How to Make Traditional Greek Baklava

December signals the beginning of the highly-anticipated Holiday baking season.  Although this year’s festivities and celebrations will not be the same as in other years, that does not mean that we cannot look forward to certain sweets and treats that are part of our favorite celebrations.  This traditional Greek baklava is one of those sweets that my family eagerly awaits every year.

As I was preparing for my upcoming class on Greek Holiday Baking at Culinaria Cooking School, I suddenly realized that I have never shared my recipe on how to make traditional Greek baklava on this blog.  When it comes to Greek Christmas sweets, baklava, along with melomakarona (the honey-drenched orange cookies) and kourabiedes (the almond shortbread cookies), are found in all Greek households at this time of the year.  The baklava recipe that I am sharing today is a beloved family recipe that comes from my mother and it is the best baklava ever!

Baklava needs no introductions:  layers of crispy filo, each one lightly buttered and filled with chopped nuts and spices, baked until golden brown, and then drizzled with a heavenly honey-and-orange infused syrup!  Many Eastern Mediterranean countries have their own versions of baklava; some use pistachio nuts in the filling, others use rose water instead of honey in the syrup.  No matter what its origin or variation, baklava is a delicious dessert, surprisingly easy to make, and absolutely worth learning to make at home!  After making this recipe, you will never be tempted to buy it at a store again.

The three components of the Baklava recipe

1. Preparing the nut mixture
2. Layering the filo pastry
3. Making the honey syrup

Small batch Baklava 

The ingredients of this recipe make a regular tray of baklava in a 13″x9″x2″ pan.  This is a large amount for most people, unless you are entertaining a small crowd of about two dozen people!  To make a smaller amount of baklava, I use the exact same ingredients, but instead of one large pan, I use two, 9″ cake pans.  I assemble both (step by step instructions below), then freeze the one–unbaked and in its pan–for later, and bake the second.  It is always great to have a dessert ready to bake and enjoy; all you have to do is make the honey syrup to drizzle on top!

How to Make Traditional Greek Baklava

1. Measure out the ingredients and take the filo out of the refrigarator, but do not unwrap it yet

2. Mix the ingredients for the filling and set aside

3. Unwrap and unfold the filo.  Depending on the brand you are using, there should be 20-25 sheets of filo.  Place the filo on a clean surface and position two, 9″ cake pans on it.  The pans should fit well inside the 12″x17″ stack of filo pastry, if positioned as shown in the photo above.

4. Run a sharp knife, around the bottom of the first pan, cutting through all the layers of filo. Repeat with the another stack of filo sheets, for the second pan.

5. Working with one stack of filo sheets at a time, start layering them inside the cake pan, buttering each layer and sprinkling some of the nut mixture as described in the recipe. (Make sure to cover the other stack of filo so it does not dry out).

6.  Cut the baklava into pieces before baking.  You can either cut it into small squares, or, try to make the star pattern, like in my photo.  If you decide to cut it into the star pattern, start by cutting it into 8 triangles first:

Making it ahead of time and Storing

You can easily make baklava ahead of time.  Actually, it always tastes better the longer it is left to sit before eating so the syrup is absorbed by the many layers of filo dough.  Once you make it, wait for it to cool down completely and then set it aside at a cool spot in your house.  Cover it loosely with a piece of parchment or wax paper, so as to ensure that it remains nice and crisp and does not become soggy.

I hope you try your hand at making this simple dessert during the Holidays.  It might take some time, but you will be surprised just how easily it comes together and how delicious every bite of this heavenly dessert really is!

5.0 from 2 reviews

How to Make the Traditional Greek Baklava

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

A classic Greek dessert, that is surprisingly easy to make!

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Serves: 16 small pieces

Ingredients

• 16 oz. walnuts, chopped
• 3 TBSP. sugar
• 3 TBSP. plain breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• 1 lb. filo dough, #4, 12”x17” (thawed overnight), at room temperature
• 1½ cups butter, melted
• For the honey syrup:
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• ½ ---- cinnamon stick
• 3 ---- 1” strips of orange peel
• ½ cup honey

Instructions

1. For the honey syrup: in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and orange peel and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the honey and boil for 3-4 minutes so the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool. You can refrigerate the cooled syrup in an airtight container for 4 days. (*If you are only making half the recipe [i.e., a small batch], make only half the syrup.*)
2. For the nut filling: Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse them a few times until they are chopped to a medium-fine consistency (making sure to not over-process them or the nuts will become a paste). Put the chopped walnuts in a bowl and combine them with the sugar, breadcrumbs, cinnamon and cloves. Divide the mixture into two equal portions; one for each of the two round pans.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
4. To assemble the small batch baklava: unwrap and unfold the filo. Place it on a large cutting board, and, using the bottom of an 8” cake pan as a guide, cut the sheets of filo into two stacks of 8” circles (see photo). Set aside the second stack of filo sheets and cover it with plastic wrap and a towel. Brush the sides of the first pan with some melted butter. Place one filo sheet in the bottom of the pan and brush it with some butter. Repeat with 7 more filo sheets, placing each one in the pan and making sure to butter each one of them. Sprinkle ⅓ cup of the first nut mixture evenly over the eighth sheet. Layer the next 2 buttered filo rounds and sprinkle another ⅓ cup of nuts. Repeat with two more layers of buttered filo and the last ⅓ cup of nuts. Continue layering the rest 8 sheets of filo sheets until they are all used. There should be about 20 filo sheets in total, depending on the thickness of the filo and the brand. Repeat the same with the second stack of filo rounds and the remaining half of the nut mixture. (* If you are making half the recipe [i.e., a small batch], wrap the second pan with plastic wrap and then with heavy duty aluminum foil and place it in the freezer for another time.*]
5. Scoring and Baking: using a serrated knife with a pointed tip, cut the baklava into small squares or diamond-shaped pieces, or, follow the star pattern of the photo. If you wish, top each piece with a small, whole clove for decoration. Bake, uncovered, for about 45-50 minutes or until the top layers of filo are light golden and crisp. Every oven is different, so the cooking time may vary.
6. Remove from the oven and pour the cooled honey syrup slowly and evenly over the top of the baklava and especially over the cut lines (the syrup will sizzle). It might look like a lot of syrup initially, but it will all be absorbed as it cools down. Let the baklava sit uncovered for at least 8 hours (overnight is best) before serving. It can be covered loosely and stored for a week at room temperature.

Notes

The temperature of the syrup is very important: The hot baklava, just out of the oven, will absorb the syrup better if it is at room temperature and not hot.

3.5.3240

Baklava Variations

Baklava is a very popular dessert throughout throughout many countries of the Eastern Mediterranean.  Once you master this recipe, you can then experiment with similar versions by using different nut combinations (pistachios are a great variation), other spice combinations (cardamom would be great to add to the nuts) and of course, different syrup flavors.  You can also try different baklava shapes, like these delicious pistachio baklava rolls with chocolate drizzle.

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