Homemade baklava recipe

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

There are few people who are indifferent to the creations of oriental confectioners. Baklava is one of the most popular types of traditional Turkish, Iranian, Greek, Uzbek housewives baking. The recipes for this pie differ, depending on the region, in the filling, the spices used, and the way the dough is rolled out. Our article will help you find out how this delicious delicacy is prepared.

A bit of history

Before you know the most famous baklava recipes, you should look into the depths of centuries. So, it is believed that the Assyrians came up with the dough and filling for such a nut. However, the first written mention of this type of sweet pastry dates back to the 15th century. According to the cookbook of the Ottoman sultans, which is kept in the museum in the Topkapı Palace, in 1453 baklava was served at the table of Mehmed II Fatih. The Sultan was delighted with this delicious dessert and ordered to write down his recipe so that he would not be forgotten. Since then, baklava began to be cooked and served to the guests of the Ottoman rulers for everyholiday.

There is an alternative version. According to her, this pastry was known to the inhabitants of the Asia Minor peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. e. There, Greek sailors and merchants met her. They brought the baklava recipe to Athens. Local housewives and confectioners improved it by inventing a method for very thin rolling out of the dough, which was called filo, which means “leaf” in Greek. Today it is sold in supermarkets in many countries, including Russia.

Views

As already mentioned, baklava recipes vary greatly depending on the country and even the region. Only in Turkey, more than 100 types of this delicacy are known, which differ in composition and technology for preparing dough and filling, in shape, etc. What are their names alone! This is a "wrapped turban", and "lady's tummy", and "Sultan's palace", and "nightingale's nest".

Along with baklava prepared according to ancient recipes that are hundreds of years old, desserts invented by modern confectioners are also popular. For example, today you can try baklava with chocolate.

General cooking rules

Traditional baklava is baked in a low metal dish such as a baking sheet or pan.

Initially, it is formed like a closed pie. However, before the baking sheet is sent to the oven or oven, it is cut into portioned pieces. Moreover, experienced housewives recommend not to bring the knife to the metal, leaving the last layer uncut. Under this condition, baklava (see recipe below) turns outmore airy, and the sweet filling will not burn. The cake is cut already ready, before being poured with syrup.

During the preparation of the treat, there is often a break during which ghee or other liquid additive is added.

Ready-made baklava (see recipe with photo below) is poured with syrup, which changes the taste of the cake and gives it flavor.

Filling

If you are interested in baklava, a step-by-step recipe (photos of the dish are presented in the article) will help you prepare this delicious dessert without any problems. If you are not sure that you can handle the dough making, then simply purchase filo sheets in packages. This way you will be able to bake the baklava much faster and you will have a guaranteed perfect result, as long as you can prepare the filling correctly.

First option for preparing the filling

Any recipe for homemade baklava (with or without a photo - it doesn't matter), contains instructions for preparing a sweet layer.

The easiest way is to evenly mix the crushed nuts and powdered sugar. At first glance, there is nothing complicated in this. However, those who bake baklava for the first time often make mistakes that do not have the best effect on the result.

In order not to be in a similar situation, it is not recommended to use granulated sugar, hoping that it can replace powdered sugar. In addition, it is extremely important to properly prepare the nuts. For this: almonds or / and hazelnuts you need:

• scald;
• peel;
• dry, spreading out onpaper napkin;
• pound thoroughly.

If walnuts are used, then they do not need such preparation. It is enough just to chop the kernels very finely with a knife, after sorting them out and removing blackened or wrinkled ones.

As a result of crushing or chopping nuts, a mass consisting of grains, the size of grains of granulated sugar, should be obtained. According to some recipes, the preparation of a homogeneous, smooth nut mass is expected. In such cases, there should be more nuts than sugar (by weight). The result should be a filling that tastes like traditional marzipan.

Usually ground cinnamon and cardamom are added to the crumbly nut-sugar mass.

