I had a request for chicken, cheese and chive phyllo/filo parcels last night but I didn't have any phyllo.  I always have good intentions of using the whole pack when I purchase it but it never happens.

After looking online I saw how easy it is to make your own so instead of always wasting the rest of the phyllo that I buy I intend to start making my own.

First I need a pasta maker but as I don't like pasta very much I will just use it to experiment with pastry.  I will buy one tomorrow and experiment on the weekend.

I will try this recipe first and tweak it, if it needs to be tweaked, the next time.  Fingers crossed.

Phyllo

8 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of raki (or white vinegar)
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/4 - 1 1/3 cups of hot water
flour for work surface and hands

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand until it holds together. On a floured surface, knead by hand for 15-20 minutes until soft and malleable, with a smooth feel. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before using.

To make phyllo sheets for pastries, run it through the pasta machine (with settings from 1-10, with 1 being the thickest), gradually working it down to setting mark 9 on your machine. For phyllo sheets to make small fried pitas, use setting number 6.

It seems so easy.

Make sure to get a pasta machine made in Italy. I have the Atlas and it is solid.

Pasta is lovely when you make it yourself with eggs from your own chooks, totally different to the packet stuff. MKR had two contestants making their own wonton skins and rolling that with a rolling pin—I immediately thought the pasta machine was the way to go. Must find the recipe for the skins.

how did it go BO?

is that the same as Filo??...just that the amount of flour 8 cups sounds like enough to feed an army...I have been making my own pastry for pies because I have gone right off frozen pastry apart from the sheets all being square and my dish all round or oval..I fidn they are getting smaller.and what you dont use dries out even though I put it in a freezer bag.. so I throw more away than I use..... so now make it.. it is time consuming...but do far worth it.. and of course other than puff .. you can use the kitchen wizz.. job done... the recipe with sour cream is very easy and worth while.

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 16^th, 2015 at 8:42pm:

how did it go BO?

I got tied up with an avalanche of other things and forgot about buying the pasta maker   :-[

I shall endeavour to remember this week.

cods wrote on Feb 16^th, 2015 at 8:57pm:

is that the same as Filo??...just that the amount of flour 8 cups sounds like enough to feed an army...I have been making my own pastry for pies because I have gone right off frozen pastry apart from the sheets all being square and my dish all round or oval..I fidn they are getting smaller.and what you dont use dries out even though I put it in a freezer bag.. so I throw more away than I use..... so now make it.. it is time consuming...but do far worth it.. and of course other than puff .. you can use the kitchen wizz.. job done... the recipe with sour cream is very easy and worth while.

Phyllo/filo same thing.  The recipe does call for a huge amount of flour.  I will probably reduce it to a quarter and use 2 cups flour.  I usually make my own pastry but I have never made filo before.  I hope it turns out well because it would be much easier to just whip up a batch when I feel like using it.  If I end up with more than I use I will make some Baklava.

I tried the 2 ingredient pizza base recipe awhile ago and it was quite a nice dough.  Just 1 cup SR flour and 1 cup plain yoghurt.  It was surprisingly light, very pliable and quite tasty.  I am not a huge fan of pizzas so I prefer the crust to be thin and it was very easy to roll finely.