The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

what kind of bread is this

vince hav's picture
vince hav

what kind of bread is this

i was reading a recipe called salmon in Phyllo..what is phyllo bread? how do you cook it?

PaddyL's picture
PaddyL

It's a pastry.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Here's how I set it up.   It comes folded up in plastic sealed packages.  

First prepare everything to be placed on the dough in advance and have ready a small dish of melted butter with a brush.

Working on the following surface will prevent the phyllo from drying out and tearing too quickly.  It is very fragile stuff.

Take out two thin flat weave cotton dish towels that are larger than the dough.  The first one I run under the tap and soak it full of water, then wring it out as tightly as I can.  Place it flat on the work surface.  Take the dry towel and cover the wet one making sure it touches and it's nice and flat. 

Cut open a package of dough.  Some come two sheets to a pkg some just one sheet.  Carefully open without tearing and place ever so gently on the dishtowel. Brush gently with butter and lay the second sheet on top (I like to slightly offset the layers as it strengthens any weak spots from folding.)  Continue with how your recipe instructs.   (If the dough needs to be rolled up, carefully lift just the dry towel by one edge and gently pull up rolling the dough with filling.)  

Have fun,  Mini

 

vince hav's picture
vince hav

thanks for the tips and the knowledge..being a rookie i cant tell you ddifference betwn a pastry and bread so i didnt know. it look like tortillia dough in the photo wraping around the fish..what would you sat it taste like? just a ballpark example..?

pmccool's picture
pmccool

Vince,

Phyllo really doesn't have much flavor of its own.  If forced to describe it, about the best that I could say would be "bland".  That's why it works so well as a base for other things, such as baklava or spanakopita.

It mostly contains flour and water, with a dab of oil and maybe some white vinegar.  Some recipes call for egg yolks.

Hope that helps.

Paul

vince hav's picture
vince hav

thanks you guys...all this has been a big help..now to just try an find it around here..Ms area..

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

It isn't very difficult.  In Austria it is sold packaged in every food's store because it is the basic dough for a pulled strudel.  But I've done my share of pulling strudel when the store was closed or I found myself in another country.  The leftover dough goes to making noodles.  All you need is a table and a cloth to cover.  Uses a slap and fold method on a mini scale to develope gluten.  I'll go find you a recipe if you want one.  How big is that fish?  Or how big is your table?  AP flour is just fine. 

Basic recipe:  250g flour, one egg, half an egg shell of neutral tasting oil, 125g lukewarm water, and a pinch of salt.   Separate the egg.  Use the white in the liquids for the dough and the yolk to mix with a tablespoon of oil to brush over the dough before baking.

Been looking at youtube clips, lots of them.  Amazing the slight variations in method.  Here is one but their strudels are way too skrawny and they don't show trimming off the outside thicker rim of dough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPW-IAmwido

Here is another but he make a large recipe, enough for a table of 8 in my opinion but the instructions are good and easy.  If your fish is very big, go with this one.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZcXjDMD_y4&NR=1

Mini

vince hav's picture
vince hav

thanks mini oven, ill have to get back to you on how big the fish is...i guess your talking about if ive got one to cook or the one n the book...i havent goten one yet an im not sure how big the one in the book is. id have to look an guess-sta-mate..as far as a table..well i just moved into an apt a few months ago an at the moment my table is my lap or the kitchen counter...but hey im working on it slowly but surely..but thanks for all your help an the web links..when i have time ill check them out....so your in austria huh? i have a facebok pin pal in new zealand...i think its cool to network an talk an make friendship with folk around the world...im in mississippi usa..thanks for you help again..