Piece filling

To prepare the filling in this way, you must first use the instructions above. Then:

1. In the resulting sugar-nut mass, you must additionally introduce a raw egg and confectionery crumbs, consisting of the remains of cookies, pounded to the state of breadcrumbs. You can get this component yourself. To do this, you need to take some dough from which the baklava will be baked and, having rolled it into a layer 1 mm thick, bake in the oven for 4 minutes.
2. When the "pancake" has cooled, put it in a plastic bag and "beat" it with a rolling pin to make small crumbs.
3. Add crumbs to the sugar-nut mass in the amount of 2 tbsp. l. spoons for 1 cup.
4. Then take a raw egg and separate the yolk. It is rubbed with a littlepowdered sugar until white.
5. The remaining protein is whipped into a thick foam and injected into the sugar-nut mixture. Add yolk composition. Blend until smooth.
6. It turns out a fairly dense mass, which is rolled out on a board into pancakes 3 thick and used as a filling.

Filling

One of the important features of baklava is filling. It is prepared in the form of a regular sugar syrup or in the form of a honey-sugar mixture with spices.

Traditional filling is boiled like this: 500 g of honey is diluted in 100 g of water and boiled down to a thin thread.

For the honey-sugar version, 100 g of sugar is dissolved in 90 g of water. Lightly boiled into syrup, removing foam from it. Enter 250 g of honey. Boil down to a thin thread. In some countries, ghee is added to the syrup. In such cases, the filling is used uncooled.

Baklava recipe (with photo)

Easiest way to make traditional phyllo dough baklava at home.

For 1 pack of 450 g you need to take:

• 1, 2 tbsp. water;
• 200g butter;
• 1, 5 tbsp. ground walnut kernels;
• 1, 5 tbsp. sugar;
• 1 tsp lemon juice.

Step by step instructions

First, it is recommended to prepare a syrup (honey-sugar mixture) and pour it into a cold bowl, leave to cool. If you wish, after that you can squeeze 1 lemon into the syrup and mix.

Next:

1. Melt butteroil.
2. Turn on the oven, setting the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius.
3. Spread filo dough on board.
4. Divide it in half.
5. Cut off the excess so that the layers of dough become equal in size to the size of the form in which the baklava will be baked.

If everything is done correctly, you will get 2 blocks of 40 sheets each. To prevent the dough from drying out, it must be kept under a towel. In the meantime, you need to grease the form with pre-melted butter. Then:

1. Spread out two sheets of dough.
2. Brush them with oil using a cooking brush.
3. Cover with 2 sheets of filo.
4. Lubricated with oil, and continue in the same sequence until the sheets from the first block of dough run out.
5. After oiling the last block of dough, spread the nut filling evenly over its surface.
6. Lay out the second block of dough, brushing the top layer with butter, including the top one.

Final stage

Preparing baklava according to the recipe at home ends with the formation of individual portioned pieces. To do this, a sharp knife is dipped into hot water and the future baklava is cut into diamonds. At the same time, in order to get a lush baklava, you need to cut the raw cake only to the nut layer. In this case, only the top layer will rise during cooking.

How to bake

The form with baklava is placed on the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 160 degrees. Continuebake for about 25 minutes more. Turn off the oven. After taking out the baklava, leave it in the form for 10 minutes.

Using a chilled knife, cut the oriental pie to the end. However, it should not be removed from the mold.

Using a spoon, pour the chilled syrup over the baklava, trying to get the filling into the cuts and thoroughly soak the individual pieces. Otherwise, this oriental pastry will not turn out as tasty as it should be. If you wish, you can sprinkle the surface with chopped nuts or put half a walnut kernel in the center of each diamond.

Serving baklava immediately is not recommended. It is better to cover it with foil and leave it to infuse at room temperature for at least four hours so that the syrup is completely absorbed.

Bakhlava differs from other pastries in that it retains its great taste for a week. The main thing is to store it in a dark place, but not in the refrigerator.

Now you know the step by step baklava recipe. At home, the first time it does not always turn out as tasty as it is prepared by experienced oriental confectioners. However, over time, any housewife will be able to master the preparation of this magnificent dessert, which is popular all over the world.