I'm Lebanese Armenian and if I may make few suggestions. Clarify butter is actually better cause it will prevent it from getting soggy as it sits after baking, the milk solids will soften the fillo sheets the next day so its best to clarify. The syrup is what is the distinction in cultures: Greeks use mainly honey/water/lemon juice combo, the middle eastern countries only use sugar/water/squeeze of lemon and a splash of orange blossom water. (Also splash of orange blossom water in the walnut mixture) Lemon is important in preventing the syrup from crystalizing. One other rule of thumb, one has to be hot the other has to be room temperature meaning; if the baklava is hot out of the oven then the syrup had to be make ahead of time and cooled at room temp then poured on top of the baklava. Or the opposite, to cool the baklava and then pour the hot syrup over it to absorb. If both are hot it will result in soggy baklava or if both are at room temp then the syrup will crystalize after pouring on baklava. Otherwise your recipe is very close to how its done traditionally.
I agree with you, my giagia raised in Istanbul, made it with the walnuts inside, with cinnamon and some sugar and a bit of of ground clove...it gives a special kick! A must for the syrup one cup sugar, 2 cups water, a lemon and while it's boiling a stick of cinnamon. When the baklava is out of the oven, she would cool it and then pour the hot syrup over it. On top she would grind the pistachio nuts and sprinkle them on top of the baklava.... it was the most amazing and delicious desert ever!!!
My in-laws are Syrian and Lebanese and they do it pretty much exactly the way you described but with rose water instead of the orange blossom water. Absolutely incredible
As a Turkish whose mom is an expert in baking baklava here are some tips: You actually dont need to oil each layer of baklava my mom always makes her own dough and she always says that oiling each layer is a total waste of time after putting all your dough just melt the butter in high temperature and pour it on baklava while it is too hot before going to the oven .It will help it become more crispy. Oiling each layer actuallys wets the dough so much so it can be like doughy. Another thing is that for the syrup we use 1/1 ratio sugar and water. Honey is never used. And lastly When your butter is melting if you take the white things on top you get the perfect result cause these white thing may cause your baklava ‘s look burnt on top:)
His baklava looked so amazingly crispy and I've always heard it made with honey. Hats off to your mom too. I hope you will show us her version one day. I would love to see it. Blessings
I also think his baklava is amazing I just wanted to share the recipe baklava chefs in turkey do.The city which is known for baklava in Turkey is Gaziantep and I recommend everyone to watch Gaziantep baklava videos cause the culture behind the baklava is also amazing. I really do not wanna be misunderstood I can not despise this amazing baklava I just shared some tips about baklava since it is my counrty’s traditional dessert in case somebody needs :)
@@mahaabbas5194 Chefs are actually pour hot syrup over hot baklava this is original method .experts say you should see baklava moving like dancing while pouring syrup.some even put their baklava stove after they take them out of the oven then put the syrup while baklavas bottom bake BUT it is very risky method cause the degree and moist of your place should be perfect so mostly cold syrup are poured over hot baklava but I heard that some turkish mamas bake their baklava a day before like before bayram days and pour hot syrup but I am not sure about it.Guarantee method is cold syrup hot baklava👍👍
The fact that this man literally has (almost) any recipe on this channel is phenomenal!! And so freaking easy to follow (even for those of us kitchenly challenged 😅) 👌🏾 Amazing. Simply amazing 🤩😍😃😃😃🤍
I like to add 5 or 6 whole cloves to my syrup when boiling it. It just adds a little fragrance not an over powering taste of cloves. Plus I make my syrup a little different. 1:1 sugar and water with lemon and orange skin strips using a vegetable peeler, juice of one lemon and half cup honey added after you take syrup off the heat. Remove citrus peel and cloves before pouring over the baklava. And I use clarified butter because the water and milk solids can make the filo soggy and have brown spots. I prefer walnuts mixed with pecans for the filling.
Excellent! As a middle-eastern I grew eating baklawa and I can make it too. There’s no shortcut to a great dish. Yes, it’s laborious, it takes time, but anything worthwhile in life takes time . Of all the recipes I watched on UA-cam, yours is the best. You’re so precise and meticulous in everything you do and it pays off. You’re the best! Thank you so much for all you do. I always watch your videos and I truly appreciate you . Many blessings🥰
Thank you so much! My daughter is obsessed with baklava! All she ever asks for is baklava for her birthday and Christmas. It’s not always easy to find, so I’m thrilled you did this! Now I can “make” all her dreams come true:)
I have that same rectangular pan, which I bought at an estate sale for a song. So nice and heavy, it bakes better than anything else in the arsenal. It is an equipment treasure and I guard it with my life.
I appreciate it. I have been making baklawa for 20 years as a local in Türkiye. We dont add cinnamon and honey in it. We use ghee oil instead of butter. We can obtain our own ghee oil by melting butter and removing excess water. Last thing that i want to mention is not necessary to use oil for each layer. Just pouring oil over the baklawa is enough. Anyway , good Job . Please continue to make desserts from Turkiye
I just made this 2 days ago and it was sooo good, we only have about 8 pieces left. Everyone loved it and couldn't get enough. The only things I did different was I used pecans instead of walnuts, I added 2 teaspoons of cinnamon instead of one to the nuts and for the syrup I only used 1/2 cup of honey and a whole cup of sugar, I was afraid it would taste too much like Honey. I also made a recipe and a half of the syrup, I saw other recipes with 3 cups, figured it would be too wet but didn't want it dry either , so I did 1 1/2 cups of yours and it turned out perfect! Will be making it again and again! Thanks John!
