Baklava

★★★★4.9· 876 ratings

·Serves 8

About this Dish

Gossamer thin layers of filo pastry filled with chopped pistachios or walnuts, baked until golden and drenched in a fragrant syrup of sugar, water and lemon. Gaziantep in southeast Turkey is considered the world capital of baklava, with family recipes passed down for generations.

IngredientsServes 8

🧈Unsalted butter, 250g melted and clarified

🥜Raw pistachios (or walnuts), 300g finely chopped

📜Filo pastry sheets, 400g (about 20-24 sheets)

🍚Caster sugar, 400g

💧Water, 300ml

🍋Lemon juice, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed

🍯Honey, 2 tablespoons (optional, for depth)

🌿Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon

Method

Make the syrup first so it has time to cool. Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan, bring to a boil, stir until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the honey if using, then set aside to cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Brush a 30x20cm baking tin generously with melted butter, then lay in one sheet of filo, brushing it all over with butter. Repeat this process until you have used half the filo sheets.

Mix the chopped pistachios with the cinnamon and spread them evenly over the filo layers in the tin. Continue layering the remaining filo sheets on top, brushing each one thoroughly with butter as you go.

Using a very sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes all the way through to the bottom of the tin — this is important to do before baking. Pour any remaining melted butter evenly over the top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until the baklava is deep golden and crisp on top. Watch it carefully in the last 10 minutes to ensure it doesn't over-brown.

As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, slowly pour the cold syrup evenly all over the hot pastry — you should hear it sizzle. Let it absorb for at least 2-3 hours at room temperature before serving, garnishing with extra finely chopped pistachios.

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