Baklava Recipe From Scratch!

Make Turkish Baklava from scratch! No rolling one by one! With this easy baklava recipe, you can make homemade crunchy baklava with different fillings. I will share all my experience and 12 tips to make it successful like a baklava master’s here in Turkey.

We are making a homemade Turkish Walnut baklava recipe. We are not going to roll out the dough one by one. Instead, I have an easy method for you. But lots of tips to make it successful. And you can see the layers even. So crunchy right now. It’s going to be delicious; let’s make it.

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How-to-make-Turkish-baklava
Phyllo sheet dough
Shaping the dough
Working-with-batches
Placing The Phyllo Sheet To The Pan
Other-similar-recipes
Cutting the baklava
The baklava syrup
12-tips-for-mastering-the-baklava-recipe

Ingredients For Walnut Baklava Recipe

• For the dough:
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• about 3 +1/2 cups flour pinch of salt (I used 1 tbsp vinegar for extra crunchiness but it was better without it, the type of vinegar can differ. I would suggest trying without vinegar then if you like ones more with and see the difference)
• To pour over the phyllo sheets: 250gr. butter (we will melt and take out the foamy part after it)
• To roll out the phyllo sheets: 200gr. or more wheat starch (if you can’t find use Corn starch )
• For the layers: about 300 to 400 gr. coarsely chopped walnuts
• For the sherbet (syrup)
• 5 cups sugar
• 3+1/2 cups water
• 1 small lemon wedge
• 1 tsp lemon juice (You can use less syrup first and add more after tasting if needed. The recipe amount is a bit more than enough)

The utensil I use:

• Oklava, a thin rolling pin. Here is where you can get it: Turkish oklava rolling pin
• Regular rolling pin: Classic rolling pin
• Dough scraper

How To Make Turkish Baklava From Scratch

The Phyllo Sheet Dough

• In a mixing bowl add the wet ingredients. (In this recipe, I also added vinegar for extra crunchiness because most of the recipes use it. But I wouldn’t say I liked the texture that much. It might happen because the vinegar I use was apple cider and naturally homemade. So I would recommend you try without vinegar)
• After the liquid ingredients, add 3+1/2 cups of flour and baking powder and knead my dough. Add more flour if needed. We want soft playable unsticky dough. In total, I used 3+3/4 cups. (We have special flour for baklava. Preferably with a high protein, but you can make it with all-purpose flour.)

Shaping The Dough

I am going to cut my dough into three pieces. And each piece, I am going to make a log again and cut it into eight pieces. In my first baklava recipe I shared more than seven years ago, I used a similar recipe. The dough is the same, but I used to make the balls smaller.

Over the years, I realized that you don’t have to make the balls smaller if you roll out the dough thinly. It comes to the same idea with lots of layers. But it’s up to you, you can make it smaller if you like. Then, you don’t have to roll out the dough that much.

After I have three batches of 8 pieces of dough, I will begin with the first batch; roll out into about 20 cm in diameter using only wheat starch. Make sure you are using wheat or corn starch. It can also be corn, but we prefer it with wheat if you can find it. And with the help of the starch, we will create our layers.

Between each layer, I used plentiful starch, you can see. Make sure you have a nice coat of starch and continue to roll out the other pieces. Do the same thing with the other sets.

Working With Batches

I have my three batches ready; beginning from the first one since it rested for a while, I begin to roll out my dough. You can change or flip a couple of dough pieces from time to time and see if it has enough starch between the layers; you can sprinkle more.

It is better to, let me mention again, use enough starch between each layer when we first roll out the batches and continue to roll out until it is bigger than the size of the pan we are going to use.

Here I used the Turkish oklava rolling pin I wanted to show you. It is optional, but it helps create air between each layer to prevent sticking. So you can roll out to a thinner oklava or rolling pin from time to time to help separate the pieces. But again, for years, I made this recipe using only a rolling pin.

