The Easiest Way to Make Crispy, Buttery Baklava
Baklava in a pan
For Yumna Jawad, the entrepreneur, social media influencer and recipe developer behind Feel Good Foodie, a pan of nutty, buttery baklava has always been a sweet way to celebrate important moments with family and friends.
"I always remember my mom making baklava during Ramadan and especially at the end of Ramadan for Eid al-Fitr," she says. "It was the ultimate sign of celebration in my family. She would make double or triple the normal batch during the holidays."
The only issue? Brushing the fragile layers of phyllo dough with butter, layering the pastry with sugared nuts, and soaking it all with syrup can take a while. Luckily, Jawad has found a faster, easier way to make this special treat that tastes just as good as the classic version but takes a fraction of the time.
We chatted with Jawad about her streamlined baklava recipe, plus tips and tricks she's picked up after years of baking baklava. Here's what you need to know.
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What's the Fastest and Easiest Way to Make Baklava?
"Traditional baklava is made by layering about 50-60 sheets of phyllo with clarified butter or ghee in the middle," says Jawad. That process is time-consuming and can be a little frustrating because the papery pastry can rip and tear as you brush it with butter and can dry out while you're working with it.
Jawad's streamlined method skips the buttering altogether, which cuts out so much time and frustration. "I now divide all those sheets into two thick layers of phyllo with the nuts and sugar mixture in the middle," she says. "But the secret is to cut the layers and then pour the clarified butter or ghee on top and give it 10 minutes to soak into the layers of phyllo before baking." This shortcut method cuts the prep time of the dessert from an hour to 15 minutes.
Related: Wait, What's The Difference Between Phyllo Dough and Puff Pastry?
How Do You Make Sure Your Baklava Is Crispy?
Nothing's sadder than soggy baklava, but Jawad has a trick to make sure the dessert comes out beautifully browned and crispy.
"The key is to use clarified butter instead of melted butter," she says. "The difference between the two is what makes baklava layers crisp and flaky. That’s because regular butter contains too much moisture. When melted, it separates into the fat component and liquid components. The fat portion is what becomes clarified butter and what should be used to make baklava to ensure the layers don’t come out soggy." You can buy clarified butter or ghee at Indian markets and some supermarkets.
Related: What is Ghee?
What's the Easiest Way to Cut Baklava?
Perfectly cut pieces of baklava look so pretty on a platter, but the delicate phyllo can be a little challenging to slice, but Jawad has a process that she likes to use to make cutting baklava easier.
"The goal is to cut the baklava into diamonds," she says. "The easiest way to do it is by making four cuts lengthwise first and pointing the knife down at an angle to make sure to cut through all the layers of the phyllo. Then make eight cuts crosswise on the diagonal, holding down the phyllo sheets with your other hand to keep everything steady."
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