I am Greek and we make the syrup with just orange juice, honey, and cinnamon and boil it until it caramelizes a little...we also toast the walnuts with the spices before grinding them up. i never see it in cooking videos but it is so good! worth trying :)
Our family use a little cinnamon sugar ground clove dusting between each sheet with the butter it makes a more caramel taste but doesn’t hold together as well as yours. We reduce the sugar in the nut mix too. Also we add salt to the nut mixture it makes the nuts somehow tastier. One or two whole cloves in the syrup and stud the diamonds with a clove before pouring the syrup over.
Just watched this with my Greek momma and it's 100% yaya approved!! Only difference: she adds 2 tablespoons of butter and half a teaspoon of ground clove to the pulsed nut mix. Thanks for sharing the best dessert on the planet :)
My grandmother and her friends would get together a couple times per year and make the Philly dough . Amazing process. They’d cut up , layer and share the dough for each family.
To the people who have never had baklava before, pls try it! Its the best thing ever! My mom watches a lot a Turkish dramas, so she wanted to have a baklava since its very commonly shown in the shows. I made it for her, and we are both literally in love with baklava now! 🤤💜
I make Baklava for my family and friends every Christmas. I don't just use cinnamon - allspice and freshly ground nutmeg adds flavor. I'm allergic to citrus fruits so I cannot add the lemon zest and juice. Instead I substituted the juice for apple cider vinegar. I does the trick. If your oven tends to overheat at 350F, sprinkle some water drops on top of the layers. This helps to crisp the tops without burning and reduce the baking temperature to 325F. It will take a little longer but you'll get beautiful golden pastry instead of a charred mess.
Pecans and walnuts are a good combo.. As well as walnuts and pistachio. Delish... Plus its easy to make. Even if your Phyllo dough tears a little.. It works. Thanks for sharing. I think I've read some use a rose water with lemon juice...
Rose water and a little saffron will boost the taste of the syrup 😍❤😍 we Iranians like it that way! Cardamom and nutmeg are another option to make it more traditional and flavourful!
can you give me a full recipe please? sounds so delicious with saffron and cardamom and nutmeg and rose water and i have all ingredients, making it for dinner for family this week!! thx so much
Hi John. In Algerian, as Ottoman empire occupation heritage, we used to make a slightly different style of baklava. The difference is in the nuts section since we use almonds instead of nuts and orange blossom water instead of cinnamon 😊
I’ve made Baklava for many years. I learned how to make it from a Syrian friend and her recipe is very similar to this one. Love, love, love homemade Baklava 💕 thanks for sharing and demystifying this luscious dessert.
I'm amazed! I never thought that you would teach us this recipe! I loooove baklava and have always thought of it as something difficult to make! Thank you so much for this!
My best friend is Greek and her mom makes awesome Baklava for me sometimes. I like adding a very light smearing of peanut butter on it for added flavor. #extra
Cardamom, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of ginger in my baklava. A trick i learned was to pour the hot melted butter over the baklava after assembled and cut to speed up the buttering of layers and pour hot bubbly syrup (with orange blossom water- yum) over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven.
There is a Rurkish lady on this thread who says her mom doesn't butter between layers but pours extremely hot melted butter over the layers and uses no honey in her syrup. Your spices and syrup sounds really amazing!
@@LelouchxSuzakufan if you buy the phyllo dough it’s very easy. all you need to do is layer it and bake! then meet them with sugary syrup to have its delicious taste 🤤🤤
My dad is Iranian and makes THE BEST I have ever had. He doesn't make it so much anymore now that he's older so it's time for me to learn how. Thanks for the video!😊
that is the sound we look for in baklavas, btw you can find the baklava pastry in Turkish markets, I also suggest making künefe which is even more awesome
You have no idea how long I've been waiting for a good recipe for Baclava. I can't wait to make it. Yours looks amazing. Thank you for sharing and keep on caking.
I make the syrup with honeysuckle tea... and equal parts white sugar rather than orange water. I do add lemon peel to the syrup for cooking... then let it cool. I add nutmeg and cinnamon spice to pistachios when baking before grinding; like Arif taught me on the floor of our home in Turkey. I love you reminded me of my childhood.
Turkish food is the best in the world! Turkish baklava and Turkish cofee together, oh sooo good! Or even Turkish tea i tried in a coffee shop years ago in Turkey, still remember the taste!
Hi john, you did a good job making this delicious dessert. I do mine with pecans, little sugar and cinnamon, it tastes better to me, but I would not mix walnut with pistachio. I put the pistachio on the top of each piece as a decoration. Well done.
