The Best Homemade Baklava Recipe: Easy to Make in a 9×13 Inch Pan
There are few desserts as universally beloved and intricately delicious as baklava. Its golden, flaky layers, rich nut filling, and shimmering sweet syrup evoke a sense of tradition and celebration. Our journey to perfect this classic dessert began after savoring a delightful “baklawa” at a vibrant Taste of Lebanon festival. The distinct spelling piqued our curiosity, leading us down a fascinating path to uncover the nuances between “baklava” and “baklawa.”
While often used interchangeably, these terms generally highlight regional variations. Traditional Greek baklava is typically characterized by a pure honey-based syrup, offering a deeply sweet and aromatic finish. In contrast, many Middle Eastern renditions, often spelled “baklawa,” incorporate fragrant rose water or orange blossom water into their syrup, adding a unique floral note that transports your senses. Beyond the syrup, the types of nuts and the intricate presentation also vary significantly across different cultures. During our deep dive into the world of baklava, we discovered a captivating visual guide showcasing the many diverse types of baklava. It’s a culinary quest we’re eager to embark on for a lifetime!
For now, however, we’re thrilled to share this approachable and utterly delicious recipe for a classic 9×13 inch pan baklava. It’s designed to be a perfect starting point for anyone looking to master the art of homemade baklava, offering all the delightful flavors and textures of this iconic pastry without unnecessary complexity. Get ready to impress your family and friends with this golden, crunchy, and syrupy sweet treat!
Jump to Recipe
Crafting Your Perfect 9×13 Inch Pan Baklava: Key Notes and Insights
Embarking on the journey of making baklava from scratch can be incredibly rewarding, especially when you’re aiming for that perfect balance of sweetness and crunch. For me, this particular recipe was a delightful rediscovery, a “fresh start” after many years. My initial foray into baklava-making had faded from memory, but a few core preferences remained: the irresistible combination of bright lemon and rich honey. These elements became the backbone of my baklava’s flavor profile.
The addition of orange zest was a spontaneous, last-minute inspiration – a decision I now consider truly brilliant! The subtle citrusy aroma of orange zest beautifully complements the lemon and honey, adding an extra layer of complexity and freshness to the overall taste. It’s a small touch that elevates this homemade baklava from delicious to absolutely unforgettable.
One of the most crucial aspects, and arguably the most challenging during development, was achieving the ideal ratios of syrup, butter, delicate phyllo pastry, and flavorful nuts. It’s a subjective art, to be sure, but after numerous batches and meticulous adjustments, I’ve landed on proportions that I believe strike a harmonious balance. This baklava is wonderfully sweet, as it should be, yet it avoids being cloyingly so. It also boasts excellent structural integrity, holding together beautifully when cut and served. Furthermore, I made sure there’s an ample amount of phyllo, which is paramount for those of us who revel in the satisfaction of peeling off those individual, crispy layers and savoring them one by one. This recipe truly offers a delightful textural experience with every bite, ensuring that signature flakiness we all adore.
Understanding Phyllo Dough: Sizes, Handling, and Tips for Success
Phyllo dough, often considered the heart of baklava, is a paper-thin, unleavened pastry dough used in various cuisines of the Middle East and Balkans. Its delicate nature and crisp texture are what give baklava its signature flakiness. When I first started preparing this recipe, I found myself a bit perplexed and overly fixated on the “correct” size of phyllo dough to use for a standard 9×13 inch pan.
Many traditional recipes, or older recipe guides, often instruct you to cut a stack of phyllo sheets in half to fit a 9×13 inch baking pan. This advice, however, seemed counterintuitive to my recent grocery store experiences. I consistently found phyllo dough in local supermarkets packaged in convenient 9×14 inch sheets. This appears to be a relatively recent, welcome development in product sizing. Historically, phyllo was more commonly available in larger 18×13 inch sheets, necessitating the cutting step.
Brands like Athens, and even store brands such as Wegman’s, now frequently offer phyllo in a 1-pound box, typically containing two separate 8-ounce sleeves of these ready-to-use 9×14 inch sheets. This makes baking baklava in a 9×13 inch pan significantly easier, as the sheets fit almost perfectly without any trimming required. For this particular recipe, using 9×14 inch sheets means you can bypass the cutting step entirely, saving time and reducing potential frustration. The only instances where you might need to cut your phyllo in half would be if you’re preparing a half batch in a smaller pan, or if you can only source the larger, traditional 18×13 inch sheets. Always remember to keep your phyllo dough covered with a damp towel while working to prevent it from drying out and becoming brittle – a crucial tip for successful layering!