Placing The Phyllo Sheet To The Pan

We have a unique expression among the baklava masters “Yüzlük atma”. They, of course, make it with the phyllo sheets rolled out one by one, but you can imitate it with this recipe too.

• My round baking pan is about 40cm in diameter. I am cutting the excess dough part; I am going to use them between the layers. And separate a couple of pieces for the bottom. If you separate pieces one by one or a couple of them, it will make air between the layers so it will be lighter and crunchy. Use the excess dough again between the layers.
  
• After placing the first batch, we can put our walnut layer. I used in total 350gr. Of walnuts, and it was plentiful enough. You can use a bit less if you want, and for each layer, I used about 1+1/2 cups of walnuts.
• Baklava masters also use oils between the layers, but it should be very less they have this unique gadget for it they call “baklava yağ süpürgesi,” so you can imitate it by sprinkling it some oil between the layers. You might also use a spritz bottle for it.
  
• You see how thinly the sheet becomes you can see my hand, so beautiful.
• I am ready to add the final layers. And these are the most important layers to have that the traditional look of thin layers on top. So I would suggest at least try to separate the layers for at least for the top layers.
  
• So I am going to use the final this and most beautiful sheets on top of my baklava. You can again sprinkle some oil between them, secure it from the sides, and it’s ready for cutting and pouring the butter.

Here are some other recipes you might be interested in:
➡️Turkish Cheese Dessert “Lor Tatlısı”
➡️Semolina Halva “İrmik Helvası”
➡️Borek From Scratch

Cutting The Baklava

• Melt 250gr. butter. We will collect the foam part after it is melted to prevent having brown spots on top of pour baklava. And you can also use unsalted ghee for it.
• Before I complete my cutting, I poured melted butter so it will be easier to cut.
• To cut your baklava, use a sharp knife and cut it with one move if possible so the layers won’t stick to each other. Traditionally we cut the “CEVİZLİ BAKLAVA” baklava with walnuts in a diamond shape. If you use a dough cutter or ruler, maybe you end up having more straight lines.

There is also another way of cutting baklava in a star shape! Check this video link to see how you can cut it in a star shape. Bake the baklava at 170C preheated oven, and meanwhile make the syrup.

The Baklava Syrup

I make my sherbet with 5 cups of sugar and 3+1/4 cups of water. I am adding one lemon wedge along with a tsp of lemon juice. And first, close the lid after it is boiled, and continue to boil for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens.
How are you going to understand? You pour the sherbet from high above and check the final drops. The last drops should be heavy or oozing I can say then we know it is thick enough.

Let’s check the baklava. I lowered the temperature to 160C after half an hour and continue to cook for one hour and 15 minutes. Turn it over a little bit, check the bottom and inside, and cook for ten more minutes until I have a nice golden color on top and bottom.

In this homemade “cevizli ev baklavası” we pour syrup at room temperature to the baklava cooled for 5 minutes. It is still warm. But not very hot. But in the traditional commercial recipes, they pour the hot syrup over hot baklava. And I decided to try that and made another version of baklava with pistachio “havuç baklava” I used the same recipe with the half amount.

I will share it in the upcoming episode. But if you stick to the tips I gave you and use just enough starch for the layers, it is also possible to pour hot syrup over the hot baklava to keep it crunchy for a longer time.

12 Tips For Mastering The Baklava Recipe

1. For baklava, the flour type with a protein content of at least 13%, gluten rate 35%, gluten index 90% for maximum resistance is preferred.
2. Use only good quality wheat starch (or corn if you can’t find it) between the layers
3. Separating the layers will create air between the layers to make it more crunchy.
4. Gently wrinkling the dough batch helps to separate the layers
5. Sprinkling a very less amount of vegetable oil or butter between the layers will increase the rise of the layers
6. To prevent the phyllo layers from drying out, don’t work in the air circulated kitchen. Keep the windows closed, don’t use a fan, etc.
7. Collect the white foams from the melted butter and don’t use them, they burn in the oven and create brown spots (or use unsalted “ghee”)
8. Use a sharp knife and cut it with one move if possible so the layers won’t stick to each other.
9. Pour hot butter over the baklava to help open the layers.
10. Pouring the butter before cutting the second part helps to cut easily without disturbing the phyllo sheets 
11. Boil the sherbet for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens. Check the last drops; they should be heavy, oozing.
12. Lower the temperature from 170C to 160C after 30 minutes. Continue to cook for about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes until golden color on top and bottom

