Baklava Recipe: Extensive Guide

The Baklava recipe is one of the Greek recipes, which is a baked dish consisting of layers of crisp phyllo sheets sandwiched between layers of a sweet, spiced nut mixture. The entire item is then covered with a fragrant syrup that contains honey, lemon, and cinnamon.

This amazing recipe takes a little while to prepare and is not suited for beginner bakers, but if you can assemble a cake successfully on your own, this is a fantastic next step in your baking journey.

This honey baklava is a flaky, crispy, soft American/Turkish treat that is not too sweet. The tastes and textures of this homemade baklava are one-of-a-kind and amazing.

American/Turkish Baklava is a dessert created with layers of butter-brushed phyllo pastry with cinnamon-scented walnuts in the centre. After baking, pour a citrus honey syrup over the phyllo to absorb.

1. What’s the Origin of Baklava?

The baklava is a tasty phyllo dessert pastry popular in the Middle East. It dates back to Turkish origin, but many civilizations claim it as their own.

It is served mostly in Greek and Lebanese restaurants and is now a popular dessert in various former Ottoman nations.

2. Baklava in Greece and Beyond

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Greek immigrants who travelled to the U.S. carried their baklava recipes along with them, and it was through this immigration that the U.S. people came to know about the Baklava dish.

Researchers are uncertain about where the recipe originated, although many point to Turkey due to the earliest existence of the recipe in those regions.

3. Baklava Flavors and Recipes Vary Across Different regions

• Baklava is usually produced in Turkey by filling each layer of the dough with various nuts.
• In Southeastern Turkey, Gaziantep is quite famous for its pistachio baklava.
• In Armenia, the baklava is seasoned using cinnamon or cloves.
• Greek-based baklava is meant to be baked with 33 layers of dough, representing Christ’s life. But you can still add more than 33 layers; it is just your choice.
• As in Iranian cuisine, a drier form of baklava is prepared and served in small diamond-shaped pieces flavoured using some rose water.
• Baklava is made from sheets of phyllo dough, crumbled walnuts, butter and sugar syrup, which is then shaped into lozenge pieces in the Lebanese and Iraqi regions.

4. Baklava is a Great Recipe to Bake

Honey Baklava is sweet, but not too sweet. It has the correct proportions—not too many nuts, but just enough to keep it all together. Since only a few ingredients are needed in the shopping cart to get started, it does need to sit for a bit once it is produced.

The main ingredients in this dish are honey, walnuts, and phyllo dough, with some citrus and spices to round out the flavour. The most excellent part about this baklava is that it can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. If you wish to send some to a loved one, baklava travels well and won’t disappoint.

Baklava is all about layering and putting things together. It is not a difficult dish to prepare but is time and labour-intensive. Let’s begin by gathering the ingredients for a delicious dish, a recipe that will provide enough for a party.

4.1. Cooking Time

It will take approx. 90-120 minutes to make a baklava dessert.

4.2. Servings

• 30 pieces

4.3. Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• 313 calories
• 21g fat

• 30g Carbs
• 4g Protein

4.4. Ingredients Required for Baklava Recipe

• 16 oz phyllo dough, kneaded according to package directions.
• 1 1/4 cup unsalted melted butter.
• 1 lb finely chopped walnuts (about 4 cups)
• Optional garnish: melted chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
• Optional garnish: finely chopped pistachios

4.5. To Make the Sugar Syrup

• A cup of water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1/2 lemon juice
• A stick of cinnamon

5. Here is How to Put Them Together

5.1. Baklava Tips Before Getting Started

The baklava recipe is a perfect go-to dessert recipe.

Let’s see some tips and tricks that will help you make a wonderful baklava.

1. Chop the nut mixture or grind in a grinder for baklava filling to save time.
2. Make the dough ahead and use frozen phyllo dough.
3. Make sure the phyllo sheets stay moist while layering them by keeping them covered using a damp cloth or towel.
4. Are you concerned about tearing off the phyllo dough layers while brushing butter? Don’t be. If you are concerned, spray some melted butter between the layers of the phyllo dough instead of using a brush.
5. If the phyllo dough becomes sticky in your hands, keep a bowl of water at room temperature to keep your fingertips moist.
6. When it’s time to eat, serving (and storing) the baklava dish in the cupcake liners is preferred to avoid sticky fingers.

5.2. Working Tips with Phyllo Dough and Phyllo Sheets

The paper-thin phyllo dough is delicate and rapidly breaks if not handled properly, but the result is merciful, so don’t be concerned if it all falls apart. For your first attempt, you can make a mess of dried-out phyllo and butter, and the baklava will still taste delicious.

1. Refrigerate your phyllo dough to defrost– Place the box in the refrigerator to defrost the night before you plan to prepare your baklava. If you use frozen phyllo, it will crack.
2. Carefully unwrap it– The phyllo is wrapped in plastic and should be easy to unwrap. Leave the larger plastic sheet underneath it and attempt to unroll it in the location where you will be using it so you don’t have to relocate it.
3. Cover with a wet tea towel– Place a dampened cotton or linen towel over the unrolled sheets. Make sure the towel is clean. If the towel is too wet, it will stick to the sheets.
4. Keep it hidden– After removing a sheet of phyllo from the stack, always replace the tea towel.
5. Handle with care– Be gentle with the sheets. Keep the stack close to your baking dish so you don’t have to transport it far once you lift a sheet off.
6. Rips and tears are OK – The phyllo dough rips readily, which is OK. Because you are layering the dough, a rip or ragged edge here and there is fine and will likely be buried within the baklava. Even if your last piece splits somewhat, it adds to the dish’s rustic, multi-layered appearance.
7. Phyllo is being trimmed – Because phyllo comes in various sizes, a single sheet may not fit into your baking pan. One option is to trim the phyllo to fit: Measure the inside of your pan and trim the entire stack to fit using scissors.
8. Trimming is not always required– You can use your sheets without trimming, even if they aren’t a perfect fit for your pan. Simply fold them over to fit and stagger the folds so you don’t create extra layers in one spot.
9. Use only a tiny amount of butter– It is unnecessary to coat melted butter or unsalted butter on each layer to make baklava. Brush the butter on sparingly without covering every inch of the surface. If you press too hard, the phyllo sheet will be dragged or torn.

