Filo or Strudel Pastry

Name: Filo or Strudel Pastry
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 1 batch
Ingredients: 285 g plain flour; 1 pinch salt; 1 egg; 150 ml water; 5 ml oil

Submitted by McCarthy

"Recipe from Leith's Cookery Bible Note If the paste is not for immediate use wrap it well and keep refrigerated (for up to three days) or frozen. Flour the pastry surfaces before folding up. This will prevent sticking."

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Ready In:: 1hr
Ingredients:: 5
Yields:: 1 batch

ingredients

285 g plain flour
1 pinch salt
1 egg
150 ml water
5 ml oil

directions

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
Beat the egg and add the water and oil. First with a knife and then with one hand, mix the water and egg into the flour, adding more water if necessary to make a soft dough.
The paste now has to be beaten, lift the whole mixture up in one hand and then with flick of the wrist, slap it on to a lightly floured board, Continue doing this until the paste no longer sticks to your fingers, and the whole mixture is smooth and very elastic. Put it into a clean floured bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes.
The pastry is now ready for rolling and pulling. To do this, flour a tea towel or large cloth on a table top and roll out the pastry as thinly as you can. Now put your hand (well floured) under the pastry and keeping your hand fairly flat gently stretch and pull the pastry, gradually and carefully working your way round until the paste is paper thin. (You should be able to see through it easily) Trim off the thick edges.
Use immediately, as strudel pastry dries out and cracks very quickly. Brushing with melted butter or oil helps to prevent this Or the pstry sheets may be kept covered with a damp cloth.