Baklava at home

Baklava is a beloved oriental sweet made from multi-layer dough and nuts. The taste of baklava depends on the type of dough, nuts and impregnation, so anyone can prepare this delicacy according to their own preferences and with varying degrees of sweetness of the finished dish.

How to prepare Turkish baklava at home?

Turkish baklava is a national version of a traditional dessert, consisting of many thin layers of dough baked in oil, soaked in sugar syrup and crushed pistachios.

1. 
   How to make baklava at home? Mix flour, eggs, salt and water until smooth, divide the dough into several pieces.
2. 
   Roll out each small piece of dough by hand using a rolling pin until transparent. To make a real Turkish baklava, the number of such layers should be up to 40 pieces. Lay the layers on top of each other, sprinkling with crushed pistachios.
3. 
   Cut the dough into small pieces, pour in melted butter and bake at high temperature for 35-40 minutes.
4. 
   Prepare syrup from sugar, water and lemon juice: heat everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil, but do not boil.
5. 
   Soak the finished dough in syrup and let it brew. Turkish baklava is ready!

A simple and delicious recipe for Armenian baklava at home

The Armenian version of the popular sweet is made from puff pastry with honey and walnuts. If you use ready-made puff pastry, the process will not take long, but the taste will remain high.

Cooking time: 40 minutes.

Cooking time: 15 minutes.

Servings – 6.

Ingredients:

For the test:

• Unrefined sunflower oil – 40 ml
• Puff pastry without yeast – 250 gr.

For filling:

• Honey – 4 tbsp.
• Walnuts – 250 gr.
• Granulated sugar – 100 gr.
• Eggs – 2 pcs.

Cooking process:

1. Dry the nuts, chop them, leave some in the form of halves for decoration.

2. Separate the whites from the yolks, beat them well with sugar and add chopped nuts to the protein mixture.

3. Roll out the dough thinly and place on a greased baking sheet. Apply the protein mixture with nuts onto the dough, moving 1 cm from the edge of the dough.

4. Tuck the edges and roll the dough into a roll so that the seam is on the bottom. Make notches all over the roll with a knife, brush it with yolks and decorate with halves of nuts between the notches.

5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of 190-200 degrees.3-5 minutes before the end of baking, take out the baklava, brush it with honey and return it to the oven to finish baking.

6. Cool the finished baked goods, cut into portions and serve with tea or coffee.

Original recipe for baklava with honey and walnuts

This recipe perfectly combines honey, nuts and cinnamon, which gives the dish a bright note and allows you not only to enjoy fresh and original baked goods, but also to surprise your guests with your remarkable culinary skills.

Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes.

Cooking time: 20 minutes.

Servings – 8.

Ingredients:

For the test:

• Wheat flour – 7 tbsp.
• Eggs – 2 pcs.
• Butter – 4 tbsp.
• Yeast – 20 gr.
• Water – 1 tbsp.

For filling:

• Granulated sugar – 2 tbsp.
• Walnuts – 500 gr.
• Cinnamon – 4 tsp.
• Butter – 200 gr.
• Honey – 150 gr.

For lubrication:

• Egg – 1 pc.

Cooking process:

1. Beat the eggs, softened butter and ½ cup water for 3 minutes, then dilute the yeast with the second half cup of water. Combine the diluted yeast with the mixture and knead the dough. Place in a warm place for 1.5 hours.

2. Crush nuts with sugar and cinnamon.

3. Divide the dough into two parts, roll one out to a thickness of 2 mm, the second to a thickness of 2.5 mm.

4. Place a thicker layer of dough on a greased baking sheet, add the filling and cover with a second layer, then pinch the edges of the dough so that there are no gaps between the layers. Leave the workpiece for 10 minutes and then brush with egg.

5. Cut the baklava into diamond-shaped pieces and place in a well-heated oven. Bake at 220 degrees for about 10 minutes. Then take out the baklava, pour melted butter on it, brush its surface with egg and bake for another 10 minutes on high heat and 15 on low.

6.Remove the finished dish from the oven, pour honey over the cuts and let cool under a napkin. Dessert is ready!

Step-by-step recipe for making puff pastry baklava

Puff pastry baklava is prepared quickly and simply, sugar syrup evenly saturates the baked goods, giving it juiciness, and nuts emphasize the oriental taste of sweetness.

Cooking time: 1 hour.

Cooking time: 10 minutes.

Servings – 6.

Ingredients:

• Puff pastry without yeast – 400 gr.
• Walnuts – 250 gr.
• Granulated sugar – 300 gr.
• Water – 100 ml

Cooking process:

1. Divide the puff pastry into two parts and roll each into a thin layer.

2. Chop the nuts with a knife or in a blender.

3. Place nuts on the dough, trying to distribute them evenly over the surface. Sprinkle 150 gr. Sahara. Roll the dough into a roll and cut into even pieces.

