Walnut baklava

This recipe from Turkey-based master baklava chef Abdullah Yeşil features 20 layers of thin pastry for that classic crisp, flaky texture. It’s layered with the traditional walnut filling — if you can’t find ground walnuts you can buy whole ones and blitz them in a food processor for about 15 to 20 seconds.

SERVES: 8 TAKES: 2 HRS

PLUS 1 HR RESTING

INGREDIENTS

3 medium eggs

750g strong white flour cornflour, for dusting

300g ground walnuts

240g ghee, melted, plus extra

for greasing

FOR THE SYRUP

1kg granulated white sugar 1½-2 tsp lemon juice

METHOD

Heat oven to 165C, 145C fan, gas 3. Add the eggs, 2 tsp salt and 300ml cold water to a large mixing bowl and beat well. Add the white flour and stir into the wet mixture with a wooden spoon. Bring together using your hands to form a dough.

Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 mins. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a cool place for 1 hr.

Sprinkle your work surface with plenty of cornflour to avoid the dough sticking. Shape the dough into a thick 40cm-long roll, then cut into 20 equal-size pieces. Take a piece and flatten it by hand, then use a rolling pin to roll into a 20cm circle about 1mm thick, turning the pastry every few rolls and brushing with extra cornflour as you go. Repeat with all the remaining pieces. Don’t worry if your circles aren’t perfect, as the edges will be trimmed later.

Take 10 pastry circles and stack them in a pile. Press firmly around the edge to hold them in place, then roll the whole stack from the centre outwards, rotating as you go, until it’s about 30cm in diameter. Carefully peel off the layers one by one, generously coat each one with cornflour and stack them up again. Roll it out until it’s 35cm in diameter this time. Set aside and repeat for the remaining 10 circles. You’ll now have two stacks of pastry.

Place a 30cm round, 3cm deep baking dish or cake tin on top of one of your stacks and cut around with a knife so the pastry sheets will fit snugly inside.

Brush the dish with some ghee.

Take one stack and carefully peel off each layer of pastry, re-stacking them in the dish. Sprinkle the walnuts in an even layer, then repeat for the second stack.

Slice the baklava lengthways into 10 strips using a sharp knife. Pour the melted ghee over the top, then slice the baklava again 10 times at a 45-degree angle to make diamond shapes. Place in the oven for 35-45 mins, until golden brown.

While the baklava’s baking, make the syrup. Put the sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan along with 1 litre of cold water and stir well. Place over a medium heat, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins until you have a runny syrup.

When the baklava’s done, immediately pour the hot syrup over the top. Serve straight away or leave to cool to room temperature first.