That was my question, too! I can't tell if synthetic or natural bristles, but oh-so-soft-and-supple and they don't tear the thin dough. John??? Please enlighten us! 😺💕🐾
I was introduced to baklava at a Turkish bakery on Upper Market Street in San Francisco in the early 1960s that later moved to Broadway. I met baklava again in Paris in 1973-74, and thereafter in Berkeley in the 1990s and early 2000s. Once I was diagnosed with diabetes, my dates with baklava came to an end. But now 70-100 lbs lighter (similar to the 1970s) and I will try it once more. I have seen over Utube recipes but your's looks the easist to accomplish. Thank you.
John your channel is One of my favorite UA-cam channel!!!! If you do not mind I would give some tips , yes u are right baklava is Turkish dessert but u made in Greek way :)))). We do not use lemon and honey in baklava , we do not mix pistachio with walnuts , we use clarified butter (ghee) instead of butter . We place 20 layers Phyllo dough then mostly pistachios or walnuts then another 20 layers of Phyllo dough. The diamond shape is not a traditional cut either … and try to serve with clotted cream or vanilla ice cream …. If you love baklava , there is a new trend and very popular in last years called COLD BAKLAVA, google it , it is yummy as well :)))
I made baklava for the first time last Christmas. I found a neat tip…..before scoring and cutting, pop the baklava in the fridge for about 1 minute. This will ever so slightly harden the butter so the dough doesn’t tear when cutting. Enjoy!! P.S. How long can unbaked baklava keep in the freezer? Thanks
There’s no honey or cinnamon in the traditional baklava (the syrup consists of just water and sugar, and just a little bit of lemon juice) but I bet it tastes just as good your way :)
I agree idk about the cinnamon however, I do think the honey might (probably) would add some nice flavor. However, it’s hard to beat the traditional way we had it growing up.
@@northstarsmith6798 Yes! I’ve had baklava from different arab countries and I‘ve noticed that they often add rose blossom water. It‘s not really common in Turkey but I think adding it makes it delicious (but that’s also a common topic for arguments in my family haha)
I love all the different ways people make their baklava. My grandmother taught me to drizzle each layer of fillo so they don’t stick together. It also allows the layers to expand and make the baklava crunchier. I use much less nut mixture between the layers so that the final product doesn’t come out as dense and overwhelming. And as always, either cool syrup on hot baklava or hot syrup on cold baklava to avoid soggy messes 😂
I saw baklava and the first thing i thought was "aww thats so much work". And then you went and made it so fast! Now i wanna make some. For me, i like my baklava with almost double the sheets of dough on each layer as i am a fan of the dough itself. I've also had it with dried fruits like craisins and dates along with the nuts. Also nice to experiment with the zests. Orange is really nice with the craisins during the fall. Using some pecans. Delicious! Ive loved every single baklava ive ever had.
People in Iran have a variety of Baklava recipes too. It is not just Turkish. Our favorite spice is OF COURSE saffron that is added to syrup as well as a pinch of powered cardomom & some rosewater which is the last igredient to add after taking the syrup off the heat. To get more aroma & flavor of the nuts they're normally sauted for a few minutes before hand.
“Historian Paul D. Buell argues that the word "baklava" may come from the Mongolian root baγla- 'to tie, wrap up, pile up' composed with the Turkic verbal ending” Linguist Nisanyan considers its oldest known forms (pre-1500) to be baklağı and baklağu, and labels it as being of Proto-Turkic origin. Linguist Tuncer Gülensoy states that the origin of baklava is bakl-ı (feed) in proto-Turkish and suffixes -la-ğı are added. The word changes as bakılağı > bakılavı > baklava The Arabic name بقلاوة baqlāwa likely originates from Turkish. The word Baklava definitely originated from a Turkish word. It is a traditional Turkish dessert and it is popular throughout the Middle East and Balkans because of the cultural connection between Anatolia and these regions. Please do not be ignorant and say “baklava is not a Turkish dessert”. John is right!!
You don't need so many layers on the bottom and on the top. 5-6 would be enough, and 3-4 in the middle. It's better if it has more walnuts layers. And, for me, it's better after a couple of days, when it soaks up most of that agda (juice). Overall, your looks really tasty 😊
I am writing the comment from Turkey. We do not put honey in the sherbet of baklava, it consists of sugar, water and a little lemon drops. We do not put spices in walnuts. It made me happy to see the dessert of my country. Thanks
I made this yesterday! It was my first attempt at baklava AND my first time trying one of your recipes. (I've watched several and I really enjoy them) I was a bit nervous about trying this but it turned out better than I imagined! My biggest challenge was to trim the baklava to the right size of the pan, but the rest of the steps were easy, thanks to your clear guidance. The only issue is: I have to share! (just kidding; I can't wait to see the reactions!)