Expert Baklava Tips for Flawless Results
Mastering baklava, while immensely rewarding, benefits greatly from a few insider tips. Having started with minimal knowledge myself, I meticulously gathered wisdom from every available source before embarking on my baklava-making adventure. These are my absolute favorite and most effective tips, honed through practice, to ensure your baklava turns out perfectly crisp, flavorful, and beautifully golden. Should you have additional insights, please don’t hesitate to share them!
- The Perfect Temperature Combo: This is a golden rule for baklava syrup application. You absolutely want to pour cool or room-temperature syrup over hot, freshly baked baklava. This temperature contrast creates a delightful thermal shock, allowing the phyllo layers to absorb the syrup more evenly and thoroughly while retaining their crispness. If both are hot, the baklava can become soggy. So, remember to make your syrup first and give it ample time to cool completely before your baklava comes out of the oven.
- Preserving Honey’s Purity: When preparing your syrup, resist the urge to boil the honey. Instead, combine only the sugar and water and bring them to a boil. Once simmering, and off the heat, stir in the honey and lemon juice (and zest, if using). High heat can degrade honey’s delicate flavor and beneficial properties. Adding it at a lower temperature ensures its aromatic qualities and richness shine through.
- Patience with Phyllo Pays Off: Working with phyllo dough can seem intimidating, but proper preparation makes all the difference. For a stress-free experience, plan ahead: transfer your frozen phyllo dough to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Then, about 45 minutes before you plan to start assembling, take the sleeves out and let them sit, unwrapped but covered with a slightly damp cloth, to reach room temperature. Attempting to unroll cold phyllo is a recipe for tears and frustration; it will likely crack and break. Trust me on this – a little patience here saves a lot of headaches later!
- Embrace Imperfection (with Phyllo): Don’t despair if a phyllo sheet tears a little while you’re working with it. This is a common occurrence, even for experienced bakers! Simply lay the torn sheet as best you can in the pan and proceed with brushing butter as usual. Once baked and saturated with syrup, all those layers will meld together beautifully, and no one will ever notice a small tear.
- Splurge on Quality Butter: Baklava is a special treat, and it deserves the best. This is an excellent excuse to indulge in a high-quality, European-style salted butter. The higher butterfat content and richer flavor of premium butters (I’ve personally found Plugra, Vermont Creamery, and Truly Grass Fed to be exceptional) significantly elevate the taste and flakiness of your baklava. The subtle saltiness also provides a wonderful counterpoint to the sweet syrup.
- Chilling for Enhanced Flakiness: After you’ve meticulously assembled and scored your baklava, place the entire pan in the refrigerator for at least an hour before baking. This crucial step allows the butter to solidify within the phyllo layers. As the baklava bakes, the cold butter melts slowly, releasing steam that helps separate the delicate phyllo sheets, resulting in an even crispier and more pronounced flakiness.
- Precise Scoring for a Crispy Base: When scoring your baklava into its traditional diamond or square shapes, use a very sharp knife and try to cut through most, but not all, of the layers. The goal is to avoid slicing completely through to the bottom layer of phyllo. This technique is often credited with preventing a “soggy bottom,” ensuring that the base of your baklava remains wonderfully crisp rather than absorbing too much syrup.
- Customize Your Nuts: While walnuts are the classic choice and offer a rich, earthy flavor, baklava is incredibly versatile. Don’t hesitate to experiment with different nut combinations! You can easily swap out some or all of the walnuts for finely chopped pistachios (for a vibrant green hue and distinct flavor), almonds (for a milder, buttery taste), or pecans. A blend of two or three nuts can create a complex and delightful flavor profile.
- Storage Solutions: Baklava freezes remarkably well! I often freeze batches to enjoy later, and it maintains its quality beautifully. Simply wrap individual pieces or an entire tray tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. You can also store it in the refrigerator for a slightly chewier texture, or in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. For optimal flakiness and flavor, I personally prefer either enjoying it fresh at room temperature or freezing it for longer storage.
Looking for a Quicker Baklava Fix?
If, after reading through the meticulous steps for traditional baklava, you find yourself short on time or simply craving a quicker, equally delightful “baklava-themed” dessert for an event like Memorial Day, fear not! We understand that sometimes, convenience is key. In such cases, we highly recommend trying our recipe for Baklava Bar Cookies. These unique and crowd-pleasing bars capture the essence of baklava’s flavors and textures in a more approachable format, making them a fantastic alternative when you need a delicious dessert in a pinch. They are truly exceptional in their own right!
Recipe
Baklava
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
Food Processor (for finely chopping nuts)
-
9×13 inch baking pan
-
Pastry brush
-
Medium saucepan
-
Sharp knife
Ingredients
Syrup Mixture
- 1 ½ cups sugar (300 grams)
- ¾ cup water (180 grams) You can weigh your liquids for accuracy!