So as a final word making baklava is an art. The baklava makers work for years to become a master. But it is still possible to make this delightful dessert at home from scratch. And you don2t even have to roll out the sheets one by one. Even though it seems there are lots of steps for making baklava; when you compare it with the traditional recipe this recipe is still easy to make the home version you can try.
Make sure to share the photos with me from my Instagram and Facebook accounts “Turkish Food Travel” if you try and enjoy it!
Afiyet Olsun.

Turkish Walnut Baklava From Scratch

Make Turkish Baklava from scratch! No rolling one by one! With this easy method, you can make homemade crunchy baklava with different fillings. I will share all my experience and 12 tips to make it successful like a baklava master’s here in Turkey. We are making homemade Turkish Walnut baklava. We are not going to roll out the dough one by one. Instead, I have an easy method for you. But lots of tips to make it successful. And you can see the layers even. So crunchy right now. It’s going to be delicious; let’s make it.

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Turkish

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

For the dough:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3+½ flour I used 1 tbsp vinegar for extra crunchiness but it was better without it, the type of vinegar can differ. I would suggest try without vinegar then if you like ones more with and see the difference
• pinch salt

To pour over the phyllo sheets:

• 250 gr. butter we will melt and take out the foamy part after it

To roll out the phyllo sheets:

• 250 gr. wheat starch you can use corn starch if you can't find

For the walnut layers

• 350 gr. walnuts coarsley chopped

For the sherbet (syrup)

• 5 cups sugar
• 3+½ cups water
• 1 small lemon wedge
• 1 tsp lemon juice You can use less syrup first and add more after tasting if needed. The recipe amount is a bit more than enough.

Instructions

 

The Phyllo Sheet Dough

• In a mixing bowl add the wet ingredients. 
• After the liquid ingredients, add 3+1/2 cups of flour and baking powder and knead my dough. Add more flour if needed.
• Cut the dough into three pieces and each piece into eight pieces. Shape them into balls

Shaping The Phyllo sheets

• Begin with the first batch; roll out into about 20 cm in diameter using only wheat starch. Make sure you are using starch.
• Between each layer, use plentiful starch. Make sure you have a nice coat of starch, and continue to roll out the other pieces. Do the same thing with the other sets.
• Beginning from the first one since it rested for a while, begin to roll out dough batch until it is bigger then the size of the pan. You can change flip a couple of dough pieces from time to time and see if it has enough starch between the layers; you can sprinkle more.

Placing Baklava Sheets Into Pan

• Cut the excess dough part; use them between the layers. Place the sheets to the pan
• After placing the first batch add half of the chopped walnuts to make a layer. Repeat the same process with the second batch, fill it with remaining walnuts.
• For the final top layer batch, seperate couple of thin sheets, and place back to give air between the layers. (Please wathc the video for more.
• Melt butter, collect the foam part after it is melted.

Cutting And Baking The Baklava

• Use a sharp knife and cut it in diamond shape (referrto the video ) with one move if possible so the layers won’t stick to each other
• Pour hot melted butter after cutting
• Bake the baklava at 170C degree for 30 minutes. Lower to 160C and continue to bake about 1 hour 15 minutes or until top and bottom has golden color.

The Baklava Syrup

• Boil sugar and water in a medium-size pan, lid closed. After it is boiled continue to boil for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens.
• Pour the sherbet from high above and check the final drops. The lots drops should be heavy or oozing, then we know it is thick enough.
• Por warm syrup over the baklava 5 minutes after it is out from the oven. Wait for 1 hour at least to soak the syrup and enjoy.

Video

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