There are few people who are indifferent to the creations of oriental confectioners. One of the most popular types of traditional baking of Turkish, Iranian, Greek, Uzbek hostesses is baklava. The recipes of this cake differ, depending on the region, in the filling, the spices used and the way the dough is rolled. To find out how this delicious treat is prepared, our article will help.
A bit of history
Before you learn the most famous baklava recipes, it is worth looking into the depths of centuries. So, it is believed that the dough and the filling for such a nut were invented by the Assyrians. However, the first written mention of this type of sweet pastry dates back to the 15th century. According to the cookbook of the Ottoman sultans, which is stored in a museum in the Topkapi Palace, in 1453, baklava was served at the table of Mehmed the Second Fatih. The Sultan was delighted with this delicious dessert and ordered to write down his recipe so that he would not be forgotten. Since then, baklava began to be prepared and served to the guests of the Ottoman rulers for each holiday.
There is an alternative version. According to her, this baking was known to the inhabitants of the Asia Minor Peninsula back in the 8th century BC. e. There, Greek sailors and merchants met her. They brought the baklava recipe to Athens. Local housewives and pastry chefs improved it by devising a way to roll the dough very thinly, which was called filo, which in Greek means “leaf”. Today it is sold in supermarkets in many countries, including Russia.
Kinds
As already mentioned, baklava recipes vary significantly depending on the country and even on the region. In Turkey alone, more than 100 types of this delicacy are known, which vary in composition and technology for the preparation of dough and toppings, in shape, etc. What are their names alone! This “wrapped turban”, and “lady’s tummy”, and “Sultan’s palace”, and “nightingale’s nest”.
Along with baklava cooked according to old recipes, which are not one hundred years old, desserts invented by modern confectioners are also popular. For example, today you can try baklava with chocolate.
General cooking rules
Traditional baklava is baked in a low metal form, for example, on a baking sheet or pan.
Initially, it is formed as a closed cake. However, before the pan is sent to the oven or to the oven, it is cut into portioned pieces. Moreover, experienced housewives recommend not to bring the knife to metal, leaving the last layer uncut. Under this condition, the baklava (recipe see below) is more airy, and the sweet filling will not burn. Cut the cake ready-made, before pouring the syrup.
During the preparation of goodies, a break is often taken during which ghee or another liquid supplement is added.
Ready baklava (recipe with photo see below) is poured with syrup that changes the taste of the cake and gives it a flavor.
Filling
If you are interested in baklava, a step-by-step recipe (photos of dishes are presented in the article) will help to prepare this delicious dessert without any problems. If you are not sure that you can handle the production of dough, then just purchase the filo sheets in packages. In this case, you can bake baklava much faster, and you will have guaranteed excellent results, provided that you can properly prepare the filling.
The first option for preparing the filling
Any recipe for homemade baklava (with or without a photo - it doesn’t matter), contains instructions for preparing a sweet layer.
The easiest way offers uniform mixing of crushed nuts and powdered sugar. At first glance, there is nothing complicated about this. However, those who bake baklava for the first time often make mistakes that do not have the best effect on the result.
To avoid this situation, it is not recommended to use granulated sugar, hoping that it can replace icing sugar. In addition, it is crucial to properly prepare the nuts. To do this: almonds and / or hazelnuts need:
- scald;
- peel;
- dry by spreading it on a paper towel;
- carefully pound.
If walnuts are used, then they do not need such preparation. It is enough just to chop the kernels very finely with a knife, after sorting them out and removing the blackened or shriveled ones.
As a result of crushing or chopping nuts, a mass consisting of grains the size of granules of granulated sugar should be obtained. According to some recipes, a homogeneous smooth nut mass is supposed to be prepared. In such cases, there should be more nuts than sugar (by weight). The result should be a filling that resembles traditional marzipan to taste.
Usually, ground cinnamon and cardamom are added to the loose nut-sugar mass.
