Baklava Recipe
A classic baklava recipe featuring buttery, crisp layers of phyllo dough filled with spiced walnuts and soaked in a sweet honey syrup.
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish
- Pastry brush
- sharp knife
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 cups walnuts finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Pastry
- 1 lb phyllo dough thawed
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare The Filling and Layer the Baklava
- In a bowl, combine the finely chopped walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar, mixing well until evenly combined. Set aside while you prepare the phyllo.
- Brush the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with melted butter. Working with one sheet of phyllo at a time and keeping the rest covered with a damp towel, layer about 8 sheets of phyllo into the dish, brushing each sheet lightly with melted butter before adding the next.
Put The Filling
- Sprinkle about a third of the walnut mixture evenly over the layered phyllo. Add another 6-8 sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter as before, then sprinkle another third of the walnut mixture. Repeat with another layer of phyllo and the remaining walnut mixture, then top with the final 8 sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter, including a generous final layer on top.
Cut and Bake
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the assembled baklava into diamond or square shapes, cutting all the way through to the bottom of the dish before baking.5. Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp throughout.
Make and Add the Syrup
- While the baklava bakes, combine the sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and let the syrup cool slightly.
- As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the slightly cooled syrup evenly over the hot pastry, making sure it reaches all the cut edges. Let the baklava sit uncovered for at least 4 hours, or overnight, allowing the syrup to fully absorb before serving.
Notes
- Keeping unused phyllo sheets covered with a damp towel while you work is essential, since phyllo dries out and becomes brittle within just a few minutes of air exposure, making it difficult to layer without tearing.
- Cutting the baklava into shapes before baking, rather than after, is important, since the pastry becomes too crisp and delicate to cut cleanly once baked.
- Pouring the syrup over the baklava while it's still hot, and having the syrup itself already cooled slightly, creates the temperature contrast needed for even absorption throughout all the layers.
- Resisting the urge to cover the baklava while it sits after adding the syrup helps it stay crisp rather than turning soggy, so leave it uncovered during that resting period.
- This dessert genuinely improves with time, so letting it sit the full recommended time, or even a day, allows the flavors and syrup to fully settle throughout the layers.