Baklava (Home Version with Filo)
بقلاوہ (فیلو کے ساتھ گھریلو انداز)
Real Turkish baklava, especially from Gaziantep, is made by master bakers who roll dozens of see-through sheets of dough by hand. That's not realistic at home, but baklava made with ready-made filo pastry is still wonderful: crisp, buttery layers with a band of chopped pistachios or walnuts in the middle, soaked in a cool syrup with a squeeze of lemon. The one golden rule is the : cool syrup on hot baklava, or hot syrup on cool baklava, never both hot.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 30 min
- Prep: 40 min
- Cook: 50 min
- Hard
- Serves 20
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Make the syrup first: boil the sugar and water in a for 10 minutes until slightly thickened, add the lemon juice, boil for 1 more minute, then let it cool completely.
Heat the oven to 180°C. Brush a 23 × 33 cm baking tray with butter. Mix the nuts with the sugar (and cinnamon if using walnuts).
Lay one filo sheet in the tray, trimming to fit, and brush lightly with butter. Repeat with half the sheets, buttering every layer. Keep the rest covered with a damp cloth.
Spread the nuts evenly over the pastry. Cover with the remaining sheets, buttering each one, and brush the top generously.
With a sharp knife, cut all the way through into diamonds or squares before baking. Pour any remaining butter over the top.
Bake for 45–50 minutes, until deep golden and crisp all the way through.
As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour the cool syrup evenly over the hot baklava. It will sizzle. Let it soak for at least 4 hours, uncovered, before serving.
Kitchen notes
Cool syrup on hot baklava keeps it crisp. If both are hot, the pastry goes soggy.
Cut before baking. Baked filo shatters if you try to cut it afterwards.
Filo is sold frozen in larger Pakistani supermarkets. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, never in the microwave.
The sweet of Gaziantep
Baklava is made across the old Ottoman lands, but the city of Gaziantep in south-east Turkey is its capital, and its pistachio baklava has protected status. Master bakers there roll 40 or more layers of dough so thin you can read through them. At home, frozen filo pastry gets you remarkably close.
The essentials
Butter every layer. Brush lightly but completely. The butter is what separates and crisps the layers. Clarified butter or ghee gives the crispest result.
Cut before baking. Use a sharp knife and cut all the way to the bottom of the tray.
Bake low and long. A moderate oven for close to an hour crisps the layers all the way through without burning the top.
Syrup temperature. Pour cool over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven. The hot pastry absorbs the syrup while staying crisp.
Pakistani notes
Pakistani cooks make excellent syrups for gulab jamun and jalebi, so the syrup will be familiar. Keep it lighter than a one-thread : just slightly thickened. Walnuts are a far cheaper filling than pistachios and are traditional in many Turkish homes.
Serving
Serve at room temperature with Turkish tea or Turkish coffee. In Turkey it’s eaten at Eid (Bayram), and a tray of baklava is the classic gift when visiting family.
Questions people ask
Can I use samosa patti instead of filo?
Samosa patti is thicker and gives a heavier, crunchier result. It works in a pinch, but filo gives much lighter layers.
How long does baklava keep?
Up to a week at room temperature, loosely covered. Don't refrigerate it; the pastry turns chewy.
Pistachios are expensive. What else can I use?
Walnuts with a little cinnamon are traditional and much cheaper. Almonds also work.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 4 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