4. Place the puff rolls in a deep pan and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

5. From 150 gr. sugar and water prepare syrup: boil water and dissolve sugar in it and, stirring, let it thicken a little.

6. Remove the finished rolls from the oven and pour sugar syrup over them, leave for 30 minutes to soak. Puff pastry baklava is ready!

Incredibly delicious baklava made from filo dough at home

In this recipe, instead of the usual puff pastry, filo dough is used, which is laid out in several layers. Filo dough makes the dessert more exotic, but no less tasty. Lemon in the soaking syrup removes excess sweetness, and the dessert acquires a richer, but not cloying taste.

Cooking time: 4 hours 20 minutes.

Cooking time: 20 minutes.

Servings – 4.

Ingredients:

• Walnuts – 400 gr.
• Filo dough (ready) – 200 gr.
• Butter – 200 gr.
• Granulated sugar – 2 tbsp.
• Water – 1 tbsp.
• Lemon – 0.5 pcs.

Cooking process:

1. Select 10 beautiful nut halves to decorate the baked goods at the end, finely chop the remaining nuts or grind in a blender.

2. Melt the butter.

3. Cut the phyllo dough into squares, the size of which should match the shape in which the baklava will be baked. Place a sheet of phyllo dough into a greased pan, brush with oil and alternate so that you have 6-7 layers of dough. Distribute the nuts evenly over the 7th layer, then lay out up to 7 more layers of dough, grease each of them with butter.

4. Cut the dough into diamonds and pour over the remaining butter, place halves of nuts on top or sprinkle with chopped ones. Bake the baklava in the oven at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.

5. To prepare the impregnation, mix sugar with lemon juice and water in a saucepan, heat for 10-12 minutes until the mass thickens.

6. Pour syrup over the finished baklava and leave to soak in the syrup for 3-4 hours. Serve the prepared sweetness with tea or with milk.

Juicy and soft Azerbaijani baklava - a classic recipe

This version of baklava is prepared according to all the canons of classic Azerbaijani cuisine and turns out soft, airy with a juicy and sweet nut filling. This dish is decorated with spices and honey, which gives it a special oriental flavor.

Cooking time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 25 minutes.

Servings – 4.

Ingredients:

For the test:

• Wheat flour – 450 gr.
• Butter – 120 gr.
• Milk – 150 ml
• Salt – 1 pinch.
• Fresh yeast – 20 gr.
• Vanillin - on the tip of the knife.
• Egg – 2 pcs.

For filling:

• Walnuts – 400 gr.
• Granulated sugar – 400 gr.
• Butter – 60 gr.

For decoration:

• Walnuts – 4 pcs.
• Egg yolk – 1 pc.
• Turmeric or saffron – ¼ tsp.
• Milk – 1 tbsp.
• Honey – 20 gr.

Cooking process:

1. Dissolve yeast and salt in heated milk, add eggs and softened butter. Gradually add flour and vanillin, knead the dough. You need to knead until it stops sticking to your hands. Cover the dough with a towel and leave it warm until its volume increases 2-3 times.

2. Grind the nuts with a meat grinder or blender, then mix them with sugar.

3. Divide half of the dough into 4 equal parts, roll each part into a rectangle shape 0.3-0.4 cm thick.

4. Place rectangles on a baking sheet covered with parchment, grease them with softened butter, cover with nut filling (1/3 of the total volume of prepared filling) and cover with a layer of dough. We repeat the procedure 3-4 times. Lubricate the top layer with a mixture of yolk, milk and spices. Cut the baklava into pieces, decorate each with half a walnut.

5. Bake the dessert in the oven at 180 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

6. 10 minutes before the end of baking, you need to cover the baklava with honey. It is better to cool the sweetness before serving. Enjoy!

How to make your own Greek baklava with pistachios?

Baklava with pistachios is a dish of Greek cuisine. It is prepared quickly from phyllo dough, and these pistachios add Mediterranean notes and an exotic aroma to the dessert.

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes.

Servings – 12.

Ingredients:

• Granulated sugar – 500 gr.
• Water - 1.5 tbsp.
• Lemon juice – 3 tbsp.
• Filo dough – 500 gr.
• Unsalted pistachios – 500 gr.
• Butter – 130 gr.
• Vegetable oil – 0.5 tbsp.

Cooking process:

1. Remove the pistachios from the shell and chop finely.

2. For the syrup, add sugar to water and heat to a boil, add lemon juice and remove from heat.

3. Melt the butter and mix it with vegetable oil.

4. Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a clean, dry table, brush it with butter and place another one on top and brush it again. Place the nut filling on 2/3 of the sheet and roll it up.

5. Cut each baklava tube into several pieces, grease well with oil and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

6. Take out the baklava and cool it, then transfer it to the mold and pour in the syrup. Leave to soak for about an hour. Magnificent Greek sweetness is ready!