Baklava, yoghurt, cacik, coffee, dolma, doner and many other things actually belong to the Turks, but Greeks like to adopt such traditional products. No one knows why 😒 And after all, everyone knows these products as if they belonged to the Greeks. Meaningless. Because it is very clear that all these belong to the rich Turkish culture. I just wanted to inform 🖐🏻
@@usernameg89 give me a brake, when your savage government throw out the Greek people from tourca country that committed atrocities to the Greek people on the early nineteenth century they have brought with them what they have cooking there, anyway we the Greeks made baklava famous with our church Greek festivals all America Canada and Australia for the last eighty years
@@susanasante9006 come on the word "baklava" is not even Greek. It's meaning totaly Turkish also yogurt ... Did you know that even in Turkish mythology, yogurt is explained in detail? Maybe the Greeks have very nice dishes, desserts and even other things similar to ours, but this is definitely not baklava.
I've made baklava once, many years ago. It's very tedious work, but the end result is delicious. Ty for the tip on cutting the filo dough. I've used way too much butter in mine.
I'm Lebanese Armenian and if I may make few suggestions. Clarify butter is actually better cause it will prevent it from getting soggy as it sits after baking, the milk solids will soften the fillo sheets the next day so its best to clarify. The syrup is what is the distinction in cultures: Greeks use mainly honey/water/lemon juice combo, the middle eastern countries only use sugar/water/squeeze of lemon and a splash of orange blossom water. (Also splash of orange blossom water in the walnut mixture) Lemon is important in preventing the syrup from crystalizing. One other rule of thumb, one has to be hot the other has to be room temperature meaning; if the baklava is hot out of the oven then the syrup had to be make ahead of time and cooled at room temp then poured on top of the baklava. Or the opposite, to cool the baklava and then pour the hot syrup over it to absorb. If both are hot it will result in soggy baklava or if both are at room temp then the syrup will crystalize after pouring on baklava. Otherwise your recipe is very close to how its done traditionally.
I agree with you, my giagia raised in Istanbul, made it with the walnuts inside, with cinnamon and some sugar and a bit of of ground clove...it gives a special kick! A must for the syrup one cup sugar, 2 cups water, a lemon and while it's boiling a stick of cinnamon. When the baklava is out of the oven, she would cool it and then pour the hot syrup over it. On top she would grind the pistachio nuts and sprinkle them on top of the baklava.... it was the most amazing and delicious desert ever!!!
thank you so much- your tips are very helpful
Your baklawa is the best for me so I prefer to buy Lebanese baklawa. Am I being redundant here?
My in-laws are Syrian and Lebanese and they do it pretty much exactly the way you described but with rose water instead of the orange blossom water. Absolutely incredible
As a Turkish whose mom is an expert in baking baklava here are some tips: You actually dont need to oil each layer of baklava my mom always makes her own dough and she always says that oiling each layer is a total waste of time after putting all your dough just melt the butter in high temperature and pour it on baklava while it is too hot before going to the oven .It will help it become more crispy. Oiling each layer actuallys wets the dough so much so it can be like doughy. Another thing is that for the syrup we use 1/1 ratio sugar and water. Honey is never used. And lastly When your butter is melting if you take the white things on top you get the perfect result cause these white thing may cause your baklava ‘s look burnt on top:)
His baklava looked so amazingly crispy and I've always heard it made with honey. Hats off to your mom too. I hope you will show us her version one day. I would love to see it. Blessings
I also think his baklava is amazing I just wanted to share the recipe baklava chefs in turkey do.The city which is known for baklava in Turkey is Gaziantep and I recommend everyone to watch Gaziantep baklava videos cause the culture behind the baklava is also amazing. I really do not wanna be misunderstood I can not despise this amazing baklava I just shared some tips about baklava since it is my counrty’s traditional dessert in case somebody needs :)
هل يضاف السيروب فوق الصينية و هو ساخن او بارد ؟
@@mahaabbas5194 Chefs are actually pour hot syrup over hot baklava this is original method .experts say you should see baklava moving like dancing while pouring syrup.some even put their baklava stove after they take them out of the oven then put the syrup while baklavas bottom bake BUT it is very risky method cause the degree and moist of your place should be perfect so mostly cold syrup are poured over hot baklava but I heard that some turkish mamas bake their baklava a day before like before bayram days and pour hot syrup but I am not sure about it.Guarantee method is cold syrup hot baklava👍👍
Well, this vegan is glad you shared the 1:1 ratio with no honey. Much appreciate your comment.
The fact that this man literally has (almost) any recipe on this channel is phenomenal!! And so freaking easy to follow (even for those of us kitchenly challenged 😅) 👌🏾
Amazing. Simply amazing 🤩😍😃😃😃🤍
I made this last night with my daughter and it was supreme. A holiday tradition from henceforth for sure!
I like to add 5 or 6 whole cloves to my syrup when boiling it. It just adds a little fragrance not an over powering taste of cloves. Plus I make my syrup a little different. 1:1 sugar and water with lemon and orange skin strips using a vegetable peeler, juice of one lemon and half cup honey added after you take syrup off the heat. Remove citrus peel and cloves before pouring over the baklava. And I use clarified butter because the water and milk solids can make the filo soggy and have brown spots. I prefer walnuts mixed with pecans for the filling.
Excellent! As a middle-eastern I grew eating baklawa and I can make it too. There’s no shortcut to a great dish. Yes, it’s laborious, it takes time, but anything worthwhile in life takes time . Of all the recipes I watched on UA-cam, yours is the best. You’re so precise and meticulous in everything you do and it pays off. You’re the best! Thank you so much for all you do. I always watch your videos and I truly appreciate you . Many blessings🥰
YESS we need more middle eastern desserts from john!!!
