Makes: About 12 sheets (2 pounds)
Time: About 1¼ hours, plus time to rest
When you make your own phyllo, the result is inevitably thicker and not quite as flaky as the store-bought version, but it’s equally delicious and brings added satisfaction. (See The Basics of Phyllo, for instructions on how to swap one for the other.) Don’t drive yourself crazy with the rolling—you will still get wonderful crispness, which makes an excellent all-purpose crust and gives pastries like Baklava their distinct crunch. There’s no limit to potential filling options; see this list for ideas.
1. Combine 3¼ cups of the flour and the salt in a large bowl, then add the oil, vinegar, and 1¼ cups lukewarm water and start kneading. If you’re using a stand mixer with the dough hook, start on low speed and increase the speed to medium after 2 or 3 minutes; if you’re working by hand, start kneading in the bowl, then empty it onto a lightly floured surface once it starts to come together. Keep kneading for about 10 minutes (longer if you’re kneading by hand), adding more flour as needed, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough is very smooth, almost satiny, and elastic (if you press a finger into the dough, it should spring back).
2. Wipe a thin layer of oil to coat the inside of a clean bowl. Add the dough, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour; you can also press plastic onto the dough’s surface and refrigerate it for up to a week, then bring it back to room temperature before unwrapping and using.
3. Sprinkle more flour over the work surface and grab a handful of dough about the size of a plum; keep the remainder in a tightly wrapped bowl so it stays moist. Alternatively, divide all the dough into little balls (you should have about 12) in advance, place them back in the bowl, and cover tightly. Using quick, short strokes, start rolling it out, focusing your pressure on the center of the dough so it spreads outward and rotating it 90 degrees after every few passes to keep an even thickness. A rolling pin works well, but a long, thin wooden dowel is especially helpful for getting the dough super-thin. Keep rolling until the dough starts to become transparent—the idea is to get the dough as thin as you possibly can.
4. Lightly flour a baking sheet. Pick up the sheet of dough so it rests on the backs of your hands; splay your fingers to help support the dough and gently work your hands outward in a circular motion to keep stretching it until it’s translucent and tissuelike, at least 18 inches in diameter (as you would for strudel dough, although the dimensions will be different; see illustration, page 494). A few tears in the dough are normal—just patch any holes by pulling it over itself and sealing with a bit of water. Rest the dough on the prepared baking sheet, dust it with a bit of flour, and loosely cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
5. Repeat this process until you’ve used all the dough, layering each piece over the others with a bit of flour sprinkled in between. Use right away or wrap tightly and freeze, with a sheet of wax paper between each sheet of dough, for up to a few months.