Greek baklava – filo pastry with nuts and honey Recipe
Baklava is a sweet, very nutty pastry made from many layers of filo dough, filled with a nut mixture and soaked in honey syrup. In Greece it’s served in small pieces with coffee, because it’s really rich. The crunchy layers and sticky, honey-scented center make it hard to stop at just one piece.
This baklava combines layers of ultra-crispy filo pastry with a fragrant nut filling and a lemony honey syrup, just like in Greek pastry shops. Cutting it before baking and soaking it in warm syrup while it’s still hot ensures that every piece is juicy inside yet crisp on top.
Chef's tips
Keep the filo covered with a damp cloth at all times so it doesn’t dry out and crack while you work. Don’t rush the soaking time – the baklava really needs several hours for the syrup to distribute evenly. If your oven browns strongly, cover the top loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking so it doesn’t get too dark.
How to serve
Serve baklava at room temperature, in small diamond-shaped pieces. It pairs perfectly with strong espresso, Greek coffee, black tea or unsweetened mint tea. For a more festive touch, sprinkle the top with a few chopped pistachios or a little extra grated lemon zest just before serving.
Ingredients
- filo pastry about 12–14 sheets - 300 g
- walnuts finely chopped - 200 g
- hazelnuts finely chopped - 100 g
- sugar for the filling - 50 g
- ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
- butter melted, for brushing the pastry - 200 g
- honey runny - 200 g
- water for the syrup - 150 ml
- sugar for the syrup - 150 g
- lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- lemon zest grated, only the yellow part - 1 teaspoon
Preparation
- If you are using frozen filo pastry, defrost it according to the instructions on the package. Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a rectangular baking dish about 20×30 cm with butter.
- Finely chop the walnuts and hazelnuts with a knife or briefly pulse them in a food processor so that you get small pieces, not powder.
- In a bowl, mix the chopped nuts with 50 g of sugar and the cinnamon.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and let it cool slightly. Prepare the filo pastry, keeping it covered with a damp cloth so it doesn’t dry out.
- Place the first sheet of filo on the bottom of the dish and brush it lightly with melted butter. Add another sheet and brush again. Repeat until you have 5–6 layers.
- Spread half of the nut mixture evenly over this layer.
- Cover the nuts with two sheets of filo, brushing each one with butter. Then sprinkle over the remaining nuts and spread them out evenly.
- Place the remaining sheets of filo (5–6 pieces) on top, brushing each one with butter. Brush the last sheet thoroughly as well.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the unbaked baklava into diamonds or squares, cutting all the way down to the bottom of the dish – it will be harder to do after baking.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp and the pastry has risen and separated slightly into layers.
- While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup: pour the water into a saucepan, add 150 g sugar, the honey, lemon juice and grated zest. Heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then simmer over low heat for 8–10 minutes, until the syrup thickens slightly. Set aside to cool – it should be warm but not boiling.
- When the baklava is ready, remove it from the oven and immediately, while it is still hot, pour the warm syrup evenly over the top. Focus on the cuts so the syrup can seep between the layers.
- Leave the baklava at room temperature for at least 3–4 hours, preferably overnight, so the syrup can soak in well and the pastry softens inside while staying crisp on top.
Storage
Baklavę możesz przechowywać w temperaturze pokojowej przez 2–3 dni, a potem w lodówce. Dobrze znosi mrożenie – rozmrażaj ją w lodówce lub w temperaturze pokojowej.