Baklava isn’t a Middle Eastern recipe. It belongs to Turkish Kitchen Literature! 🇹🇷
@@egecam4364 ok chill
Nope.its Turkish and come from central Asian.
@@egecam4364 baklava belongs to the ottoman empire so it 's a dessert in turky middle east north Africa
kunafa is veeeery delicious
Thank you so much! My daughter is obsessed with baklava! All she ever asks for is baklava for her birthday and Christmas. It’s not always easy to find, so I’m thrilled you did this! Now I can “make” all her dreams come true:)
Ahahah this is great! 😂💕
You can make it easily
اذا جربت الكنافه صدقيني سوف تجدينه تأكل كالمجنونه من لذاذته
Make Betty Crocker‘s, it’s just like making a lasagna don’t be intimidated.
@@شفيكم-ع3ذ شكرا لا اريد ذلك
Cooking with John….he always makes most complex dishes so easy to teach and with his cute smile 😃
Can’t wait to make it…🙌❤️
That's why I love his recipes, he makes them simple, but fabulous
I have that same rectangular pan, which I bought at an estate sale for a song. So nice and heavy, it bakes better than anything else in the arsenal. It is an equipment treasure and I guard it with my life.
I bet you do. Heavy pans make a huge difference to baking. I have a couple of commercial weight pans which are super.
It’s great. USA bakeware. But it isn’t made in USA from what I remember
I appreciate it. I have been making baklawa for 20 years as a local in Türkiye. We dont add cinnamon and honey in it. We use ghee oil instead of butter. We can obtain our own ghee oil by melting butter and removing excess water. Last thing that i want to mention is not necessary to use oil for each layer. Just pouring oil over the baklawa is enough. Anyway , good Job . Please continue to make desserts from Turkiye
I love that you spelled it the way it’s pronounced
Ditto👌
Would you separate the layers of phyllo dough even though you aren't buttering them in between?
@@natashasouliere1786 layers are seperated by the help of starch . Starch is used at the stage of role out the phyllo dough.
Is it butter without salt or regular?
I always appreciate that you mention is something can be froze. I love freezing ahead and baking something fresh for company.
I just made this 2 days ago and it was sooo good, we only have about 8 pieces left. Everyone loved it and couldn't get enough. The only things I did different was I used pecans instead of walnuts, I added 2 teaspoons of cinnamon instead of one to the nuts and for the syrup I only used 1/2 cup of honey and a whole cup of sugar, I was afraid it would taste too much like Honey. I also made a recipe and a half of the syrup, I saw other recipes with 3 cups, figured it would be too wet but didn't want it dry either , so I did 1 1/2 cups of yours and it turned out perfect! Will be making it again and again! Thanks John!
I am Greek and we make the syrup with just orange juice, honey, and cinnamon and boil it until it caramelizes a little...we also toast the walnuts with the spices before grinding them up. i never see it in cooking videos but it is so good! worth trying :)
He is half Greek:)
Greek baklava is my favorite. I love their Greek honey, it’s like caramel there’s nothing else like it in the world.
You still called your dessert as a Baklava?! 🤨🤯 THİS İS NOT BAKLAVA! STOP TO RUİNED OUR PRECIOUS DESSERT!
@@nisantasicoocugu216 Chill, baklava is not yours, people can make it like whatever they want to
Our family use a little cinnamon sugar ground clove dusting between each sheet with the butter it makes a more caramel taste but doesn’t hold together as well as yours.
We reduce the sugar in the nut mix too. Also we add salt to the nut mixture it makes the nuts somehow tastier. One or two whole cloves in the syrup and stud the diamonds with a clove before pouring the syrup over.
Just watched this with my Greek momma and it's 100% yaya approved!! Only difference: she adds 2 tablespoons of butter and half a teaspoon of ground clove to the pulsed nut mix. Thanks for sharing the best dessert on the planet :)
Hi , John , I’m Greek Cypriot and my late father used to make it and sell it , I can honestly say your paklava is fantastic
Mmmm my favorite turkish desert.😻😋 Thank you for sharing Turkish desserts.
I am from Turkey!! This is our traditional dessert! I am so happy that you made this. I will definitely try it out
It is one of my favorites! Especially when it's fresh out of the oven and just cooled :)
My grandmother and her friends would get together a couple times per year and make the Philly dough . Amazing process. They’d cut up , layer and share the dough for each family.
To the people who have never had baklava before, pls try it! Its the best thing ever!
My mom watches a lot a Turkish dramas, so she wanted to have a baklava since its very commonly shown in the shows. I made it for her, and we are both literally in love with baklava now! 🤤💜
I make Baklava for my family and friends every Christmas. I don't just use cinnamon - allspice and freshly ground nutmeg adds flavor. I'm allergic to citrus fruits so I cannot add the lemon zest and juice. Instead I substituted the juice for apple cider vinegar. I does the trick. If your oven tends to overheat at 350F, sprinkle some water drops on top of the layers. This helps to crisp the tops without burning and reduce the baking temperature to 325F. It will take a little longer but you'll get beautiful golden pastry instead of a charred mess.
