Filo and pulled strudel dough

Why

Strudel dough is made from plain flour, water, a little oil and salt, and long kneading builds a strong, extensible gluten network in it (see the Kneading and gluten card). Straight after kneading the network is tight and the dough springs back and tears when pulled; resting it in a warm place, brushed with oil and covered, relaxes the gluten so that it can then be pulled over the backs of the hands so thin that the cloth shows through. Shop-bought filo consists of sheets just as thin, which quickly lose water in the air and, according to America's Test Kitchen, turn brittle within minutes; too much melted butter, on the other hand, makes them soggy and they tear. A thin layer of fat between the sheets keeps them from sticking together, the water in the dough turns to steam in the oven and the layers bake into separate crisp leaves. A wet filling makes the bottom layers soggy, which is why spinach is wilted and its liquid cooked off first and the fruit in a strudel is laid on toasted breadcrumbs (see the Fruit fillings and baked fruit card).

How to do it

• Knead the strudel dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth, glossy and elastic; brush it with oil and leave it covered in a warm place to rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Pull it out on a floured cloth over the backs of your hands, from the centre to the edges, not with your fingers; trim off the thick edge at the end.
• Thaw frozen filo overnight in the fridge and leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes before unwrapping; the sheets then tear less.
• Keep unwrapped sheets between sheets of baking paper covered with a damp towel and take them one at a time; a damp towel directly on the sheets makes them soggy.
• Brush or spray each sheet with only a thin layer of melted butter, ghee or oil (see the Brown butter and clarified butter card).
• Cut baklava and similar pastries right through to the bottom before baking and bake until golden; baked layers crumble under the knife and underbaked bottom layers stay pasty.

If it goes wrong

Small holes in strudel dough do not matter, the next layers cover them when you roll it up; patch a larger hole with a piece of the trimmed edge. Cover dough that keeps springing back and let it rest for 10 minutes. Put dry, brittle filo sheets in the middle between whole ones and brush them with fat; use only whole sheets on top. Finish soggy bottom layers on the lowest oven shelf, covering the edges with foil.