Baklava Recipe
Baklava is a delicious and flaky dessert that is popular in many cultures around the world. It is made with layers of phyllo dough, nuts, and sweet syrup. Baklava can be made with a variety of different nuts, but the most common are walnuts and pistachios.
Ingredients
- 453.59 grams 16 ounces phyllo dough, thawed according to package instructions
- 296 milliliters 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, melted
- 453.59 grams 1 pound walnuts, finely chopped
- 5 grams 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 236.59 milliliters 1 cup granulated sugar
- 30 milliliters 2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
- 177.44 milliliters 3/4 cup water
- 118.29 milliliters 1/2 cup honey
Garnish (optional):
- Melted chocolate chips
- Chopped walnuts
Instructions
Thaw the phyllo dough.
- Place the phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove the phyllo dough from the refrigerator 1 hour before starting the recipe.
- Let the phyllo dough come to room temperature on the counter.
Trim the phyllo dough.
- If your baking dish is 13x9 inches, trim the phyllo dough slightly so that it fits snugly.
- Keep the remaining phyllo dough covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.
Butter the baking dish.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9 inch non-stick baking pan.
Make the honey sauce.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, honey, lemon juice, and water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 minutes without stirring.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool.
Preheat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius).
Grind the walnuts.
- Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they are coarsely ground.
Make the nut mixture.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the walnuts and cinnamon.
Assemble the baklava.
- Place 10 sheets of phyllo dough in the prepared baking pan, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next.
- Spread 1/5 of the nut mixture (about 3/4 cup) over the phyllo dough.
- Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo dough.
- Spread another layer of nuts over the phyllo dough.
- Repeat this process 4 more times.
- Finish with 10 layers of buttered phyllo dough.
- Brush the very top with butter.
Cut the baklava.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into 1 1/2-inch wide strips.
- Cut diagonally to form diamond shapes.
Bake the baklava.
- Bake the baklava for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
Pour the honey sauce over the baklava.
- Immediately spoon the cooled honey sauce evenly over the hot baklava.
Let the baklava cool.
- Let the baklava cool completely, uncovered, at room temperature.
- For best results, let the baklava sit for 4-6 hours, or overnight so that the syrup can penetrate and soften the layers.
Serve the baklava.
- Garnish with chopped nuts or melted chocolate, if desired.
- Serve at room temperature.