Lush and soft baklava made from yeast dough in the oven

Baklava is also prepared with yeast dough. In this case, it turns out fluffy and soft, and the filling with nuts and cardamom gives the dessert a pleasant spicy note. Ideal for tea gatherings.

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes.

Servings – 8.

Ingredients:

For the test:

• Wheat flour – 500 gr.
• Butter – 100 gr.
• Eggs – 2 pcs.
• Milk – 250 ml
• Granulated sugar – 2 tsp.
• Dry yeast – 7 gr.
• Salt – 1 tsp.
• Vegetable oil - for greasing the baking sheet.

For filling:

• Walnuts – 400 gr.
• Granulated sugar – 200 gr.
• Cardamom – 0.5 tsp.
• Butter – 250 gr.

For the syrup:

• Granulated sugar – 200 gr.
• Natural honey – 100 gr.
• Water – 200 ml.

For filling:

• Butter – 250 gr.

Cooking process:

1. Sift flour into a bowl, add salt, sugar and dry yeast, mix everything.

2. Using a mixer, beat eggs, milk, butter separately and add the dry mixture of flour and yeast. Knead the dough for about 7-8 minutes.

3. Dry the nuts in a frying pan without adding oil, chop and mix with sugar and cardamom, leave some whole for decoration.

4. Divide the dough into 10 parts - 2 larger and 8 identical smaller ones.

5. Roll out one of the larger pieces and place it on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil. Grease the dough with melted butter, lay out the nut mixture, make another 9 layers of rolled out dough in the same way. Place the remaining second part of the dough on top, rolling it out thoroughly before placing it.

6. Cover with cling film and leave for 30 minutes, then brush the top with yolk. Using a very sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamonds with sides of 4-5 cm, decorate with whole halves of nuts on top.

7. Bake at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes, then remove and pour 250 gr. melted butter and continue baking at 180 degrees for another 35-40 minutes.

8. For impregnation, heat water and sugar in a saucepan, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Then remove from heat, add honey and stir.

9. Remove the finished baklava from the oven, pour in syrup and leave to soak. Divide the cooled baklava into pieces with a sharp knife and serve with hot drinks - tea or coffee.

How to prepare Crimean honey baklava at home?

This baklava is known for the fact that it is often offered to vacationers at sea. Sweet and juicy “beach” baklava is made without nuts, soaked in honey, and its secret ingredient is vodka. This baklava is not baked, but fried in vegetable oil.

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes.

Servings – 8.

Ingredients:

For the test:

• Egg – 1 pc.
• Sour cream – 1 tbsp.
• Granulated sugar – 1 tbsp.
• Salt – 1/3 tsp.
• Vodka – 3 tbsp.
• Wheat flour – 200 gr.
• Soda – 0.5 tsp.
• Butter – 20 gr.

For frying:

• Vegetable oil – 500 ml

For impregnation:

• Water – 100 ml
• Honey – 2 tbsp.
• Sugar – 4 tbsp.

Cooking process:

1. In a deep bowl, mix flour, sugar, soda and salt.Make a well in the center, beat in an egg, pour in vodka and add a spoonful of sour cream.

2. Knead the dough until it sticks well to your hands and surfaces. Form into a ball, cover with a towel and leave for 20 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts, roll each one out very thin without using flour.

4. Lay out the first layer of dough, apply melted butter to it with a pastry brush, place the second layer, grease with butter, cover with a third layer on top.

5. Roll the dough into a loose roll and cut into thin strips.

6. Fry the baklava-brushwood in heated vegetable oil and place on a paper napkin to free the sweets from excess fat.

7. For impregnation, mix honey, sugar and water in a saucepan, heat and boil for 10 minutes. Dip each baklava into syrup on all sides.

8. Place the baklava on a plate. Bon appetit!

A simple and delicious recipe for making baklava with meringues

This option differs from the usual baklava recipe by adding whipped puffed egg white and sesame seeds. An unusual recipe for your favorite sweet, which will require the hostess very little time, but it can surprise even the discerning guest.

Cooking time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 15 minutes.

Servings – 6.

Ingredients:

• Egg white – 1 pc.
• Granulated sugar – 2/3 tbsp.
• Nuts – 100 gr.
• Sesame – 100 gr.
• Water – 0.5 tbsp.
• Vegetable oil – 0.5 tbsp.
• Wheat flour – 1.5-2 tbsp.
• Salt – 1 pinch.

Cooking process:

1. Mix water, oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl, add sifted flour, mix. Cover the dough with a napkin and leave for 25-30 minutes.

2. Grind sesame seeds and nuts in a blender.

3. Beat the whites with sugar until fluffy foam.

4. Mix nuts with protein mixture.

5.Roll out the dough into a thin layer and place the nut-protein filling on it, roll it into a roll, and mark portion cuts with a knife.

6. Place the roll on a baking sheet and decorate with pieces of nuts, bake at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

7. Cool the baked goods, cut into portions and serve. The original dessert is ready!