Skaitlyn Blog's

5 Steps To Beautiful Baklava (or Are We Nuts?)

1. Step 1: Find your phyllo

   Since the labor involved in hand-making phyllo dough is quite daunting, it makes sense to use prepared phyllo dough (available at most grocery stores), as long as you have at least 30 layers.

2. Step 2: Start layering and brushing

   Place a layer of phyllo dough in a large baking pan, brush it with melted butter, then add another layer, brush with butter, and repeat this process for several more layers.

3. Step 3: Add nuts and more pastry

   After building up several layers of butter-brushed phyllo, add a layer of finely-chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachios, and hazelnuts are most common), then continue layering pastry and brushing with melted butter, adding more nut layers as desired.

4. Step 4: Cut your pieces

   ​When all your layers are in place, before baking, cut the baklava into individual pieces; a parallelogram (lozenge) shape works well.

5. ​Step 5: Bake, pour, and enjoy

   ​Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned, and while hot, pour honey or syrup liberally over the entire pan, allowing it to soak through all layers, and try to wait for it to cool slightly before eating.