I love adding some nutmeg to mine. Nutmeg just had such a lovely flavor and fragrance.
My Grandfather came over from Greece - I love Greek food!
Thank you!! I thought it was really complicated to make, but this is pretty straight forward! Defo a make for Christmas! xxx
Pecans and walnuts are a good combo.. As well as walnuts and pistachio.
Delish... Plus its easy to make. Even if your Phyllo dough tears a little.. It works.
Thanks for sharing.
I think I've read some use a rose water with lemon juice...
Rose water and a little saffron will boost the taste of the syrup 😍❤😍 we Iranians like it that way! Cardamom and nutmeg are another option to make it more traditional and flavourful!
can you give me a full recipe please? sounds so delicious with saffron and cardamom and nutmeg and rose water and i have all ingredients, making it for dinner for family this week!! thx so much
yes I love rose water and saffron in baklava. I have moved to america from iran recently and it is hard to find iranian baklava
@@jamesalexander4538 I have one but i feel like it would be rude to post on someone else's youtube channel if you get me. let me see if i can DM you
Yes, I did read that rose water, saffron or cardamom lend a very unique flavour.
Those sound like some really great additions.
From Turkey. You did great job. Seen Turkish desserts makes me happy 😋☺ Looks fascinating!!
Hi John. In Algerian, as Ottoman empire occupation heritage, we used to make a slightly different style of baklava. The difference is in the nuts section since we use almonds instead of nuts and orange blossom water instead of cinnamon 😊
I’ve made Baklava for many years. I learned how to make it from a Syrian friend and her recipe is very similar to this one. Love, love, love homemade Baklava 💕 thanks for sharing and demystifying this luscious dessert.
My first time having Baklava was when I was deployed to Incirlik Turkey. It was good.
You have to be a soldier
@@iktidarbay8087 Yeah I was in the Air Force
Same '85 and I miss the hot ecmec and coffee breakfasts and Ahmet's ridiculously large shrimp at the BP.
I had baklava one time from a greek granny who made a very light syrup probably with way less sugar , not sickening sweet and it was soooo good!
I'm amazed! I never thought that you would teach us this recipe! I loooove baklava and have always thought of it as something difficult to make! Thank you so much for this!
My best friend is Greek and her mom makes awesome Baklava for me sometimes. I like adding a very light smearing of peanut butter on it for added flavor. #extra
Cardamom, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of ginger in my baklava. A trick i learned was to pour the hot melted butter over the baklava after assembled and cut to speed up the buttering of layers and pour hot bubbly syrup (with orange blossom water- yum) over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven.
There is a Rurkish lady on this thread who says her mom doesn't butter between layers but pours extremely hot melted butter over the layers and uses no honey in her syrup.
Your spices and syrup sounds really amazing!
It sounds great and I am sure it's delicious, but with all those spices it is not an original baklava.
@@Takoe976 not original by any means however thats the beauty of making a recipe your own 😉.
@@Diamond88keyz hot ghee not boiling ghee.
@@Diamond88keyz pour the ghee, don't use better either.
carnation cloves in powder goes nice too.well done looks fantastic
As a Turkish, a baklava lover and a fan of yours I'm very happy to see you making baklava! 🤗
As a Greek neighbor and also a baklava lover, greetings to Turkey!
@@morpheas1234 😇🤗
@@morpheas1234 indeed baklava is Greek:)
Is it a really easy dish 2 make?
@@LelouchxSuzakufan if you buy the phyllo dough it’s very easy. all you need to do is layer it and bake! then meet them with sugary syrup to have its delicious taste 🤤🤤
My dad is Iranian and makes THE BEST I have ever had. He doesn't make it so much anymore now that he's older so it's time for me to learn how. Thanks for the video!😊
that is the sound we look for in baklavas, btw you can find the baklava pastry in Turkish markets, I also suggest making künefe which is even more awesome
It’s also a Greek dessert! Great video!
Looks fantastic. Am definitely going to try this
Hope you enjoy!!
this is my all time fav middle eastern dessert .... yummmmm...thanks John
You have no idea how long I've been waiting for a good recipe for Baclava. I can't wait to make it. Yours looks amazing. Thank you for sharing and keep on caking.
I can’t wait to make this for the holidays!!!
I make the syrup with honeysuckle tea... and equal parts white sugar rather than orange water. I do add lemon peel to the syrup for cooking... then let it cool. I add nutmeg and cinnamon spice to pistachios when baking before grinding; like Arif taught me on the floor of our home in Turkey. I love you reminded me of my childhood.
Please try making turkish Kunafe next time . I'm sure you'll love it 😍 it's our favorite dessert . No regrets ❤😋
Turks spell it as Kunefe haha
Instead of white sugar use brown sugar, also while grinding the nuts add 50g of butter it will help hold the nuts together. Good job John
This was great! Really love baklava but my favourite form of it is baklava rolls, sooo crunchy!
