You’re going to love my family’s Traditional Baklava Recipe! Flaky sheets of phyllo dough layered with walnuts and topped with a sweet, lemony simple syrup.
Servings : 30pieces
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
Cook Time 55 minutesmins
Total Time 1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Ingredients
For the Simple Syrup
1cupwater
1cupsugar
1tablespoonfresh lemon juice
For the Baklava
4cupswalnuts,finely chopped
1cupgranulated sugar
½tablespoonlemon zest
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1cupunsalted butter,melted
16ouncesphyllo dough (about 40 pieces),thawed according to directions on the package
Instructions
For the Simple Syrup
Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer; simmer, occasionally stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat; set aside and let cool down completely.
For the Baklava
Preheat oven to 325˚F.
In a large bowl combine chopped walnuts, sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Brush the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with melted butter. Unroll the phyllo sheets; as you work with them, keep the stack covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out while you’re working. You can also use plastic wrap to cover the stack.
Arrange 10 layers of phyllo sheets into the prepared baking pan, one sheet at a time, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next. So, layer 1 sheet, brush with butter, then layer the next, brush with butter, and so on.
After buttering the tenth phyllo sheet, sprinkle about ¾ cup of the walnut mixture over the phyllo. Continue to layer 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next. Then, sprinkle with a layer of ¾ cup walnut mixture. Repeat this 4 more times. Finish the baklava with a layer of 10 phyllo sheets and brush the top with more butter.
Cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes; cut through the baklava and down to the bottom of the pan using a sharp knife. You can cut it vertically into 4 long rows and then cut diagonally to make diamond shapes or cut straight across to make square shapes.
Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until the top of the Baklava is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and pour the cooled syrup evenly over the entire Baklava.
Let the Baklava cool completely in a dry and cool place. For best results, let Baklava sit overnight.
Notes
Here is a quick reference you can use as a guide while assembling the baklava layers:
10 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
10 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
Tips for Success:
Do not thaw your phyllo dough on the countertop. Instead, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. This will make it easier to work with.
Don’t let the phyllo dry out. When working with the phyllo dough sheets, keep your stack covered with a damp paper towel or tea towel so they don’t dry out while you’re working.
Be generous with the butter! Make sure you brush each sheet of phyllo dough with butter. This is not the place to skimp.
If your phyllo sheets are too large for the pan you are using, use a sharp knife to cut them so they will fit in your pan.
Let your baklava sit overnight at room temperature. This allows the syrup to soak into and soften the layers.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.