It’s baklava season again, and what better way to sweeten your holiday visits and elevate your table than with homemade walnut baklava? For a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth baklava, follow this special recipe from APlus Bakery’s Chef Cengiz Canpolat.
Homemade Walnut Baklava
Ingredients:
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Dough
- 1 kg baklava and pastry flour
- 10 g salt
- 5 whole eggs
- 200 ml water
- 500 g ground walnuts
- 750 g butter
- 500 g corn starch
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Syrup
- 1.8 kg granulated sugar
- 1 liter water
- 10 g lemon juice
Instructions:
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Prepare the Dough: Spread the flour on a flat surface, creating a well in the center. Add the eggs, water, and salt, and knead into a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest.
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Prepare the Ingredients: Melt the butter in a separate bowl. Crush the walnuts until they are finely ground.
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Shape the Dough: Divide the rested dough into small balls and sprinkle with starch. Let the dough rest again.
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Roll Out the Dough: Using a rolling pin and a thin rolling rod, roll each piece of dough into thin sheets. Layer these sheets in a buttered baking pan, brushing each layer with melted butter.
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Add the Walnuts: When you reach the middle layers, sprinkle the crushed walnuts evenly across the dough, then continue layering the remaining sheets with butter brushed between each layer. Slice the baklava into desired shapes.
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Make the Syrup: Boil the water and sugar in a pot for the syrup, adding lemon juice toward the end.
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Bake the Baklava: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown. Once removed from the oven, drain any excess butter, and pour hot syrup evenly over the baklava. Allow it to cool completely before serving.