Try cashews rolled baklava it’s my favourite and soooo easy to make
Very nice recipe of the turkish baklava. Thank you
YUM OMG! I WAS WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT FROM YOU! THANK YOU THIS IS AMAZING I FEEL SO HAPPY 💞
Turkish food is the best in the world! Turkish baklava and Turkish cofee together, oh sooo good! Or even Turkish tea i tried in a coffee shop years ago in Turkey, still remember the taste!
Greek food!
Omg! I thought you were going to make your own phyllo dough. I was thinking, “No, John! You buy that part. Always.” 😂 Looks yummy! Thank you.
Hi john, you did a good job making this delicious dessert. I do mine with pecans, little sugar and cinnamon, it tastes better to me, but I would not mix walnut with pistachio. I put the pistachio on the top of each piece as a decoration. Well done.
Join John may I ask where you got your pastry brush? Would love to get one like it? And thank you for sharing your recipes!
That was my question, too! I can't tell if synthetic or natural bristles, but oh-so-soft-and-supple and they don't tear the thin dough. John??? Please enlighten us! 😺💕🐾
I was introduced to baklava at a Turkish bakery on Upper Market Street in San Francisco in the early 1960s that later moved to Broadway. I met baklava again in Paris in 1973-74, and thereafter in Berkeley in the 1990s and early 2000s. Once I was diagnosed with diabetes, my dates with baklava came to an end. But now 70-100 lbs lighter (similar to the 1970s) and I will try it once more. I have seen over Utube recipes but your's looks the easist to accomplish. Thank you.
Really amazing, delicious yummy n lovely recipe. 🙂😊😋🥰.
John your channel is One of my favorite UA-cam channel!!!! If you do not mind I would give some tips , yes u are right baklava is Turkish dessert but u made in Greek way :)))). We do not use lemon and honey in baklava , we do not mix pistachio with walnuts , we use clarified butter (ghee) instead of butter . We place 20 layers Phyllo dough then mostly pistachios or walnuts then another 20 layers of Phyllo dough. The diamond shape is not a traditional cut either … and try to serve with clotted cream or vanilla ice cream …. If you love baklava , there is a new trend and very popular in last years called COLD BAKLAVA, google it , it is yummy as well :)))
I'm proud of my countrys food culture🇹🇷🇹🇷. Good job keep your contents 🙏💕
Food culture, dessert culture, belki culinary arts Ana LÜTFEN dish culture değil. Iyi akşamlar 😊
I literally just made this it’s in the oven now. I’m super stoked to see how it turns out
I made baklava for the first time last Christmas. I found a neat tip…..before scoring and cutting, pop the baklava in the fridge for about 1 minute. This will ever so slightly harden the butter so the dough doesn’t tear when cutting. Enjoy!!
P.S. How long can unbaked baklava keep in the freezer? Thanks
Baklava is one of my all time favorite desserts. It is just such clean, sweet taste
There’s no honey or cinnamon in the traditional baklava (the syrup consists of just water and sugar, and just a little bit of lemon juice) but I bet it tastes just as good your way :)
I agree idk about the cinnamon however, I do think the honey might (probably) would add some nice flavor. However, it’s hard to beat the traditional way we had it growing up.
I make my syrup with water, sugar, and rose flower water.
I was wondering because not a big cinnamon fan and the ONLY time I had it (fresh) there was no cinnamon or lemon taste.
@@northstarsmith6798 Yes! I’ve had baklava from different arab countries and I‘ve noticed that they often add rose blossom water. It‘s not really common in Turkey but I think adding it makes it delicious (but that’s also a common topic for arguments in my family haha)
I love all the different ways people make their baklava. My grandmother taught me to drizzle each layer of fillo so they don’t stick together. It also allows the layers to expand and make the baklava crunchier. I use much less nut mixture between the layers so that the final product doesn’t come out as dense and overwhelming. And as always, either cool syrup on hot baklava or hot syrup on cold baklava to avoid soggy messes 😂
That crunch at the end is just pure heaven.
Haha, this looked like a “savory” recipe based on the thumbnail and I was like “did John really just go there??” Good to see the sugar and butter! 😅
Same hahahah
I saw baklava and the first thing i thought was "aww thats so much work". And then you went and made it so fast! Now i wanna make some.
For me, i like my baklava with almost double the sheets of dough on each layer as i am a fan of the dough itself. I've also had it with dried fruits like craisins and dates along with the nuts. Also nice to experiment with the zests. Orange is really nice with the craisins during the fall. Using some pecans. Delicious! Ive loved every single baklava ive ever had.
People in Iran have a variety of Baklava recipes too. It is not just Turkish. Our favorite spice is OF COURSE saffron that is added to syrup as well as a pinch of powered cardomom & some rosewater which is the last igredient to add after taking the syrup off the heat. To get more aroma & flavor of the nuts they're normally sauted for a few minutes before hand.
cardamom in nuts mixture and rose water syrup, match made in heaven!
This looks incredible. To see this actually done and me being part Greek and Levantine love this. Thanks John ❤️🙂
My pleasure!
Your recipe is the best, I have watch many videos on making baklava and there are so many different variations.