Tortilla Filling
To prepare the filling in this way, you must first use the instructions presented above. Then:
- In the resulting sugar-nut mass, it is necessary to additionally introduce a raw egg and confectionery crumbs, consisting of the remains of cookies, mashed to the state of breadcrumbs. You can get this component yourself. To do this, you need to take a little dough from which the baklava will be baked and, having rolled into a 1 mm thick layer, bake in the oven for 4 minutes.
- When the “pancake” cools down, put it in a plastic bag and “beat” it with a rolling pin to make small crumbs.
- Add crumbs to the sugar-nut mass in the amount of 2 tbsp. l tablespoons in 1 cup.
- Then a raw egg is taken and the yolk is separated. It is ground with a little white powder.
- The remaining protein is whipped into a thick foam and introduced into a sugar-nut mixture. The yolk composition is added. Mix until smooth.
- It turns out a fairly dense mass, which is rolled out on a board into pancakes with a thickness of 3 and used as a filling.
Pouring
One of the important features of baklava is the filling. It is prepared in the form of a regular sugar syrup or in the form of a honey-sugar mixture with spices.
The traditional filling is boiled like this: 500 g of honey is diluted in 100 g of water and boiled to a thin thread.
For the honey-sugar version, 100 g of sugar is dissolved in 90 g of water. Lightly boil in syrup, removing foam. Enter 250 g of honey. Boil to a thin thread. In some countries, ghee is added to the syrup. In such cases, the fill is used uncooled.
Baklava recipe (with photo)
At home, it is easiest to cook traditional baklava from filo dough.
For 1 package weighing 450 g you need to take:
- 1.2 tbsp. water;
- 200 g butter;
- 1.5 tbsp. ground walnut kernels;
- 1.5 tbsp. Sahara;
- 1 tsp lemon juice.
Step-by-step instruction
First, it is recommended to prepare a syrup (honey-sugar mixture) and, pouring it into a cold dish, leave to cool. If you want, after that you can squeeze 1 lemon into the syrup and mix.
Further:
- Melt the butter.
- Turn on the oven by setting the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Spread filo dough on the board .
- Divide it in half.
- The excess is cut off so that the dough layers become equal in size to the size of the form in which the baklava will be baked.
If everything is done correctly, you will get 2 blocks of 40 sheets each. To prevent the dough from drying, it must be kept under a towel. In the meantime, lubricate the mold with pre-melted butter. Then:
- Spread two pieces of dough.
- Grease them with oil using a cooking brush.
- Cover with 2 sheets of filo.
- Lubricated with oil, and continue to act in the same sequence until the sheets from the first block of the test run out.
- Having greased the last block of dough with butter, evenly stuff the nut filling on its surface.
- Spread the second block of dough, greasing the layer with oil, layer, including the topmost.
Final stage
The preparation of baklava according to the recipe at home is completed by the formation of separate portioned pieces. To do this, a sharp knife is dipped in hot water and cut the future baklava into rhombs. At the same time, in order to get a magnificent baklava, you need to cut a raw cake only to a nut layer. In this case, only the top layer will rise during the cooking process.
How to bake
A baklava mold is placed on the middle shelf of a preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Then reduce the fire to 160 degrees. Continue to bake for about 25 minutes. Turn off the oven. After taking the baklava, leave it in shape for 10 minutes.
Using a chilled knife, cut the eastern pie to the end. However, it should not be removed from the mold.
Using a spoon, pour the chilled syrup over the baklava, trying to fill the places of the cuts and thoroughly soak individual pieces. Otherwise, this oriental pastry will not turn out as tasty as it should be. If you want, you can sprinkle the surface with chopped nuts or put half the walnut kernel in the center of each rhombus.
Serving baklava immediately is not recommended. It is better to cover it with foil and leave to infuse at room temperature for at least four hours, so that the syrup is completely absorbed.
Baklava differs from other pastries in that it retains great taste for a week. The main thing is to store it in a dark place, but not in the refrigerator.
Now you know the step-by-step recipe for baklava. At home, it is not always the first time it turns out as tasty as it is prepared by experienced oriental confectioners. However, over time, any hostess will be able to master the preparation of this magnificent dessert, which is popular all over the world.