Handling Phyllo Dough

Commercially made phyllo is so thin and delicate it must be handled very carefully. Two guidelines are important. First, thaw frozen phyllo completely before opening the plastic package. Do not try to handle frozen dough; it will break.

Second, after opening the package and unfolding or unrolling the sheets of dough, keep the stack of leaves covered to prevent drying. Remove and work with one sheet at a time, keeping the rest covered. (Note: Instructions often say to cover the dough with a damp cloth, but this is risky because the sheets stick together if the dough becomes too damp.)