Wow! At least I'm in good company with the feeling of between seasons rut. I haven't even planned meals for the holidays, and now I'm too busy or too tired.
Carol, I grew up with filo and can manage even the worst of it, so please let me know if you need help. I'm guessing if you have organic, it's probably made by Fillo Factory. They make the nicest filo to use. Some of it is thicker than I'd like, but they make up for it by having it come nice and flat and not overly tear prone.
Some pointers:
Don't let the dough dry out. Only take out the amount you're ready to use. Cover the rest with waxed paper or parchment, and a soft tea towel or two for insulation. It makes it easier if you put it on a tray or board. You can move the whole packet around flat, without having to pick up the dough. Work quickly so the dough doesn't dry out.
Work surface. Filo sticks. Use a dry work surface that isn't slick. That is, if you have a polished stone counter do not put the filo straight on it. A wood baking board is your best bet, though a pebbled nylon board, if it's big enough, should work. The wood will absorb oil and eventually become slick enough to have the dough stick a bit, but you can dry it off or turn it over, and if you're careful, you can ease up the edge of the stuck dough and lift it.
Fat. For most applications you need to add fat. There's a Greek restaurant I know where they don't use fat in the filo and it's kind of nasty and floury tasting. Generally, you use a painter style soft pastry brush (more bristles is better for this than the bigger strands of a silicone pastry brush). If you're baking, match the smoke point of your fat to be well above the temperature you'll be baking at. I mostly use sesame oil (not the Asian kind), for Middle Eastern foods. A lot of recipes use melted butter or clarified, or ghee. Both have high smoke points.
Brush every sheet, or every two sheet--the oil will pass through two sheets of thin filo, but maybe with Fillo Factory dough you'll really need to do every sheet. Just lift and check how much the underneath sheet absorbs. Some recipes call for every one, some call for two. Use your best judgment depending on how it all seems to go. Don't be stingy with the fat. Don't leave spots uncoated, dry, partially dry, etc. You're making flaky pastry, not diet food, and it makes a difference in the outcome.
Cutting. If you're making strips or otherwise cutting a stack of filo, use a very sharp knife, as long a one as you have, start the point above the edge and press down through the dough. Draw through the cut to make sure the bottom layers are separated, and press again, until you reach the other edge. Try to make only two press cuts, if you have a long enough knife. Even if the dough is a bit tough, never saw or drag, or you'll get a rough edge.
That's all I can think of now. I hope you get a chance to try it!
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Lemon Butter recipe
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