“Historian Paul D. Buell argues that the word "baklava" may come from the Mongolian root baγla- 'to tie, wrap up, pile up' composed with the Turkic verbal ending”
Linguist Nisanyan considers its oldest known forms (pre-1500) to be baklağı and baklağu, and labels it as being of Proto-Turkic origin.
Linguist Tuncer Gülensoy states that the origin of baklava is bakl-ı (feed) in proto-Turkish and suffixes -la-ğı are added. The word changes as bakılağı > bakılavı > baklava
The Arabic name بقلاوة baqlāwa likely originates from Turkish.
The word Baklava definitely originated from a Turkish word. It is a traditional Turkish dessert and it is popular throughout the Middle East and Balkans because of the cultural connection between Anatolia and these regions.
Please do not be ignorant and say “baklava is not a Turkish dessert”. John is right!!
Your comments are super interesting! Do you know if strudel is a variation?
In México we call them "dedos de reina" 🤩💖
You don't need so many layers on the bottom and on the top. 5-6 would be enough, and 3-4 in the middle. It's better if it has more walnuts layers. And, for me, it's better after a couple of days, when it soaks up most of that agda (juice). Overall, your looks really tasty 😊
There is nothing I love more than Baklava. I will be making this! Thank you for the recipe.
You made this look so easy! I add cardamom to the nut mixture. I also add a small splash of rose water to the syrup.
You are my new favorite chef. Where is Brain and the kids? I love you all. Your recipes are the best!
I add cardamom to anything with nuts and i use almond instead of walnut in my baklava.
You are a trusted go to, when I decide what I want to make, I come here and let you teach me =) Thank YOU!
Next time try making homemade filo dough , it will be more delicious 😋❤
OMG one of my favourite channels on youtube made a Turkish dessert we as Turkish viewers love to see!!!
I am writing the comment from Turkey. We do not put honey in the sherbet of baklava, it consists of sugar, water and a little lemon drops. We do not put spices in walnuts. It made me happy to see the dessert of my country. Thanks
Good morning !!!! Ouauuuuu baklava !!!! Bravooooooo 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷
Looks so good! The syrup on top makes it look even better!!
Hello
I am kurdish and as middle eastern woman I can say that YOUR BAKLAVA LOOKS REALLY GOOD. more recipes from the middle eastern pls✌🏻🤤❤
I made this yesterday! It was my first attempt at baklava AND my first time trying one of your recipes. (I've watched several and I really enjoy them) I was a bit nervous about trying this but it turned out better than I imagined! My biggest challenge was to trim the baklava to the right size of the pan, but the rest of the steps were easy, thanks to your clear guidance. The only issue is: I have to share! (just kidding; I can't wait to see the reactions!)
The most delicious dessert. I love Baklava. Thank you for sharing!!
The best baklava I've had was made by a co-worker's mom, made the day before. Far better than any from bakeries or restaurants.
I think really that he is one of the best chefs out there!! Love his recipes!! Very pleasant displays n inviting recipes.. thank you ❤❤❤❤🥂🥂🥂
You are the bessssst cheff. I only try ur baking recipes sooo perfectly cleared recipes 👍👍👍👍
Crunchy so good
Wow this recipe is amazing !! You made it so simple and easy compared to all the other baklava recipe videos I've seen! Thank you 😌💯
Looks delicious 😋 Greetings from Scotland 😊 Have a wonderful day everyone 🌻
Yuuummm, we need a kitchen tourr!!! 😍😍
I always thought that baklava was from Greece but you said that it was from Turkey!! I learn something new from you!! And I love baklava!! ❤️❤️❤️
Baklava, yoghurt, cacik, coffee, dolma, doner and many other things actually belong to the Turks, but Greeks like to adopt such traditional products. No one knows why 😒 And after all, everyone knows these products as if they belonged to the Greeks. Meaningless. Because it is very clear that all these belong to the rich Turkish culture. I just wanted to inform 🖐🏻
@@usernameg89 give me a brake, when your savage government throw out the Greek people from tourca country that committed atrocities to the Greek people on the early nineteenth century they have brought with them what they have cooking there, anyway we the Greeks made baklava famous with our church Greek festivals all America Canada and Australia for the last eighty years
@@susanasante9006 come on the word "baklava" is not even Greek. It's meaning totaly Turkish also yogurt ... Did you know that even in Turkish mythology, yogurt is explained in detail? Maybe the Greeks have very nice dishes, desserts and even other things similar to ours, but this is definitely not baklava.
I've made baklava once, many years ago. It's very tedious work, but the end result is delicious. Ty for the tip on cutting the filo dough. I've used way too much butter in mine.
Im Turkish and never made baklava but with you recipe Im making this coming up week. Thank you
I love your channel! It’s so therapeutic for me💗
It is a gift of Turks to the world cuisine, I really like baklava
😊
I have been waiting for a Baklava recipe and bam, you post one! Awesome
Omg I need to make this ASAP!
Please do more taste testing at the end with more people 😍 I like seeing more of the finished product
Really fantastic, I've scroll baklava in instagram for months and you posting this really makes my day 😄