Crisp Honey Baklava
Baklava is less about baking and more about managing moisture. You want a distinct crunch from the layers of paper-thin dough, punctuated by the richness of toasted nuts and a sharp, floral honey syrup.
Work with speed and damp towels
Phyllo dough dries out the moment it hits the air. Keep the stack covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel while you work to prevent the sheets from shattering.
- 9x13 inch metal baking pan
- pastry brush
- sharp chef's knife
- small saucepan
What goes in.
- 1 lbphyllo dough, thawed
- 2 cupswalnuts or pistachios, finely chopped
- 1 cupunsalted butter, melted and clarified
- 1 tspground cinnamon
- 1 cuphoney
- 1/2 cupwater
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
- 1 tbsplemon juice
Hot pastry, cold syrup
The secret to the snap is the thermal shock. By adding room-temperature or chilled syrup to pastry that has just exited the oven, the dough drinks the liquid without losing its structure.
The method.
Prepare the syrup
Combine honey, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside to cool completely.
Layer the base
Brush the baking pan with butter. Place a sheet of phyllo in the pan, brush with butter, and repeat until you have 8 base layers.
Add the nut filling
Mix nuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle a thin, even layer over the dough. Repeat the butter-and-phyllo process for 2 layers, then add more nuts. Continue until the filling is gone, finishing with 8 top layers of phyllo.
Score the surface
Using a sharp knife, cut through the top layers or all the way to the bottom in a diamond pattern before baking. This allows the syrup to penetrate evenly.
Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 to 50 minutes. Look for a deep, golden brown color and audible crispness when the knife touches the top layer.
Finish
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava. Listen for the aggressive sizzle.
Other turns to take.
Spiced Cardamom
Add half a teaspoon of ground cardamom to the nut mixture for a floral, aromatic profile.
Orange Blossom
Stir a teaspoon of orange blossom water into the cooled syrup for a Mediterranean finish.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Clarify your butter by melting it and skimming off the white milk solids; those solids will burn during the long bake time.
Cut the baklava completely through before baking to make serving easier later.
Do not refrigerate the finished baklava, as the humidity in the fridge will soften the crisp layers.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my baklava get soggy?
Usually because the syrup was too hot or the baklava was allowed to cool before the syrup was added. The two must be at opposite temperature extremes.
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