How to Prepare Homemade Phyllo Dough

Step 1

Gather the ingredients. The Spruce Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand until it holds together. Add more water, a little at a time, as needed to form a dough. The Spruce On a floured surface, knead by hand for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and malleable with a smooth feel. The Spruce Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before using. The Spruce Divide the dough into 18 to 20 equal pieces. The Spruce To make phyllo sheets, run the pieces of dough through the pasta machine. Starting with setting 1 (the thickest), and run each piece of dough through several times, increasing the setting number each time you put it through. For pastries, finish at setting 9; if you are making small fried pitas (pies), use setting number 6. The Spruce Unused phyllo can be kept in the refrigerator, in airtight wrapping, for up to 10 days after making.

Step 2

Add 6 cups of flour to a large bowl (the remaining 2 cups will be used when rolling out the dough). Make a well in the center and add the water (start with 1 cup) and raki or vinegar. Combine with a fork. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and continue mixing, adding more water if needed to make a soft dough. The Spruce Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand, oiling hands if needed, until the dough is soft, malleable, and smooth, about 10 minutes. The Spruce Divide the dough into 18 to 20 equal pieces and roll each piece out to a roughly oval shape, about 18 to 19 inches across, sprinkling the work surface and phyllo with flour to keep from sticking. The Spruce Use the rolling pin to gently roll out the dough to paper-thin thickness. The Spruce The finished phyllo dough sheets can be used for baking pies or pie crusts. The Spruce