Baklava

Description

Baklava - Authentic recipe from Lebanon. Ready in 75 min. Try it now!

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Finely chop 150 g of walnuts and mix with 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp sugar. Melt 100 g of butter. Prepare the filo pastry (200 g) and cover with a damp cloth (it dries out quickly).

   ⏱️ approx. 12 min

   💡 Tip: Baklava is the famous syrup pastry of the Levant and the eastern Mediterranean. In Lebanon it is made with walnuts or pistachios. Working quickly with filo pastry (kept under a damp cloth) prevents it from drying out.

2. 2

   In a greased baking dish, layer alternately: brush each sheet of filo with melted butter (5–6 sheets on the bottom), then the nut mixture, then more buttered filo sheets. Finish with several buttered sheets on top. Cut into diamond shapes before baking.

   ⏱️ approx. 20 min

   💡 Tip: Every sheet of filo must be brushed with butter — this creates the flaky, crispy texture. Cutting into diamonds BEFORE baking is essential (once the syrup has been added, it can no longer be cut cleanly).

3. 3

   Bake at 180 °C for 35–45 minutes until golden and crispy. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: boil 200 g sugar + 100 ml water + the juice of 1 lemon (and optionally orange blossom water) for 10 minutes. Pour the COLD syrup over the HOT baklava. Allow to soak for several hours.

   ⏱️ approx. 50 min

   💡 Tip: The temperature rule: cold syrup on hot baklava (or vice versa) — never hot on hot (it turns soggy). Allow to soak for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Orange blossom water gives the authentic Levantine aroma.