How to Make Kataifi Pastry from scratch!

Name: How to Make Kataifi Pastry From Scratch
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup cornstarch; ¾ tsp sea salt; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cups water

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Kataifi Pastry (also known as Shredded Phyllo Dough and Kadaifi) is a popular Middle Eastern pastry used throughout the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the Balkan region including Turkey and Greece. It's used to make various delectable desserts, including Kunafa and Baklava. Learn how to make this simple pastry dough at home with this easy 5-ingredient recipe.

Although Kataifi Pastry is commonly referred to as Shredded Phyllo Dough, that's not technically accurate. You see, unlike Phyllo Dough (paper-thin sheets of dough) Kataifi Pastry is spun and sometimes compared to shredded wheat.

So, how do you make it at home? Easy! All you'll need is a large flat pan, a squeeze bottle, and a few simple ingredients.

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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
🛒What Goes into This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredient And Substitutions
🍰 How to Make Kataifi
🤷🏻‍♀️Recipe FAQs
👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
🥮Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🧐 Why This Recipe Works

I recently shared a Kadayif recipe, fully knowing there would be some readers who would not be able to find one of the recipe's main ingredients, a unique dough called Kataifi Pastry.

I actually have the same problem, being in a small town in Montana. However, I have your back! In this recipe, I would show you how to make this specialty item at home.

It might be a little tricky at first, but once you get the hang of the technique, it's pretty easy. I might even go as far as calling it fun and even therapeutic. You may just never buy Kataifi Pastry again!

🛒What Goes into This Recipe

🔖 Recipe Ingredient And Substitutions

Flour: I use all-purpose white flour in the batter. I have not tried the recipe with other flours so I can't say with certainty if they would work or not.
Oil: Vegetable works well in this recipe and does not impart a strong flavor like, for example, olive oil would.
Salt: I prefer sea-salt.

*Find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.

🍰 How to Make Kataifi

Step 1: Whisk flour, cornstarch, and sea salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

whisking flour in a silver bowl for Kataifi

Step 2: Add oil and water and whisk until smooth.

Step 3: Strain the batter through a sieve to make sure the batter is lump-free.

Step 4: Pour the batter into a squeeze bottle with a very small hole cut into the top.

Pro Tip: The size of the hole is very important. If it's too large, the strands of Kataifi will be too thick. You want them as thin as possible.

Step 5: Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat until it's very hot. Gently squeeze the bottle to dispense a very thin stream of batter in a circular motion, starting from the center of the pan and working towards the edge of the pan.

Pro Tip: After 5 to 10 seconds, the pastry will begin to peel off of the pan. Once it does, gently pick it up with a spatula and drop it into a bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and continue this process until all the batter is used up. See the video below.

Step 6: Shred the strands into smaller sections before using them in your baklava, Kanafeh, or Kadaif recipe.

shredded phyllo dough/kataifi pastry in a metal pan with a dish cloth next to it

🤷🏻‍♀️Recipe FAQs

What is Kataifi Dough made of?

Kataifi Pastry is made with a mixture of flour, cornstarch, salt, oil, and water. This thin batter is then spun to make the pastry's fine strands.

Can you freeze Kataifi?

Yes, you can freeze Kataifi. In fact, when purchasing Kataifi, it is usually found in the frozen aisle of your grocery store. It is recommended that the frozen pasty is not defrosted on the counter, but instead, overnight in the refrigerator.

Can you shred phyllo dough to make Kataifi?

There seems to be a misconception that you can make Kataifi by shredding phyllo dough. However, phyllo dough and Katiafi are two different products and you can't make one with the other.

Phyllo dough is made with a dough that is rolled out into very thin and delicate sheets. Kataifi is made with a batter that is spun into fine strands that look similar to vermicelli.

What is Katiafi used for?

Kataifi is usually used to make Middle Eastern and Greek desserts, including Baklava and Kunafa. Kataifi is used to make Turkish Sari Burma Baklava.

One way to use this "shredded dough" is to mix it with melted butter, then add half of it to a pan. Next, sprinkle the kataifi with chopped nuts (pistachios, walnuts, or almonds) and spices (cinnamon, cloves, and cardamon). The next step is to add the remaining Kataifi and bake it in the oven until golden brown. The final step is to drizzle the pan with cooled syrup made with honey, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and cloves.

👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

Even though your dough might seem very smooth, you're going to want to strain it before transferring it to the squeeze bottle, otherwise, the tiny hole will get clogged.
Keep in mind you want the strands to be as thin as possible. If you don't have a squeeze bottle, another option is to use a piping bag.
If you notice that the pastry is brown when you remove it from the pan it means the heat is too high and needs to be adjusted. The strands should remain white.
If you dispense the batter side to side, instead of a circular motion, the edges of the pastry will be too thick. For this reason, I recommend going in a circular motion instead.

kataifi pastry strands being cooked in a pan

🥮Related Recipes

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📖 Recipe

How to Make Kataifi Pastry From Scratch

Making Kataifi Pastry at home has never been easier. This recipe will make you wonder why you ever bought the pasty in the first place.

4.96 from 64 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: sweets

Cuisine: Assyrian, Greek, Middle Eastern

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 35

Servings: pound

Calories: 1608kcal

Author: Hilda Sterner

Ingredients

Instructions

Whisk flour, cornstarch, and sea salt in a medium-sized bowl.
Add oil and water and whisk until smooth.
Strain the batter through a sieve to make sure the batter is lump-free.
Pour the batter into a squeeze bottle with a very small hole cut into the top.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat until it's very hot. Gently squeeze the bottle to dispense a very thin stream of batter in a circular motion, starting from the center of the pan and working towards the edge of the pan.
After 5 to 10 seconds, the pastry will begin to peel off of the pan. Once it does, gently pick it up with a spatula and drop it into a bowl. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and continue this process until all the batter is used up.
Shred the strands into smaller sections before using them in your recipe.

Notes

Even though your dough might seem very smooth, you're going to want to strain it before transferring it to the squeeze bottle, otherwise, the tiny hole will get clogged.
Keep in mind you want the strands to be as thin as possible. If you don't have a squeeze bottle, another option is to use a piping bag.
If you notice that the pastry is brown when you remove it from the pan it means the heat is too high and needs to be adjusted. The strands should remain white.
If you dispense the batter side to side, instead of a circular motion, the edges of the pastry will be too thick. For this reason, I recommend going in a circular motion instead.

Nutrition

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