Quick & easy traditional walnut Baklava recipe

Recipe for Walnut Baklava

Ingredients:

For the syrup:

• 4 cups of sugar
• 4 cups of water
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

For the dough:

• 3.5 cups of flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 teacup of vegetable oil
• 1 teacup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• A pinch of salt

For rolling the dough:

• Cornstarch

For the filling:

• 2 cups of crushed walnuts

For the topping:

• 250g butter
• 1/2 teacup of vegetable oil

• Prepare the syrup: In a suitable saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the lemon juice and let it simmer for a few more minutes. Then, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

• Prepare the dough: In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, milk, vinegar, and salt. Mix them together, then slowly add the flour, kneading until the dough is smooth and non-sticky.

• Rest the dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. This will make the dough easier to roll out.

• Divide the dough: Once the dough has rested, transfer it to a flat surface and knead it for a minute or two. Divide the dough into three equal parts, then divide each part into 9 smaller pieces, totaling 27 pieces of dough.

• Roll out the dough: Sprinkle some cornstarch on the work surface. Take one piece of dough, roll it out into a round shape, about the size of a dessert plate, using a rolling pin. Repeat this process for the first 9 pieces of dough, sprinkling cornstarch between each layer.

• Layer the dough: Place the first 9 layers of dough on the baking tray, one by one, making sure to sprinkle cornstarch between each layer. Once they are stacked, roll out the dough to fit the size of the tray, flipping it as you go so that the layers expand evenly.

• Separate the layers: Gently separate the thin layers of dough and place them on the baking tray. If you'd like, you can layer the dough without separating it, but separating the layers gives a more delicate texture.

• Add the walnuts: After placing the first 9 layers of dough on the tray, sprinkle crushed walnuts over the surface. You can also use hazelnuts or pistachios at this stage, if preferred.

• Continue layering: Repeat the process for the remaining 18 pieces of dough. After stacking each set of 9 layers, expand the dough to fit the tray and separate the layers carefully. If space allows, you can set the dough aside for 3-4 minutes to rest and dry slightly before continuing.

• Final layer and cutting: After adding the final 9 layers, cut the baklava into 4 large pieces, then cut each of these into small triangles.

• Bake the baklava: Pour the melted butter and vegetable oil mixture over the baklava. Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for about 1 hour until golden and crisp.

• Add syrup: Once the baklava is baked, pour the cooled syrup over it and allow it to absorb for a few hours.

Enjoy your homemade walnut baklava!