- ⅓ cup honey (120 grams, use a good quality honey for best flavor)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Some lemon and orange zest (optional) (Just a few scrapes for an extra aromatic touch)**
Baklava
- 2 sleeves phyllo dough (around 36 9×14 inch sheets) (16 oz, thawed overnight in the refrigerator and brought to room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups finely chopped walnuts (280 grams, pulsed in a food processor)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (75 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 8 oz salted butter, gently melted and cooled (230 grams, high-quality European-style butter recommended)
Instructions
-
1. Prepare the Aromatic Syrup: In a medium saucepan, accurately measure 300 grams (1 ½ cups) of granulated sugar and 180 grams (¾ cup) of water. If you’re weighing, you can place the saucepan on a kitchen scale, tare it, and add the ingredients directly. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let it cook for approximately 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the syrup to thicken slightly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Then, stir in the 120 grams (⅓ cup) of honey, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, and the optional lemon and orange zests. Stir well to combine. It is crucial that the syrup cools completely to room temperature before being drizzled over the hot baklava, so set it aside to cool while you proceed with the rest of the recipe.
-
2. Bring Phyllo to Room Temperature: While your syrup cools, ensure your sleeves of phyllo dough (which should have been thawed overnight in the refrigerator) come to room temperature. Do not open the packaging yet; simply let them sit on your kitchen counter for about 45 minutes. This step is vital to prevent the delicate sheets from tearing when unrolled.
-
3. Prepare the Nut Filling: In a food processor, pulse the 2 ½ cups (280 grams) of walnuts until they are finely chopped but not a paste. You want a coarse, crumbly texture. Add the 6 tablespoons (75 grams) of granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the chopped walnuts. Pulse twice more to gently combine the ingredients. Alternatively, you can mix them thoroughly in a bowl.
-
4. Prepare the Baking Pan: Using a pastry brush, generously brush a 9×13 inch baking pan all over with some of the gently melted and cooled salted butter. Ensure the bottom and sides are well coated.
-
5. Begin Layering the Phyllo (Bottom Layers): Slightly dampen a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels. Keep this damp cloth over the stack of phyllo dough you’re not actively working with to prevent it from drying out. Unroll the first sleeve of phyllo dough and lay it flat on a large, clean surface. Carefully peel away one sheet of phyllo and place it into your buttered 9×13 inch pan. Brush a thin, even layer of melted butter over this sheet. Continue this process, layering and buttering 13 more sheets, resulting in a total of about 14 buttered sheets for the base. Don’t stress if you lose count or if a sheet tears; simply lay it down and butter it as usual – it will all come together.
-
6. Add the First Nut Layer: Evenly sprinkle about 1 cup of the prepared walnut mixture over the layered phyllo dough. Make sure the nuts are spread from edge to edge.
-
7. Add Intermediate Phyllo Layers: Place two more sheets of phyllo dough over the nuts, brushing a generous layer of butter between each sheet. This creates a thin, crisp barrier.
-
8. Add Second Nut Layer: Layer on another cup of the walnut mixture, spreading it evenly. Follow this with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing butter between each as before.
-
9. Add Final Nut Layer: Spread the remaining nut mixture evenly over the top of the last phyllo sheets. You should now have three distinct layers of nuts in your baklava.
-
10. Finish with Top Phyllo Layers: Open the second sleeve of phyllo dough. If you happened to open it earlier due to losing count, that’s perfectly fine. Top the final layer of nuts with 12 to 14 more sheets of phyllo dough, buttering meticulously between each sheet. Continue to handle the phyllo with care and don’t worry about minor tears. Brush the very top sheet generously with butter.
-
11. Score the Baklava: Using a very sharp knife, carefully score the top layers of the phyllo dough into your desired shapes, typically diamonds or squares, by making diagonal cuts across the entire pan. When scoring, try not to cut all the way through to the bottom layer of phyllo. This technique helps prevent the bottom from becoming soggy by allowing the syrup to distribute evenly without fully saturating the very base.
-
12. Chill for Flakiness: Place the assembled, unbaked baklava in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This crucial chilling period allows the butter to firm up within the phyllo layers, which helps the dough bake up even flakier and more distinct.
-
13. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
-
14. Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake the baklava for approximately 45 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden brown and the edges are crisp. Keep an eye on it to prevent over-browning.
-
15. Drizzle with Syrup: Immediately after taking the baklava out of the oven, evenly drizzle the completely cooled baklava syrup over the hot baked baklava. You will hear a satisfying sizzle! The temperature difference ensures optimal absorption and crispness.
-
16. Allow to Set: Let the baklava sit undisturbed for at least two hours, or ideally longer, to allow the syrup to fully absorb into the layers and for the flavors to meld beautifully.
-
17. Serve: Once completely set, use a sharp knife to cut along the score marks to separate the individual baklava pieces. Serve and enjoy!