Homemade Greek Baklava Recipe

Learn how to make homemade Greek baklava with this delicious recipe. When you look at a piece of baklava it always looks like it would be very labor intensive but since you can use store bought phyllo (or filo) dough sheets it is not hard to make at all.

It consists of layers and layers of the dough with melted butter separating each layer, then you have a filling made usually and in this recipe from walnuts although I have had it made with pistachios and it is yummy too. Then another stack of layers of dough and butter all topped off with a honey syrup that you leave to soak into the baklava before serving.

More and more people are turning to home baking of desserts and other foods as a way to eat healthier. This is mainly because they are better able to control what kinds of ingredients go into making the foods that they put into theirs and their families bodies. This recipe was designed to introduce the reader to this unique tasting Greek favorite called Baklava.

This delicious recipe for homemade Greek baklava is from, Katerinas Kouzina. She walks you through the steps to making your own delicious tasting dessert baklava. She describes all of the ingredients and includes a complete preparation guide. All of the information is presented in a way that makes it really easy to read and follow.

Benefits of reading the Homemade Recipes: Homemade Greek Baklava Recipe

Discover how easy it can be to make to make this great tasting dessert for your family.
The recipe includes a complete listing of all of the necessary ingredients and kitchen tools that are all needed.

The recipe also features a complete, easy to read and follow step by step preparation guide that covers everything from start to finish.

Ingredients

For the Baklava:

• 250 g / 9 oz. butter
• 100 ml / 3 fl. oz. olive oil
• 400 g / 14 oz. walnuts, finely chopped
• 100 g / 3.5 oz. sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 500 g / 17.5 oz. Greek filo pastry

For the Syrup:

• 100 g / 3.5 oz. honey
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 250 ml / 8.5 fl. oz. water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 200 g / 7 oz. sugar

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Pan

1. Preheat your oven to 225°C / 425°F.
2. Melt the butter and lightly grease a 25 x 18 cm / 10 x 7 inch baking pan (a 23 x 23 cm / 9 x 9 inch pan works well too).

Step 2: Make the Filling

1. In a bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves.
2. Take one sheet of filo pastry to line the greased pan. Cover the remaining filo sheets with a damp towel to prevent drying.
3. Brush the pastry sheet in the pan with a little melted butter. Repeat the process, layering and brushing with butter, until half of the filo sheets are used.

Step 3: Add the Filling and Remaining Pastry

1. Spread the walnut mixture evenly over the layered pastry.
2. Top with the remaining filo sheets, brushing each one with melted butter. Be sure to tuck the edges neatly.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut the layered pastry into diamond or square shapes.

Step 4: Bake the Baklava

1. Bake the baklava in the preheated oven at 225°C / 425°F for 10 minutes.
2. Reduce the temperature to 180°C / 350°F and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Remove from the oven and allow the baklava to cool completely.

Step 5: Prepare the Honey Syrup

1. In a small saucepan, combine the honey, water, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and sugar.
2. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes until slightly thickened.
3. Let the syrup cool slightly.

Step 6: Pour the Syrup

1. Once the baklava has cooled, pour the warm syrup evenly over it.
2. Allow the pastry to absorb the syrup completely. (Tip: Make sure the syrup and baklava are not both hot to avoid sogginess.)

Step 7: Serve

1. Before serving, re-cut along the pre-cut lines to divide the baklava into individual pieces.

Servings: 4–25 people

Recipe Type: Dessert

This refined version highlights each step clearly, making the recipe easier to follow!