Baklava

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional heat. Brush a small baking tin or loaf pan of about 18 x 12 cm with a little of the melted butter. If the phyllo is chilled, unwrap it and keep it covered with a barely damp towel so it does not dry out while you work.

2. 2

   Make the şerbet first so it has time to cool: combine the granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened but still pourable. Remove from the heat, stir in the rose water, and leave to cool completely. The syrup should be cool when the baklava comes out hot; that contrast keeps the layers crisp.

3. 3

   Prepare the filling by mixing the finely chopped pistachios with the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Chop the nuts quite fine, but do not grind to a paste; distinct crumbs give the best layered texture.

4. 4

   Trim the phyllo sheets to fit your tin if needed. Lay in 4 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet lightly but thoroughly with melted butter before adding the next. Keep the buttering even, especially at the corners, so the layers separate and bake crisp rather than tough.

5. 5

   Scatter over half of the pistachio filling in an even layer. Cover with 2 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with melted butter. Add the remaining pistachio filling, then finish with the remaining phyllo sheets, again brushing each sheet with butter, including the top layer.

6. 6

   Using a very sharp knife, cut the assembled baklava all the way through into 8 small diamonds or rectangles before baking. This is essential: cutting after baking will shatter the top. Pour any remaining melted butter gently over the cut lines and surface.

7. 7

   Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating once, until deeply golden brown and crisp on top and around the edges. Proper color matters here; pale baklava will soften too quickly once syruped.

8. 8

   As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, slowly spoon the cooled şerbet evenly over the hot pastry, focusing first on the cut lines and edges. You should hear a gentle sizzle. Let it rest for 15 minutes so the syrup absorbs while the top stays flaky.

9. 9

   Finish with the finely ground pistachios and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. For the cleanest pieces, recut along the original lines after resting.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •Use real butter, not margarine, for the most authentic flavor and proper crispness.
• •If your phyllo sheets are very large, trimming them to the tin and stacking the offcuts into the middle layers works well and reduces waste.
• •Rose water should be delicate, not dominant; if yours is very strong, reduce it to 5 ml.
• •Baklava keeps well for 2 days at cool room temperature, loosely covered, though it is at its crispest on the day it is made.
• •Serve with Turkish tea or unsweetened coffee to balance the richness.

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