Turkish Baklava

About This Recipe

Baklava is the jewel of Turkish confectionery, a dessert of extraordinary refinement and technique that has been perfected over centuries in the kitchens of the Ottoman Empire. The finest baklava comes from Gaziantep in south-eastern Turkey, so revered that it holds protected geographical designation. The key to great baklava is threefold: extraordinarily thin filo pastry, freshly roasted pistachio filling and a light, clear syrup made with lemon. The contrast between the shattering, buttery pastry layers and the fragrant nut filling, soaked but not waterlogged by syrup, is what separates truly great baklava from the merely good.

Ingredients

Serves 24

• 500 gfilo pastry sheets(thawed if frozen)
• 250 gunsalted butter(clarified, melted and kept warm)
• 350 gshelled raw pistachios(finely chopped, not ground)
• 2 tablespoonscaster sugar(for the filling)
• 400 gcaster sugar(for the syrup)
• 300 mlwater
• 1 tablespoonlemon juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the syrup first

   Combine the 400 g sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the lemon juice and simmer for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool completely — the syrup must be cold when it meets the hot baklava.

   Pouring cold syrup over hot baklava is the key to crisp, non-soggy layers. Never use warm syrup on warm baklava.

2. 2

   Prepare the filling

   Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until finely chopped but not ground into a paste — you want distinct pieces for texture. Mix with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

3. 3

   Layer the filo

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Brush a 30 x 40 cm baking tin with butter. Lay one sheet of filo in the tin, brush generously with melted butter. Repeat until you have 10 buttered layers. Spread the pistachio filling evenly over the surface. Continue layering and buttering the remaining filo sheets on top.

4. 4

   Cut before baking

   Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes all the way through to the bottom. This allows the syrup to penetrate evenly and prevents the pastry from shattering during serving.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake for 45–50 minutes until deep golden and the top layers are crisp. Check from about 35 minutes — filo colours quickly. If browning unevenly, rotate the tin.

6. 6

   Add the syrup

   Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour the completely cold syrup evenly over the hot pastry, following the cut lines. The syrup will sizzle and absorb into the layers. Leave to cool completely — at least 2 hours — before serving. Garnish each piece with a pinch of extra chopped pistachio.

Variations

• •

  Walnut baklava: replace pistachios with finely chopped walnuts and add a pinch of cinnamon to the filling.

• •

  Rose water syrup: add 1 teaspoon of rose water to the finished syrup for a floral, Middle Eastern flavour.

• •

  Honey baklava: replace half the sugar in the syrup with good-quality honey for extra depth.

Storage

Store at room temperature, lightly covered, for up to 5 days. Do not refrigerate — the cold air dries out the pastry. Baklava does not need to be refrigerated thanks to its high sugar content.

Frequently Asked Questions