Filo is the Greek name for a dough of many paper-thin layers separated by films of butter...Although known to Europeans and North Americans by a Greek name, the dough is clearly of Turkish origin. The medieval nomad Turks had an obsessive interest in making layered bread, possibly in emulation of the thick oven breads of city people. As early as the 11th century, a dictionary of Turkish dialects (Diwan Lughat al-Turk) recorded pleated/folded bread as one meaning of the word yuvgha, which is related to the word (yufka) which means a single sheet of file in modern Turkish. This love of layering continues among the Turks of Central Asia...The idea of making the sheets paper thins is a later development.

Homemade phyllo is a lengthy procedure, because it requires progressive rolling and spreading out the dough to a single, thin and very big sheet, with continual flouring of its surface which tends to break apart. A very big table and a long roller are used. Once finished, the phyllo is floured, folded and used per the recipe. Nowadays this is done industrially and the product bought at the frozen section in supermarkets. Most food-oriented filo is made with wheat flour and water, but some dessert recipes call for egg yolks in addition.

Pastries with fillo could be made in a variety of ways: fillo could be layered in different heights, rolled or ruffled, and each of variations could be prepared with various fillings (or even without filling).