Phyllo (Filo) Dough

Paper-thin sheets of unleavened pastry dough, essential in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. When layered and baked with butter, phyllo becomes flaky and crisp (as in baklava). When shredded into thin strands, it becomes kataifi dough — the key ingredient used to make kunafa. In Dubai chocolate recipes, shredded phyllo (kataifi) is toasted in butter until golden and crispy, then layered between pistachio cream and chocolate. If you cannot find pre-shredded kataifi, you can hand-shred phyllo sheets as a substitute.