Turkish baklava: is it possible to cook it at home?

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

In the East, they believe that baklava has been known for centuries. The birthplace of the dessert is Persia. But Turkish baklava was born in the middle of the 15th century. The court cook of Sultan Bayezid managed to roll out the dough so thinly that one could read a book through it. The culinary specialist also came up with an author's syrup and an original filling. The Padishah of all the worlds liked the dessert, the chef was awarded, and the corresponding entry was made about it.

With the expansion of the borders of the militant Brilliant Porte, Turkish baklava penetrated all corners of the Ottoman Empire. There the recipe was enriched with national culinary traditions. As a result, numerous species appeared: Armenian, Azerbaijani, Crimean. For example, in Baku, this dessert is made from yeast dough, although the classic recipe involves the use of puff pastry. In Crimea, saffron and milk are used. True, merchants walk along the beaches of the sunny peninsula with something, remotelyreminiscent of Khvorost cookies, which they call baklava. But an authentic product can be safely bought at any confectionery store.

The question arises: "Is Turkish baklava possible at home?" Yes, and now we will prove it. If you take ready-made puff pastry, then the cooking process will be halved. The main key to the success of this dessert is careful rolling. The layers should be very thin - so they are more likely to be saturated with syrup. We do the trick like this. We roll three hundred grams of walnut kernels with a rolling pin. A blender, of course, is faster, but then it turns out too small, and the taste will not be the same. Separate three egg whites and beat them into a stable foam. We combine nuts with a glass of sugar. Carefully, so as not to fall off, add protein foam. The filling is ready.

How to make Turkish baklava, and what is the next step? Of course, the assembly of the dessert itself. Lay out the first layer of dough on a baking sheet moistened with water. Put the filling on top, level. We cover with a second layer, and so on. The dough should be on top, which we grease with yolk. We bake the confectionery in the oven at 200 C for about 10 minutes. During this time, we will have time to prepare the syrup. Doing it is a real trifle. Simply melt 50 g of honey and melt the same amount of butter in it.

Turkish baklava will be still raw in the indicated ten minutes. We don't turn off the oven. Just take out the baking sheet, pour syrup over the dessert and againreturn to the oven for the next 10 minutes. The most delicious oriental sweetness becomes on the second day, when it is sufficiently saturated with honey. The top of the product can be sprinkled with crushed pistachios or almonds.

Turkish baklava is also made from puff-yeast dough, each layer of which is also smeared with butter. Put 200 g of butter or margarine to melt. Pour a glass of water into the pan, dissolve a spoonful of yeast in it. Break two eggs, stir and gradually add four cups of flour. Knead for about fifteen minutes, constantly adding melted butter. Let the dough rise, for which it is placed in heat for an hour and a half.