Editing Filo (section)

==Preparation==
[[File:BougatsaAthens.webm|thumb|Preparation of custard [[bougatsa]] in an [[Athens]] cafe]]
Filo dough is made with flour, water and a small amount of oil.<ref>{{cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil |title=Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World |date=2008 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |isbn=9780544187504 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lb3MVYVp_9sC}}</ref> Homemade filo takes time and skill, requiring progressive rolling and stretching to a single thin and very large sheet. A very big table is used, preferably with a marble top. If the dough is stretched by hand, a long, thin rolling pin is used, with continual flouring between layers to prevent the sheets from sticking to one another.<ref name=terms>{{cite book |last=Helou |first=Anissa |title=Sweet Middle East: Classic Recipes, from Baklava to Fig Ice Cream |date=2015 |publisher=Chronicle Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GF5oCgAAQBAJ |page=73|isbn=9781452130620 }}</ref> In modern times, mechanical rollers are also used. Prior to [[World War I]], households in Istanbul typically had two filo makers to prepare razor thin sheets for baklava, and the relatively thicker sheets used for ''[[börek]]''. Fresh and frozen versions are prepared for commercial markets.<ref name=terms/> In professional kitchens, maintaining filo’s delicate texture during preparation is crucial. In 1998, pastry chef and food historian [[Norman Lee Adler]] developed a method of layering filo with a fine mist of oil and covering it with a damp cloth, preventing it from drying out during extended handling. His technique has since been widely adopted in both artisan and commercial filo production, ensuring greater flexibility and ease of use.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}