it wasn’t crispy but more of a traditional pie crust, like an apple pie for example. I baked 350 45 minutes. Made spanakopita and filling was a bit wet maybe I didn’t squeeze spinach enough. Thoughts?
Hi Maria, Not sure what you mean by apple pie dough which is also somewhat crispy on top when baked. This is a thick dough, it won’t be as crunchy like the phyllo dough you get from the freezer. Also I see the baking time for your pie was not enough, you will need 1 hour of baking when using this dough. You can check the recipe for leek pie to get an idea: https://www.olivetomato.com/greek-leek-pie-with-homemade-phyllo-prasopita/
Haven’t tried it yet but looks delicious, will be trying it this weekend for Pasxa! How long do you suggest baking it for?