Ever heard of a confection called baklava? Indeed, baklava is a traditional Mediterranean dessert. If you've always bought baklava at a pastry shop at prices that tend not to be cheap, why not try making your own? Read this recipe for the easy steps!
Ingredients
- 1 kg sugar
- 750 ml of water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 slice of lemon
- 1/2 kg phyllo dough (baklava skin dough)
- 700 grams of salted butter
- 400-1 1/4 kg walnuts, coarsely chopped, mixed with a little cinnamon powder and sugar
- Whole cloves
Step
Step 1. Make the baklava syrup the day before
This step needs to be done so that the syrup is at room temperature when it will be poured onto the surface of the baklava. To make the syrup, combine water, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon; cook for 30 minutes on low heat. Once cooked, pour the syrup into a container and let sit overnight.
Step 2. Melt the butter over low heat
Keep the butter warm while the baklava is making. Use a special pastry brush to spread the butter over the entire surface of the pan.
Step 3. Butter each sheet of phyllo just before placing it on the baking sheet
In fact, butter is the secret ingredient that can make the texture of baklava skin dough feel crunchy and crumbly.
Step 4. Place 6-7 buttered phyllo sheets on the bottom of the pan
On the surface of the last phyllo sheet, sprinkle as many coarsely chopped walnuts as you'd like.
Step 5. Place 2 phyllo sheets on top of chopped nuts; sprinkle again with chopped walnuts
Continue this process until the beans are used up.
Step 6. Once the beans are gone, put back 6-7 sheets of phyllo to “cover” the baklava
Step 7. Pour warm melted butter all over the baklava dough
Step 8. Before baking, cut the baklava into isosceles triangles
First, cut the baklava into four squares, then make diagonal slices on each square to form two isosceles triangles. Finally, insert a whole clove into each triangle.
Step 9. Bake baklava at 160ºC for 30-35 minutes or until the surface is lightly browned
Don't bake the baklava too long so it doesn't burn.
Step 10. Remove the baklava from the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes
After 5 minutes, pour the syrup over the surface of the baklava. If you make too much syrup don't pour it all in so the baklava doesn't taste too sweet. However, if you make the syrup according to the ingredients listed in the recipe, you will most likely be able to use all of it.
Step 11. Done
Tips
- Some baklava recipes use honey as the syrup mixture.
- Buy ready-made phyllo at the supermarket. In fact, it takes a routine practice process and a kitchen table that is wide enough to roll out the skin dough until the texture is really thin.
- Baklava tastes best when it's just stuffed with cinnamon, walnuts and sugar. Make sure you also apply butter to each layer of the crust to make your baklava more authentic.
- To reduce the intake of calories into the body, try spraying butter on each layer of baklava. However, understand that the taste of baklava will not be as rich as it should be. Also, each layer of baklava probably won't stick easily..
- The taste of baklava that is not finished eating will still be delicious, even though the skin texture may no longer be crunchy and crumbly.
- Baklava will look more attractive if baked in small cupcake molds. In addition, baklava served in this way is also easier to eat and does not contaminate the hands of the person who eats it.
- Eat baklava with your hands, but make sure you always cover it with a plate and have a handkerchief ready to clean your hands afterwards.
- Pronounce phyllo as FY-loh and baklava as bah-kl ah-VAH.
- Some authentic baklava recipes use rose water to make the honey sauce taste sweeter.
- Some recipes replace cinnamon with 2 tbsp. lemon juice and 1 tbsp. orange oil as a flavoring syrup.
Warning
- Be prepared to spend a lot of time preparing ingredients and cleaning the kitchen after making baklava. In fact, it takes a long practice process and very high patience to master this recipe. But believe me, the results will definitely be very satisfying!
- Always remember that the blade you are using is very sharp. Make sure you also use a sharp edged knife for a better cut.
- Be careful, the temperature of the baking sheet and oven that has just been used is very hot.
