Sfoliáta – dough – Greek puff pastry

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 225 ml water
• 500 g butter
• 50 g flour

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 5 hours

for pies, strudels, pockets, cakes, etc.

Knead the flour with salt, oil, and enough water to form a tough, smooth dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, knead the butter and flour well, flatten it, and chill. Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface into a rectangle measuring approximately 40 x 60 cm (this takes some effort…). Roll out the butter (preferably between cling film) into a slightly smaller rectangle and place on top. Fold the dough in from the longer sides so that you end up with three layers of dough on top of each other and the top edge is to the right. Roll out again into a rectangle measuring approximately 40 x 60 cm, punch down again, and chill for a good 30 minutes. For the first roll, take the dough out again and roll it out again into a rectangle measuring approximately 40 x 60 cm. Punch down again and roll it out. Punch down three more times and chill for about 30 minutes. Repeat this process 4-7 times, depending on the intended use. The more often you do this, the flakier the dough will be. Strudel: Fill half of the dough with about 1 kg of fruit, brush with water, cut several times crosswise on the top and bake at 200°C for about 40 minutes. Pies: Layer with vegetable or meat mixture, brush the top layer with water and bake at 180°C for a good hour. Pockets: Spread with any filling, brush the edges with a little water and fold together. Bake at 200°C for about 15-20 minutes. Tarts/slices: Roll out very thinly, cut out rectangles or circles and pierce several times with a fork so that the dough rises evenly. Bake at 200°C for about 15 minutes. For puff pastry sticks/pig’s ears: Roll up with any filling and twist and bake at 200°C for about 10 minutes. The most important thing is to always let the dough rest in the fridge long enough and to always keep your work surface well floured so that it doesn’t stick and ruin the layers. If you’re in a hurry, you can fold the dough together again after you’ve folded it three times to create six layers. It’s not the most elegant way, but it works just as well. The dough will keep well in the fridge for a few days, rolled up in baking paper, and can be baked in portions at any time. A few days won’t do it any harm—quite the opposite! The recipe yields about 1.25 kg of dough, which is enough to make at least two strudels or pies.