Now that you know the baklava ingredients and precautions to handle the phyllo dough, let’s get started making real Greek baklava.

• Step 1

Kneed the phyllo dough as per the package directions (it is ideal to do it overnight and store it in the fridge, then take it out the next day for 1 hour to bring it down to room temperature).

• Step 2

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas, and butter the tin you will use for baking.

• Step 3

• Combine 4 cups of finely chopped walnuts and 1 tsp of cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
• Combine some walnuts, chopped cinnamon, cloves, and a pinch of salt in the food processor. Pulse 10 times or until the ingredients are coarsely ground/finely chopped. That is the stuffing. It is so simple.
• Once you have finished using a food processor to chop the nuts into small pieces, be careful not to turn them into a paste. Put them in a bowl with honey and a pinch of salt and set aside.

• Step 4

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Brush the corner sides of the phyllo dough.

• Step 5

Brush melted butter over the sheets and place it in the pan. Layer another sheet on top and brush with butter again; repeat until the entire pack is utilized.

Layer 10 sheets of phyllo, one on top of another, into a baking pan, followed by another layer of nuts. Coat layers with butter.

Spread the honey and the mixture of nuts over the pastry and use the back of a spoon to push it down gently. Continue layering and buttering by opening the second filo packet, cutting it in half, and layering once more. When you get to the last sheet, pour any remaining butter over the top to complete.

After you have completed layering the phyllo in 10 layers, add one-fifth of the mixture of walnuts to the pan, distributing it uniformly: you’ll need around 2/3 cup mixture of walnuts for each nut layer.

To fill the entire pan, follow these steps:

• Ten butter-layered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup mixture of nuts.
• Five butter-layered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup mixture of nuts,
• Five butter-layered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup mixture of nuts,
• Five butter-layered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup mixture of nuts,
• Five butter-layered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup mixture of nuts,
• Ten butter-layered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup mixture of nuts,
• Ten butter-layered phyllo sheets buttered on top.

Brush some melted butter on each layer of thawed phyllo dough; you don’t need to brush each layer thoroughly. Just a quick swish across the surface several times to cover.

• Step 6

Cut the puff paste dough to suit the baking sheet. The puff paste dough package can embody 5-6 rolls with a total of 40-50 sheets. Trim one stack at a time, then cowl with a humid towel to forestall drying.

• Step 7

Once the pastry has been bedded, cut the stems into whichever kind you want with a pointy knife. You can build squares, diamonds, triangles, or any other form.

• Step 8

Bake the pastry for fifty minutes or till the edges turn golden. Reduce the warmth to 150°C/130°C fan/gas and bake for forty-five minutes. Allow the pastry to cool down for a minimum of a quarter-hour.

• Step 9

Meanwhile, begin creating the syrup. Mix honey, sugar, cinnamon, orange peels, and lemon rind in a pan and add them to the boiling water.

Then, cut back to low heat for five minutes to alter the cinnamon and citrus flavours to infuse the syrup. Keep stirring till the sugar gets dissolved, cut back to medium/low heat, and boil for four minutes without stirring.

Gently heat till the sugar gets dissolved, then boil for 8-10 minutes or till the mixture has reduced to the consistency of liquid honey. Take it off the heat and keep it aside.

• Step 10

Remove the citrus peels and cinnamon stick from the syrup and equally pour the new syrup over the pastry, permitting it to run into the lines you’ve cut. Don’t enable the syrup to cool down. Let the pastry cool entirely after removing it from the kitchen appliance, then pour the honey syrup.

Once you pour the syrup over the baklava, it should soak it. The syrup should be hot when poured over the pastry. Allow it to soak entirely before serving.

• Step 11

Now comes the problematic part: leave the pastry at temperature for eight hours, undisturbed, allowing the syrup to permeate.

The pastry is often kept at temperature for up to a week, and you can refrigerate it for three weeks to three months.

6. How to Store Baklava?

Because of its high sugar content, it’ll be safe in an airtight jar. You can also refrigerate the baklava.

7. Can You Freeze Baklava?

Yes, honey pastry, or any pastry, is often frozen. Enable the pastry to defrost fully before wrapping it in a layer of wrap, followed by a layer of aluminium foil. For additional protection, add another layer of aluminium foil. Store in the electric refrigerator for up to a few months.

8. How to cut Baklava Properly?

To confirm that each of the parts is separated, the pastry should be sliced before baking and recut when baked. And to do the same pointy knife is essential.

9. Is your Baklava Falling Apart?

The proper layering of pastry is essential to prevent this dish from falling apart. The correct quantity of puff pasty sheets should be stacked to support the burden of the nuts and syrup.

10. Can you Use Rose Water on Baklava?

The most significant difference between Greek and Lebanese pastry recipes is that different ingredients are used to prepare the syrup. Greek pastry syrup is primarily created with honey that is seasoned with cinnamon and juice.

Sugar, water, rose water, and typically orange blossom water create Lebanese pastry syrup.